The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-05-02
DEATH ON THE RAIL
Accident on the Grand Trunk and
Nearly u Score of Per-
sons Killed.

Nearly u Score of Per-
sons Killed.
HAMILTON, Ont, April 2S.-A terrible rail
road accident occurred on the Grand Trunk
near here this morning. The ST. Louis eX-
press jumped the crack and the engine ran
into water tank. Two cars tclescoped and
immediately took fire All the dead, eighteen
in number. have been taken out. The only
body Identified is that of r. s. Quincy OF
Chicago He vas instantly killed, ~buU not
burned. Rudolph Derer, an Italian, was also
instantly killed. The other sixteen were
burned bevOnd the possibility of identified
ton. About twenty persons were injured,
only one or two seriously. None OF the train
hands were killed. The fireman was slightly
burned and received a bad scalp wound.
The unfortunate train was running at full
speed, when suddenly it left the track
and the locomotive pitched into large
water tank. The wreck took fire lmmed1-
ately. Seven out OF the ten coaches COM
posing the train We're burned. In the ruins
of the smoking car searChers discovered
seventeen charred bodies The accident was
the worst which has occurred in this region
since the great Des Jardins canal disaster,
which happened almost ut the same spot
thirty years ago. Thirty five people were in
the smoker anu Just about half OF the num-
her We're
ROASTED ALIVE,
the car being almost instantly enveioped in
flames from the engine r. S Quincy of
Chicago, who was in the smoker, was
III no cir of
decapitated. The train was composed of
an engine, two baggage cars, a smoker,
Chicago 4 Grand Trunk through passenger
coach, Wabash coach, n Wagner tirst-class
coach, Pullman car and two Wagner sIoep-
ing cars in the order named Conductor
Poole was in charge of the train, with J. W,
Watson of London fireman The accident
occurred at the junction, where Il ~Y' is built.
This y" is used to switch through trains for
Toronto to the Toronto branch from the
main line The train is said to nave been
running at speed of forty miles an hour or
more, when directly on crossing the switch
the engine Jumped the track and plunged
into a water tank which stood in space
between the ~" smashing the tank into
atoms and turning almost upside down. The
baggage cars came directly after the engine,
anu ne uESL Oh IuSSS w as pllCuCu OfS4 IAC
engine 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 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 the baggage cars.
The passengers on the train, numbering over
100, many of whom were asleep ut the time,
had u terrible experience. A majority of
those on board the train were got out of
the coaches before the fire reached them,
but in the confusion that reigned it is not
known how many victims were LETT to the
mercy OF the flames, penued in by the ma
teraI 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 accident and the pas
sengers Including the injured and two or
the killed, were brought to this city. Two
Wagner cars in the rear of the train were uu-
coupled from the others and were saved from
the flames. large gang of employees, under
the direction of John Hail, foreman, worked
increasingly at tie wreck doing their utmost
to extinguish the fire. There was great diff
ticulty 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 ex-
humed from he wreck. In no case was there
enough of the body left to identify the re-
mains or to tell whether the person was OF
the male or female sex.
THE WOUNDED.
The names of the wounded now in the hos
pital are as follows:
James A. Palmer, lion, 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. 4 mining en-
gineer; ribs broken; not seriously hurt.
c. C. Azbell, Edwardsport, Ind: slight in
juries.
William Lepsey, Chicago: ankle badly
sprained.
A. L. Doney, Danville, Ill cut about head, not
seriously
George White, a German. on his way from Hi
nois TO Union Hills; right ear cut off and scalp
wound: not serious.
Andrew J. Carpenter. Yankton, s. D.: injured
about head. but not seriously.
s. f. Young, Chicago, very slightly hurt.
Joseph Morris. East Sioux Falls, S. D.. on his
wav to Clark's Island, Me-; scalp wounds.
bruised leg and shoulders: not serious.
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
About ten others were slightly hurt. but
not so badly as to prevent them continuing
their journey. None of the mem ers of the
Detroit Light Infa ntry were injured and not
a 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 en-
gineer and fireman did not lump because
they had no time. They were taken from
the debris with difttu!ty, and it is
miraculous how they escaped with their
lives. The baggageman and expressman,
James WEIGH and Fred Dumas, both OF
Niagara Falls, were in the car 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 flames. Conductor Poole sassy
that the train was fifteen minutes late. but
was 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 at greater speed than
twenty miles
A DANGEROUS PLACE.
The place where the accident occurred is
considered dangerous, as there is a switch
on rather sharp curve, hence the precaution
of running slowly. Seven cars, baggage
car, two first-class coaches, smoker, a first
! class day coach and two Wagner 81 eepers