Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-29
4 TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A Fast Train Switched Off
to Destruction.
THE VICTIMS GET CREMATED
A Grand Trunk Train Derailed
and Telesc0ped on "Y"
Junction Switch.

HAMILTON, Ont, April pa terrible
railroad accident occurred on the Grand
Trunk Railroad, near here, at 7 O'Clock
this morning. The St. Louis express
jumped the track, and the engine ran
into the water tank. Two cars telescoped
and Immediately took fire. All the dead,
seventeen in number, have been taken
out. The only body identified is that of
r. S. Gurney, of Chicago. He was in
stantly killed, but not burned. An
Italian, name unknown, was also in
stantly killed. The other fifteen are burn
ed beyond all possible Identification,
About twenty persons were injured, but
only one or two seriously. None of the
train hands were killed. A fireman was
slightly burned and received bad scalp
wound.
The train was composed of an engine
two baggage cars, a smoker, Chicago
and Grand Trunk through passenger
coach, Wabash coach, a Wagner first
class coach, a Pullman Car and two
Wagner sleeping cars, in the order
named.
The accident occurred at junction
where a "Y" is built. This "Y" is
used to switch through trains for To-
ronto to the Tor onto branchlfrom the
main line. The train is said to have
been running at a speed of forty miles an
hour or more, when, directly on crossing
the switch, the engine jumped the track
and plunged into the water tank which
stood in the space behind the "Y,"
smashing the tank into atoms and turn
ing almost upside down. The baggage
cars came directly after the engine, and
the first of them was pitched over the
engine and thrown on the main track,
leaving its wheels behind.
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 to-
gether by the shock and soon caught fire
from the baggage cars. The passengers
on the train, numbering over 100, many
of whom were asleep at the time, had a
terrible experience. The majority of
those on board the train were able to get
out of the coaches before the fire reached
them, but, in the confusion that reigned,
it is not known how many victims were
left to the mercy of the flames, being
penned in the material of the wreck and
unable to extricate themselves.
L. S. Gurney, of Brooklyn, N. Y, had
his head completely severed from his
body by piece of flying debris. Ru-
dolph Deerer was also instantly killed.
AS soon as the engine rolled over, after
striking the water-tsnk, Engineer Watson
and Fireman Chapman ciawled out from
underneath it, neither of them being
much hurt.
The two Wagner cars in the rear of the
train were uncoupled from the others
and were saved from the flames. A
large gang of employees worked unceas-
ingly at the wreck, doing their utmost to
extinguish the fire. There was great
difficulty 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.
| Up to O'Clock the charred remains of
eighteen victims had been exhumed
| from the wreck. In no case was there
enough of the bodies left to identify the
remains or even to tell whether the per-
sons were of the male or female sex.
An auxiliary train was sent out from
| this city Immediately on receipt of the
news of the accident and the passengers,
lH0 llJuT0O duQ bWO VI tuS
killed, were brought into this city.
Among the wounded now in the hos
pital are the following: James A. Palmer
lion, N. T., head cut but not seriously
hurt; Hamilton Clark, Chicago, double
fracture of the right leg, bruised badly
and head cut, and probably internally
worst. Antony Maui, Italian, on his
frrvxa IU;aaOYasva 70 Vtalxy hao1 ~
Edwin Chapman, fireman, head badly
ribs, broken; @. @. Azbell, Edwardspoit t,
Ind, slight injuries; William Leipsey,
Chicago, ankle badly sprained; A. L.
head; George White, Hill, right ear cut
off and scalp wounds; Andrew j. Car
penter, Yankton, Dak., injured about
the head; S. E. Young, Chicago, slight
ly hurt; Joseph Morris, East Sioux Falls,
OAK, en- his way to Clark's Island, Me-,
scalp wounds, bruised leg and shoulders,
not serious.
About ten others were slightly hurt,
but not so badly as to prevent them con-
tinuing their journey.
1t was evening before the tracks were
cleared. The wounded in the hospital
are all doing we'll.
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 screams of the men who were be-
ing 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 says 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 partic-
ulsr place at greater speed than twenty
miles.
The place where the accident occur ed
is considered dangerous, as there is
switch on a rather sharp curve; hence
the precaution of running slowly.
Seven cars,a baggage car, two first-class
coaches, a smoker, 6rst-class day
coach, and two Warner sleepers were
burned. There being not vestige of
wood or anything that would burn left.
One car, the baggage car, was demol-
ished. The engine was the most COM
plete wreck imaginable. The loss to
the company will be enormous.
Many of those on the train were going |
to New York to participate in the Cen |
tennial festivities. Most Of the passen- |
gers lost all or portion of their baggage
and clothing, and a large amount Of |
M oil tuo q daotrNuad h., Gwo