The times., 1889-03-01
An Inflated Train.
Three Passenger Cars Plunge
Into a River.
YHIRTY-FIvE DEAD AND WOUNDED.


hon OF Whom Are Suddenly Sent to Etern-
fty-A Urolxcn Piston SeSults I'm u
Wrecked Bridge, and the Unfortunates
Are Carried Down sixty Feet-Dreadful
Scenes and AGonizing Cries--The Death
Roll and List OF wounded--Brief Report
of Another Horror.
ST. GEORGE, Ont, Feb 2s--The most ter
rible accident in tho history OF western On
tario since the Des Jardines canal accident
some years ago, in which nearly 100 lost their
fves occurred here last evening SHORTLY after
6o'clock to q train on the Great Western rail-
way. just to the west of the village is an iron
trestle bridge of three spans over branch of
Sze Grand river which flows west and south
ef thi place. At the hour named the train
Known as the St Louis express, bound east to
Hamilton, passed here Just east of the sta
fion piston-rod of the locomotive broke and
by bounding against tho track forced tho rails
TO spread just as tho first part of the
train was entering ON the bridge.
The locomotive, tender, and srnoking-car
passed ovoi' in safety, but tho first passenger
ear, Pullman car and dining-room car
went crashing through the middle section OF
the bridge into the river below. So great
was the velocity at which tho train was run
ming as the bridge sank down that the Pull
man crashed into tho first pier, rebodnded
and was thrown clear OIL tho bridge, and,
turning completely over, landed right side
up. This car contained most of the unfor-
tunato passen ers, who, without an instant's
warning, were hurled Co death. The dining
ear was left standing on end at the foot of
the eastern pier, and the fllst-class passenger
coach lay shapeles heap of splintered iron
and timber alongside.
News of the terrible calamity spread
through the village, and soon the terror
stricken villagers with all the medical and
surgical assistance the town affords were
hocking toward the scene of the disaster
The trIin, which is generally one of thess
heaviest loaded on the line, was made up
last night of five coaches, consisting Of bag
gage car, smoker, first-class passenger coach,
dining room and Pullman sleeping cars. In
the dining car at the time the accident oc-
CURED there wero only about seven pas
sengers besides the walters. The first of the
villagers who reached the scene of the big
smash-up describes it as one of sckening hor
ror. From out of the twisted and broken
cars and from out Of the chasm below the
Bridge could be heard piercing shrieks of
anguish and cries for aid, while the means of
the dying and the prayers Of those pinned in
by life-crushng tinbars were OF the most
piteous description.
The dining car being mostly constructed OF
iron was almost impenetrabke by the axes
and saws. II stood on end and tho poor oc-
cupants we're pitched to tho bottom amongst
q mass of broken tables and dishes and on the
top of all was tho cooking furnace in full
running order, making the danger of fire i'm
minent Luckily the first thought OF the res
cuers was to prevent fire. Beneath all tho
mass Of debris one man was calling for help,
and when taken out was scarcely injured.
Tho shrielzs OF lady near him wero heart
rending, but she died before they could res
cue her. Two men were sitting together
talking; one was killed instantly, the other
was res-ued badly, but not hopelessly in-
jured
Tho work of rescue was Mt onco begun.
Huge bonfires were lighted at either side of
the wrecked train to illuminate the scene, fast
growing black with the coming night, while
strong men with axes, saws, or crowbars in
hand worked as they had never worked be-
fore to rescue the suffering passengers. Ex-
press wagons were hastily turned into impro-
vised ambulances to convey the dead and
wounded to the station house, which, for the
time being, was used as temporary morgue, |
and to tho three hotels, which had been
thrown open to receive the unfortunates
The list of killed is as follows: George Leg
gait, Michel, Ont w. M. Wemple, London, |
Ont; DIR. A. w. Swan, Woodstock, Ont A. |
W. Francis, Woodstock, Ont. Mr. Mclean. |
Of Mclean & Beecher, Detroit; q. w. Be rms, |
Woodstock, Ont. Capt. Lizzie Moore, of the |
Salvation Army, Brantford, Ont; one |
woman and two mon not identified
Tho injured SO far as learned are as follows |
Thomas L. Doutney. temperance lecturer;
Nrs and May Jennings, Paris; Mr.. and Mrs |
Buddin, Dorchester; Mrs. Higgins, Rossin |
house, Toronto; Mrs. Mcleod, Ingersoll;
Miss Chaffee, Pontiac, Mich. James Hyslop,
0oderich; Dan Peacock and r. w. Wright, |
Woodstock; John Mckinley, Detroit; Fred |
Hancock, Londcn; George Forbes, New |
York; j. X. Marshall and Mrs J. r. Mar |
shall, Regina; j. II. Wilson (colored). Chat !
ham; Mrs Evans, Hamilton; George |
NARCOTIC, dining-car conductor, Niagara;
Robert Hilton, St Catharines; Mr.. Nc
Laughlan, London; Conductor Revell, seri-
Ously; ID. w. Karn, Woodstock; w. M Ben
nett, Sanilac, Mi h. /; DIR. II. Lequesne, Cleve-
hand, o. A. w. Francis, Woodstock; Mrs.
A. Senda1, Detroit.
The engine driver and fireman OF the
wrecked train jumped from the engine before
the crash came, and both were seriously, per-
haps fatally, injured. Had they stood by |
their engine they would undoubtedly have |
escaped unhurt.
The bridge, formerly OF wood, is about
sixty feet high and was recently overhauled |
and transformed into a substantial iron
structure with massive stone piers
Another Fatal Wreck.
MONTREAL, Feb. 28.-Near Sweetsburg
yesterday morning q freight train ran into a
passenger train on the Canadian Pacific,
throwing three passenger-cars off the track