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

HAMILTON, Ont, April 2S-A terrible rail-
road accident occurred on the Grand Trunk
near here this morning. Tha St. Louis ex-
press Jumped the track and the engine ran
into water tank. Two cars telescoped and
Immediately took fire. All the dead, eighteen
in number. have been taken out The only
body identified is that of r. s. GurneY of
Chicago He was instantly killed, ,pbuJ not
burned. Rudolph Derer, an Italian was also
instantly killed. The other sixteen were
burned beyond the possibility of Identified
tion. About twenty persons were injured,
only one or two seriously. None of the train
hands were killed. The fireman was slightly
burned and received q 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 immedi-
ately. Seven out of the ten coaches COM
posing the train were 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 at the same spot
thirty years ago. Thirty five people were in
the smoker. and Just about half OF the num-
bcr were
ROASTED ALIVE,
the car being almost instantly enveloped in
flames from the engine. r. s. Gurney OF
Chicago, who was in the smoker, was
thrown to the side of the track and
decapitated The train was composed Of
an engine, two baggage cars, a smoker,
Chicago Grand Trunk through passenger
coach, Wabash coach, Wagner tirst-class
D,-1)
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 ~" 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 have 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 q water tank which stood in space
between the "Y," smashing the tank into
atoms and turning almost upside down. The
baggage cars came directly after the engine,
and the first of these was pitched over the
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
$50, many of whom were asleep at the time,
had terrible experience. 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 left to the
mercy OF the flames, penued in by the ma
terial 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 of
the killed, were brought to this city. Two
Wagner cars in the rear of the train were un-
coupled from the others and were saved from
the flames. A large gang Of employees, under
the direction of John Hail, foreman, worked
increasingly at The 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 cou!d
be made through the debris. The charred
remains of eighteen victims have been ex-
humed from the wreck. In no case was there
enough of the body left to identify the re-
mains or to tell whether the person was oi
the male or female sex.
THE WOUNDED.
The names of the wounded now in the hos
pital are as follows:
James A Palmer, Ilion, N. Y; head cut. but
not seriously hurt.
Hamilton Clark, Chicago: double fracture o1
the right leg, bruised badly, head cut and prob.
ably internally injured OF all the injured he Ii
the worst, but will probably recover.
Anthony Maaz or Martz, an Italian on his way
from Wisconsin to Italy: head cut. but moi
! seriously.
! Edwin Chaplin, fireman; head badly cut oVel
right eye: not seriously hurt.
Enoch Kenyon of London, Eng; a mining en-
| gineer; ribs broken; not seriously hurt.
C. C. Azbell Edwardsport. Ind: slight in
| juries.
William Leipsey. Chicago: ankle hadl,
sprained.
A. L. Doney, Danville, Ill. cut about head mo-
seriously.
George White, German, on his way from Hi
wound: not serious.
Andrew J. Carpenter. Yankton, 8. D.: injured
about head. but not seriously.
s. e. Young, Chicago, very slightly hurt.
Joseph Morris. East Sioux Falls, 8. D., on hi
wav to Clark's Island, Me-: scalp wounds
bruised leg and shoulders: not serious.
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
About ten others were slightly hurt. bu
not so badly as to prevent them continuing
their journey. None of the members of tn
Detroit Light Infa ntry were injured and no
a woman was in the least hurt The woundeC
in the hospital are all doing well As far a
can be learned there was no negligence OF
the part of the railroad company. The trail
simply jumped the track at a frog. The en-
gineer and fireman did not Jump becaus,
they had no time. They were taken from
the debris with diffiulty, and it
miraculous how they escaped with thei
lives. The baggageman and expressman
James Welch and Fred Dumas, both o
Niagara Falls, were in the car which jumpe,
over the engine, yet neither was hurt Th
screams of the men who were being burne,
to death in the smoking car could be hear
above the noise of the escaping steam and tn
roaring of the flames. Conductor Poole sas
that the train was fifteen minutes late. bu
hour when the accident happened, as tn
orders are that trains must not run at tina
particular place at greater speed thai
twenty miles.
A DANGEROUS PLACE.
The place where the accident occurred
considered dangerous, as there is switc
on arather sharp curve, hence the precautio
of running slowly. Seven cars, baggage
car, two first-class coaches, a smoker, first
class day coach and two Wagner 81 eeper
were burned, there not being a vestige Q
wood or anything that would burn left
Ono car, the baggage car, was demolished
and the engine was the most complet
wreck imaginable. The loss to the compan
will be enormous. Many of those In tn
train were going 10 New YORK to participat
in the centennial festivities Most Of th
passengers lost all or portion of their bag
gage and clothing. and large amour
of the mails were lost by fire. An
other reDorC of the accident SAYS tha