The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-03

burned ana resolved Oad scalp wound.
Tho unfortunate train was running at full
speed. when suddenly 1t left the track
and tho locomotive pitched into large
water tank Tho wreck took nre immedi-l
ately., Seven out Of the ten coaches CON-
posinx the train were burned. In the ruins
oe tho smoking car searchers discovered
seventeen chafred bodtea Tho accident was
the worst which hss occurred In this region
since the great Des Jardlns canal disaster,
which happened almost ut tho same spot
thirty years ago. Thirty five people were in
the smoker. and Just about half Of the num-
her were
ROASTED ALIVE,
the car being almost instantly enveioped in
flames from tho engine. r. g Gurney Of
Chicago, who was in the smoker, was
thrown to the side of tho track and
decupitated The train was composed Of
an engine. two baggage cars, q smoker,
Chicago 4 Grand Trunk through passenger
coach, Wabash couch, n Wagner trst-class
coach, Pullman car and two Wagner sleep
lug cars in tho order named. Conductor
Poole was In charge of the train, with ]. W.
Watson of London fireman. The accident
occurred ut the junction, where n ~" is built
This "" is used to switch through trains for
Toronto to the Toronto branch from the
main line The train is said TO nave been
running ut speed Of forty miles an hour or
more, when directly on crossing the switch
the engine jumped the truck and plunged
into water tank which stood in a space
between the "Y," smashing the tank into
atoms aud turning almost upside down. The
baggage cars came directly after the engine,
and the first of these was pitched over the
engine und thrown on the main track, lcav-
ing its wheels behindi it The other baggage
car caught fire from the engine, and the two
were
SOON IN FLAMES.
The coaches following, with the exception
OF the two Wagner cars in the rear OF the
train, were huddled together by tho shock
and soon caught fire from the baggage cars
The passengers on the train, numbering over
$50. many of whom were asleep at the time,
had terrible experience A majority OF
those on board the train were got out of
The conchcs before the fire reached them,
but in the confusion TINT reigned 1t in not
known how many victims were left to the
mercy OF the flames, pcnned in by the ma
terial of the wreck and unable to extricate
themselves As soon as the engine 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 re-
ceipt of the news of the acct,lcnt and the pas
sengers including the injured and two of
the killed, were brought to this city. Two
Wagner cars In the rear of the train were un-
coupled from the others and were saved from
the flames. A large gang of employees, under
the direction of John Hail, foreman, worked
increasingly at the wreck, doing their utmost
to extinguish the fire. There was great diff
iculty in securing water, owing to the tank
being smashed, and the fire held sway for
many hours before thorough search could
be made through the debris. The charred
remains of eighteen victims have been cx-
humed from tho wreck. In no case was there
enough Of tho body left to identify the re-
mains or to tell whether the person was of
the male or female sex.
THE WOUNDED
Tho names of the wounded now In the hos
pital are as follows:
James A. Palmer, Ilion, N. Y; head cut, but
not seriously hurt.
Hamilton Clark, Chicago: double fracture Of
the right leg, bruised badly, head cut and prob
ably internally injured. OF all the injured he is
the worst but will probably recover.
Anthony Maaz or Martz. an Italian on his way
from Wisconsin to Italy; head cut. but not
seriously.
Edwin Chaplin, fireman; head badly cut over
right eye: not seriously hurt.
Enoch Kenyon OF London. Eng. mining en-
Rineer; ribs broken: not seriously hurt.
e. c. Azbell, Ed~ardsport. Ind; slight in
juries
William Leipsey. Chicago: ankle badly
sprained.
A. L. Doney, Danville, Ill. :cut about head, not
seriously.
George White. n German. on his way from Illi-
nois 70 Union Hills: right ear cut of and scalp
wound: not serious.
Andrew j. Carpenter. Yankton, s. D.: injured
about head. but not seriously.
s. E. Young, Chicago. very sliQhtiy hurt.
Joseph Morris. East Sioux Falls. 8. D.. on his
wav to Clark's Island, Me-: scalp wounds,
bruised leg and shoulders: not serious.
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
About ton others were slightly hurt, but
not SO badly as to prevent them continuing
their journey. None of the members of the
Detroit Light Infantry were injured and not
a woman was in the least hurt Tho wounded
in the hospital are all doing well As far as
can be learned there was no neglgenca on
the part of the railroad company. The train
queer and fireman did not Jump because
they had no time. They were taken from.
the debris with diffiulty, and 1t is
miraculous how thev escaped with their
lives. The baggageman and expressman,
James Welch aud Fred Dumas, both Of
Niagara Falls, were in the cur which jumped
over the engine, yet neither was hurt The
screams of the men who were being burned
TO death in the smoking car could be heard
above the noise of the escaping steam and the
roaring of the flamcs Conductor Poole sasy
that the train was fifteen minutes late, but
waa not running more than twenty miles an
hour when the accident happened, as the
orders are that trains must not run at that
particular place ut greater speed than
twenty miles.
DANGEROUS PLACE.
The place where the accident occurred is
considered dangerous, as there is switch
on rather sharp curve. hence the precaution
of running slowly. Seven cars. q baggage
car, two hrst-class coaches a smoker, q first
class day coach and two Wagner 81 leepers
were burned, there not being vestige of
wood or anything that would burn left.
One car, the baggage car, was demolished.
and the engine was the most complete
wreck imaginable. the loss to the company
will be enormous Many of those In the
trsin were gong 10 New Yori to participate
in the centennial festivities Most OF the
passengers lost all or u portion Of their bag
gage and clothing, and large amount
OF the mails were lost by fire. An
other report of the accident says that
the remains OF from sixteen to eighteen men
were taken out Of the wreck. They were
cut to pieces almost to man. and burned
beyond all possibility OF recognition. They
were hudded together in q heap in the end
of the smoker. and were pinned in by tim
bers. which made it impohsibl. for them to
cxtricate themselves. Nothing could be
done for them. as the ficrceness of the
flames made it out of the question for men
to rescue them. The only way in which It
could be ascertained that from sixteen to
eighteen bodies had been taken out was
from the fact that legs and urms correspond
ing to about that number were found An
inquest will be held tomorrow. 1t will in
I'LL probability be days before the dead are
identified.
:Macolm Mckay. OF Boston on his way from
Chicago 10 New York in the employ
of n L. Munroe, of New York, was au-
other OF the injured. Malvin Crum, Of
Alvnston, Ohio. who was on his way to
Buffalo with love stock escaped NTH severe
cuts and bruises. He wore his right foot in