The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-01-10
RAILWAY BUfCHERY::
Collision Between q Freight and q
Suburban Tram Near To-
gOnto, Ont.
Invent .nine Persons Killed and AbOu.
Double That Number Horribly
Mutilated:
Toronto telegram

telckIain.l
Toronto, 40 long free from any heavy calam-
~. opens tho new year with ono Of tho wors.
in Its record, hy which twcnty-nine persons
were almost instantly killed and double that
number badly er fatally Wounded Tho aec
lent occurred III the vicinity Of High PARK,
near the Dominion bolt and Iron Works,
from the employees or Which establishment
the list OF killed and wounded Vas takc!!. Tho
dummy train which conveys the men
and from their work ut tho
roH-works started with its usual
load OF between seventy and ninety persons,
MI had got rs far rs the place mentioned
when II coilidcd with an eastern freight train
ON Hamilton. The engine of the dummy
rain was shot hnck, telcscoping the Il ont of
two cars which composed the suburban
ralii, md killifig Instantly shmf fouri en- of
he occupants, Ebth engines were Il. one,
overturned the dummy ialling over the
northern bank and the large engine on the
-outhern fank. The tubes n board burst aud
'calding water and steam were thrown over
the met who hah fallen on the track from
the telcst ored cars. The dummy III falling
had crushed the m,ii on tie northern side Of
the passenger car I'm lerneath il. Those were
the persons who were killed outright.
The sight was horrible In the extreme.
some OF the men. with their legs crushed and
burning, were unable TO ca tricate themselves,
and filed the air with their cries. At last
}. j. Mcintyre, one of the foremen In the
works. came along an set to work cytricat-
ing the bodies and the wounded. The con-
dlctor OF the dummy set out for Mimico to
stop all traffic and telegraph for q wrcckiny
party, medical assistance, and an an Mill iry-
Car from Toronto. When they arrived the
scene had been gathering more hideous
features. Many oil the wounded had not
teen removed from the car and were being
hy- In lvi n
n all directions, burnt, bruised, and bleed
Ing. The men around the scene of
the disaster had begun to busy themselves,
aud soon the dead We're lying in a car and
ready to be sent down to the city. The doc
tors sent up on the auxiliary were busy
among the wounded and dying. The sur
roundings OF the dying made the calamity
appear even more frightful than il was.
Limbs scattered over the track, pools of
blood and pieces of the bodies o. the suffer-
crs all told terrible tales of disaster and
death.
Where the disaster occurred was on the
bend of curve. aud none of the PEI sons on
either train could see the other till they We, c
too close to do anything to save their charge
from a most terrible death. The EOdics were
morlue, and those of the wounded and dy-
ing were transported to the hospital.
The impetus of the freight train was SO
great that the engine actually mounted the
truck OF the dummy, which kept the rails and
remained on balance.
To add TO the horror of the scenc the toiier
OF the dummy exploded and steam and oil
ing water scadcd ana carried death or terri
be injuries to the munglcd and bleeding men.
Then fire broke out and completed the sick
cning work of destruction. Several poor fell
lows. suffering untold asonies, with limbs
and bodies burned to a crisp, piteOusly inn
plorcl those near them to pour water upon
Their scalded limbs or put an end TO their suf-
ferings.
The wounded men bore Their sufierings with
fortitude and patience. Il few proans being
the only indication of Their intense agony
The scene mt tic morsue beggars description.
There are fifteen bodies laid side by side in
rows on opposite sides ot the room. Mothers,
sisters, fathers and brothers arc to be seen
passing from body to Iody and, with trem-
bling hands. lifting the corerlets to gaze on
the faces of the dead. Now and again a cry
of anguish tells too plainly the discovery of
some dear one carried of in the prime Of
manhood.
One man. John Rowlett, died shortly after
arriving ut the hospital When found among
the debris he spoke cheerfully and asked to
be allowed to walk. On looking down, he
criel; 40, God. my legs are off," And SO
they wcre-hurncd of.
OF those killed eleven leave widows and
aldien.
Barber. the conductor of the FIRE ght train,
vas placed under arrest Immediately after
the accident. Kennedy, the engineer. disap-
peared, and IL was rumortd that he had fed
into the woods near the scene of the collision,
and had hanged himself. Search Is being
made for him. The conductor admitted that
he had received orders ut Hamilton to run to
Queens wharf. Toronto. avoiding all regular
trains. He looked at the timetable, but for
got that the suburban train was on the list.
The Grand Trunk is likely to lose heavily
by the accident rs il has been eonclusiyely
shown that ii resulted rough the careless
ness OF ono OF its employees. The conductor
claimed that he had been oyerworked and
had not had time &c rest. Prominent railway
officials here say the rels tiyes Of all those who
were killed and injured can easily recover
heavy damages, ana it would not be surpris.
ing IL the Grand Trunk was mulcted S..
600 600