Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-05-03
ANOTHER HORROR.
Na = = II
Frightful Disaster on the Grand
Trunk Railroad.
Fifteen Persons Roasted TO Death. Throo
Instantly Killed and Another Injured
-Aii bnt Three OF tho Victims
Burned so ma to Prevent Idonti-
fcation - Scenes of Horror
Witnessed by Survivors.

HAMILTON, Ont, April 2s.-Tho limited
express on the Grand Trunk railway due
| hero, t6;b5 to-day met with an accident
when about two miles west of this city, tho
result of which was the loss of many lives
The train was composed of an engine, two
baggage cars, a smoker, n Chicago & Grand
Trunk through PASSENGER coach, Wabash
coach, n Wagner first class coach, Pullman
car, and two Wagner sleeping cars, in tho
order named. Conductor Poole was in
charge of the train, with j. Watson, of Lon
don, engineer, and Il. Chapman, of London,
fireman. The accident occurred at the june
tion where "Yn is built. This "Y" is used
10 switch through trains for Toronto on to
the Toronto branch from the main limo.
The train is said TO have been running at
speed of thirty miles an hour or more,
whom on passing the switch the engine
jumped the track and plunged into q water
tank which stood in space between the
"Y,n smashing the tank into atoms and
turning the engine almost upside down. Tho
baggage cars came directly after the engine,
and the first of these was pitched over the
locomotive and thrown on the main track,
leaving its wheels behind 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 the shock and soon
caught fire from tho baggage cars. The
passengers on the train, numbering over
ll0, many of whom were asleep at the time,
had n terrible experience. Large sivcrs of
Wood and iron flew in all directions, and the
confusion among the wrecked passengers
can better be imagined thon described.
The majority of those aboard tho train
were enabled to get out of the coaches be-
fore the fire had reached them, but fifteen
persons were left to the mercy of the flames,
pinned in by the material of the wreck and
unable to cxtrlcate themselves. A man
named l.. S. Gurney, of Brooklyn, N. Y,
had his head completely severed from his
body by piece Of flying debris, and another
named Rudolph Ederer, address unknown,
together with an unknown man were also
instantly killed.
Following is a list of the injured; 1amil-
ton Clark, of Chicago. had his right leg
broken and his head bruised; he may also
have received internal injuries, in which !
case he will not recover
Anthony Maus, an Italian, not serious
Edwin Chapman, fireman, of London, not
serious
Enoch Kenzie, mining engineer, of Lon
uOn, Enplunu, TlDS DTOhcIs llOI ScElOuS ull-
less internally injured,
c. G.. Azbell, of Edwardsport, Ind, cut |
and bruised; not serious.
William Lcpsey, of Chicago, badly sprained |
ankle.
A. l.. Doney, of Danville, ILL.,, head cut;
not serious.
j. A. Palmer, Ilion, n. Y, head cut; not
serious
George White, going to Union Hill, N. ",
from Wisconsin, ear cut off and head cut,
Andrew j. Carpenter, Yankton, Oak, cut |
and bruised; not serious
S, T.. Young, Chicago, knee and back hurt; |
not serious.
Joseph Morrow, on his way from the West
to Clarlss Island, Me-, cut about the head;
not serious.
The two dead bodies and the remains of |
the fifteen burned bodies were brought to
the city and taken to the morgue. An in
quest has been ordered and will be opened
tomorrow rGorning. ADMINISTRATION shows
that, as far as can be learned, there was no
negligence on the part of the railway COM
pany. The train simply jumped the track
at frog. The engineer and fireman did
not jump because they had no time, They |
were gotten out from under the debris with
and it is miraculous how they es-
capped. The baggageman and expressman,
James Welch and Fred Dumas, respectively, |
both of Niagara Falls, were in the car |
which jumped over the engine, yet neither
were 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 flames. Conductor
W. II. Poole says that the train was fifteen
late, but was not running more
than twenty miles an hour when the acci-
dent happened, as all orders are that trains
must not run at that particular place at u
greater speed than twenty miles
Seven cars including one baggage, two
first class coaches, n smoker, u first class
day coach and two Wagner sleepers were |
burned, there being not vestige of wood |
or anything that would burn left One car,
u baggage, was demolished and the engine |
was the most complete wreck imaginable |
The loss to the company will be enormous
BUFFALO, n. V, April 2s.-A Suspension
Bridge special says that about scventy-tivc
of the surviving passengers of the wrecked
train arrived there at / 40 p. m. by special |
train. Among them were four men badly |
cut about the head and body. One was |
James Williams, of 33S Prospect avenue, |
Brooklyn, who was on his way from Chi |
cago home. He lost his overcoat watch, |
valise and quite sum of money Malcolm |
Mckay, of Boston, an employe OF N. l.. |
of New York another OF the in |
jured, G6ys he has no idea of how he got out |
of the wreck. but thinks he went through a |
window, as the doctor took several pieces of |
glass from cuts in his head. Melvin Crum, |
of Alvaston, Ohio, who was on his way TO |
Buffalo with live stock, escaped with severe |
cuts and bruises. His foot was badly cut |
by being caught under a wheel. Another |
man tells of seeing the hcadless body of f. |
W. jefferson, of No. sos MuBroe street, |
Brooklyn, in the ruins before he himself |
was rescued.
There were l15 people on the train besides |
the ten trainmen. OF these fourteen We're |
in the day coach, thirty five in one sleeper, |
five in another sleeper and eleven in a third |
sleeper, leaving fifty persons in the smoker |
and two coaches. Thirty or thirty-five of |
these were in the smoker. This ear and the |
second baggage car were telescoped com
pletely and took fire Immediately. The |
of the tank cut off the supply of |
water and the thirty or thirty-hve passen-
gers We're ut the mercy of the flames. OF |
this number, thirteen, as far rs can be |
learned, got out safely,