Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-05-03
A RAILWAY HORROR.
ACCIDENT ONTHE GRAND TRUNK
NEAR HAMILTON, ONT.
The Locomotive Jumps the Track
and Wrecks the Train.

The Locomotive Jumps the Track
and Wrecks the Train.
HAMILTON Ont, April 2S-The limited
express on the Grand Trunk railway, duo
here at g. a. H., met with an accident whom
about two miles west of this city, the result
of which was the loss Of many lives. The
train was composed of an engine, two bag
bage cars, a smoker, Chicago & Grand
Trunk through passenger coach, Wabash
coach a Wagner frst-clas5 coach, Pullman
car and two Wagner sleeping cars in the
order named Conductor Poole wa in charge
of the train, with J. Watson OF London en-
gineer, and e. Chapm IN Of London fireman.
The accident occurred at the Junction where
"Y" is built. This 'Y" is used to switch
through trains for Toronto on TO the Toronto
branch from the main line, The train is
sal to have been running at speed Of 40
miles an hour or more, when, directly on
passing the switch tho engine jumped The
track and plunged into q water tank which
8 O. d in q place between the "Y, :" smashing
the tank into atoms and turning the engine
almost upside down. The baggage cats
came directly after the eng ne and the
first OF these was pitched over the engine
and thrown on the main track, leaving
its Wheels behind it. The other baggage car
caught fire from th9 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 to-
gether by the shock and soon caught fire
from the baggage car. The passengers on
the train, numbering over $50, many of
whom weTo asleep at the time, had terrible
experience. A majority or those on board
of the train were able to get out of the
coaches before tie fire reached them, but in tie
confusion that TeiLned it is not known how
many victims were left to the mercy of the
flames, penned in by tho material of the
wreck and unable to cXiricate themselves.
L. S. Gurney Of Brooklyn, N. Y, had his
head completely severed from his body by a
piece of flying debris. Rudolpha Deerer
whose address is not known was al o ia-
slant y killed, 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 cut from tbs city fmm odiately
on receipt Of news of the accident and the
passengers including the injured and two of
UllG hlllSt, htit DIOu-uu W ulllS ClJJs L WI
| Wagn CATS in tac rear Of the train were
uncoupled from the others and w,re saved
from the flames. A large gang of employees
under the direction Of John Hail. locomo-
tive foreman, worked Increasingly at the
wreck, doing their utmo to extinguish the
fire. There was great difficulty in securin !;
water, owing to the tank icing smashed, and
the fire held sway for many hours before q
thorough serch could b. made through the
debris. Up to O'Clock the charred remains
of 1S victims had been exhumed from
| the wreck. In no case was there enough of
the body left to identify the remains or to tell
! whether the person was male or female.
! From 30 to 35 passengers were in the smoker
| This car and the second baggage car were
telescoped completely and took fire immedi-
! ately. The Wrecking Of the tank cut Off the
supply Of water and the passengers were at
! the mercy Of the flames Thirteen, as far as
can be learned, got out safely. Those re-
naming were cut t. ieCeS almost to a man
and burned beyond all possibility of recogni-
! ton. They were huddlei toge her in a heap
in the end Of the smoker and were pinned in
! by timbers, which made it impo. sible for
| them to eXtTicate themselves. Nothing
could be done for them, as the ferceness of
the flames made it out of the question for
men to rescue them. The only way in which
1t could be aSCertained that IS bodies had
been taken out was from the fact that legs
and arms corresponding to about that num-
ber were found
An investigation shows that as far as can
| he learned, there was no negligence on the
part OF the railroad company. The train
simply jumped the track by frog. The en-
! gineer and fireman did not jump, because
they had no time They were gotten out
from under the debris with difficulty and it
is a miracle how they escaped. The bag
gageman and expressman James Wclch and
Fred Dumas, respectively both of
Niagara Falls were in the
car which jumped over the engine,
yet neither was hurt Conductor w. H.
Poole of London says that the train was 10
minutes late, but was not running more
than 20 miles an hour when the accident hap
pened, as the place is considered dangerous
and all orders are that trains must not run
over it at greater rate Of speed
than 20 miles. Seven cars including
one baggage two first class coaches,
a smoker, first class day coach
and two Wagner sleepc-s were coml letely
burned. One car the baggage, was de-
nj ,lished and the engine was completely
wrecked The loss to the company will be
enormous Most Of the passengers lost all
or portion of their baggage d clothing
and the mails were burned.
The Maine Shore railroad company have
given q notice of acceptance to the town OF
Cherryfield, Me, accepting the SIS, 900 voted
in aid of the construction of the road.