Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-05-02
ANOTHER RAILROAD HORROR.
An Express Train Jumps the Track
EIGHTEEN PERSONS BURNED In THE
WRECK, AND TWENTY INJURED.

HAMILTON, Ont, April 2S.-The limit
ed express on the Grand Trunk railway,
due here at 6.55 A. NJ, met with an acci-
dent about two miles West of this city
the result of which was the loss of many
lives. The train was composed of an en-
CINE. two baggage cars, a smoker, four
coaches, and two sleeping cars.
The accident occurred at the junction
where the "" is built. This "Y" is
used to switch through trains from To-
rontO from the Toronto branch to the
main line.
The train is said to have been going at
a speed of forty miles an hour. when, di-
rectly on crossing the switch the engine
jumped the track and plunged into wa
ter tank, which stood in place between
the " smashing the tank into atoms
and turning it upside down. The baggage
cars came directly after the engine, and
the first of these was pitched over the Ell
gine and thrown on the main track, leav
ing its wheels behind it.
The other baggage car caught fire from
the engine, and the two were soon III
flames. The coaches following, with the
exception of the two WagnerS in the rear
of the train, were huddled together by the
shock and soon caught fire from the bag
gage cars. The passengers on the train,
numbering over $50. many of whom were
asleep at the time, had terrible expert
ence. The majority of those on board
the train were able to get out of the
coaches before the fire reached them, but
in the confusion that reigned it is not
known how many victims were left to
the mercy of the flames, penned in by the
material of the wreck and unable to eX-
tricate themselves.
L. ). Gurney, of Chicago, Ill, had his
head completely severed from his body
by piece of flying debris. Rudolph L.
Deerer, whose address is not known, was
also instantly killed. As soon as the en-
gine rolled over after striking the water
tank, Engineer Watson and Fireman
Chapman crawled out from underneath
it, neither of them being much hurt. An
auxiliary train was sent out from this
city Immediately on news of the acci-
dent, and the passengers, including the
injured and two of the killed, were
brought to this city. Two Wagner cars
in the rear of the train were uncOupled
from the others and were saved from the
flames. A large number of employees un-
der the direction of of John Hall. worked
INCREASINGLY dJ Tic NIoCh, UOlllR lu6lT
utmost to extinguish the fire. There was
great difficulty in securing water, owing
to the tank being smashed, and the fire
held sway for many hours.
EIGHTEEN BODIES RECOVERED.
1t was hours before thorough search
could be made. Up to P. NJ charred
remains of eighteen victims had been ex-
humed from the wreck. In no case was
there enough of the body left to identity
the remains, or tell whether the person
was male or female
1t was o'clock this evening before the
tracks were cleared. None of the mem
bers of the Detroit Light Infantry were
injured and not woman was in the
least hurt. The wounded in the hospital
are all doing well.
AS far as can be learned there was no
negligence on the part of the railroad
company. The train simply jumped the
track at frog. The engineer and fire.
men did not jump because they had no
time. They were taken from the debris
with difficulty, and it is miraculous how
they escaped. The screams of the men
who were burned to death in the smoking
car could be heard above the noise of the
escaping steam and the roaring of the
flames. The loss is enormous.