New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-29
A TRAINS FATAL PLUNGE.
IRA VELLERS BURNED TO DEATH
DISASTROUS MISTIAP TO TRAIN FILLED
WITH CENTENNIAL VISITORS.
EIGHTEEN PASSENGERS KILLED AND SCORE
WOUNDED IN THE FLAMES AND RUINS
OF THE wRECK-CNABLE TO IDENTIFY
MANY BODIES-EXPERIENCEs OF
THE PASSENGERS-TIIE WORK

| MANY BoDIEs-EXPERIENCEs OF
| THE PASSENGERS-THE WORK
OF RESCUE.
| IBY TELEGRAPH TRTBCNE.1
| Hamilton, Ont, April 2s.-The limited express
on the Grand Trunk Railway from Chicago duo
here at 55 a. m, consisting of ten cars, mainly
loaded with people from the West going to the
| Centennial Celebration in New-York City, ran of
the track at o'clock this morning at Junction
| Cut, mile west Of this city
The train is said to have been running at speed
| of forty miles an hour more, when directly on
crossing a" W switch the engine jumped the track
and plunged into a water tank which stood in
space between the W smashing the tank into
atoms and turning almost upside down. The bag
gage cars came directly after the engine, and the
first Of these was pitched over the engine and
| thrown on the main track. leaving its wheels be-
hind It.
The smoking car and the following coach were
dashed into each other, and each caught fire.
Before it was possible to break in and rescue the
imprisoned passengers the intense heat drove back
people in the cars burned before their eyes.
1t was frightful sight. The screams Of the
burning people could be heard above the roaring
flames and the escaping steam Car after car
caught fire, and in an hour the whole train, with
the exception of two sleeping cars, which did not
leave the track, were burned.
1t was / o'clock this afternoon before the
bodies of the burned passengers were recovered
Eighteen bodies were found TO be burned beyond
recognition when they were taken from the ruins
None of them has yet been claimed. All the
victims come from Western States.
The following killed and wounded travellers
were taken from the wreck
KILLED.
DEERER. Rudolph j., Chicago
GURNEY l.. s., Brooklyn.
Eighteen Passengers. names uhho"n "eTe oulhou
beyond Ncogniuon
INJURED.
AzBEI. C. c. Edwsrdsport, Ind cut in right fore
arm and badly burned.
CARPENTER. Andrew j., Yankton, OAK. about
the head.
on right hand and right side OF face
CLARK Hamilton No. 147 West Ohio-st, Chicago;
his iniuries are serious but ne will probably recover
DONEY A. L.. Ne As West Adamsst., Danville, III,
cut about the head
KENYON, Enoch, mining engineer, NO. Mincing Lane
Iondon. Eng; several ribs fractured; not seriously
I1psEY. william, No. 90 sangamon.st; Chicago;
spraIned ankle. -
MARTZ. Antonio, an italian. his way from Wisconsin
IN his home In Italy; cut in the back OF the head.
NORRIS Joseph East Sioux Falls OAK, on his way to
Clark's Island, Me. cut about the hea1
PALMER. J. A., Ilion, " y; cut about the heaai ho'
seriously hurt.
WISE, GcorG', Union Hill, n. j.; Hghl car Voi" y" '
painful scalp wounds
YOUNG, s. T., No. 2si North-ave., Chicago badly
bruised
Fifteen of the burned travellers are men and
three women. The bodies are at the morgue
awaiting the coroners inquest.
l.. s. Gurney, of Brooklyn, ~ Y, who was in
the ,moLing-car had his head completely severed
from his body by piece of flying wrcckage
Rudolph Deerer, whose address is not known.
was also instantly killed.
The accident occurred at the foot of steep
grade which ends in double curve. The tram
was late and going at high rate of speed. 1t
Jumped the track on the curve and struck a
tank When the engine struck the TANK the
tender leapcd completely over both, as also did
the baggage car. Thirtyive people were IN the
smoking car and about half of the number were
roasted alive, the being almost instantly
cnveloped in flames from the engine. No efforts
Of the survivors could avail to relieve or rescue
the imprisoned passengers.
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.
The passengers on the train, numbering over
$50. many of whom were asleep at the time, had
terrible experience. A majority Oh 'hoSe OIL
board the train were able to get out OIL the
coaches before the fire reached them, but III the
confusion that reigned, it is not known how many
victims were left to the mercy of the flames,
rerrod in nv the material of the wreck and un-
able to extricate themselves.
The train was composed of an engine two bag
gage cars, u smoking car Chicago ana urana
Trunl, through passenger coach, IA Wabash coach.
= Pullman car and two Wagner sleeping in
the order named Conductor Poole was in charge
Of the train, with j. Watson, of London, engineer,
and J. Il. Chapman, of London, fireman The ac-
cidcnt took place at q junction, where " Y" is
buiIt This Yn is used to switch through trains
for Toronto to the Toronto branch from the main
line.
Seven out of the ten coaches composing the
train were burned In the ruins of the smoking
car scarchers discovered seventeen charred bodies.
Up to . o'clock the charred bodies of eighteen
victims had been taken from the wreck. In no
case was there enough of the body left to identify
the remains or to tell whether the person was OF
the male or female sex.
About ten others were slightly hurt, but so