Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-05-02
RAILROAD DISASTER.
A Train Wrecked and Eighteen
Persons Killed.
A Large Number OF Passengers Tn
jured--The Accident Occurred
Near Hamilton, Ont.

Theeast-bound limited express on the
Grand Trunk railway which left Chi
cago at o'clock Saturday evening,
April 9th, was wrecked about a mile
west OF Hamilton, Ont, shortly before
o'clock next morning. Twenty pas
sengers were either killed instantly or
burned to death, while as many more
received injuries more or less serious.
The accident occurred Mt Junction Cut.
The train, which consisted Of two
baggage cars, one smoker, three pas
senger coaches and four Pullman
sleepers, was just approaching atrestle
over gully over 100 feet deep, when,
rounding sharp curve, the locomo-
tive left the track, followed by the re-
mainder OF the cars except two sleep
ers at the rear OF the tain. The front
baggage car jumped clear over the
locomotive and remained on the track
about thirty feet from the wreck. The
smoker and passenger coach following
were jumbled together in ~ shapeless
along the track and were completely
demolished. Immediately after the
accident fire from the locomotive spread
to the smoker and before long the
wreck was in a blaze.
Most of the 100 passengers on the
train had either crawled from the
wreck or been pulled out before the
fire reached the ears. Only two bodies
that were recognizable had been re-
covered, together with fourteen in
jured. 1t was not known how many
victims were left in the wreck till the
fire had been extinguished, when the
work OF clearing away laid bare the
charred and unacceptable remains
of eighteen human beings, II is pos
sible that there may be other victims
still remaining in the debris.
At first it was thought that the accl-
dent was not u very serious one. Twelve
injured passengers were taken from
the wreck and after the physicians had
attended to them, they were sent to
a hospital. Tho body OF Rudolph Eb-
erer was found near tho foot OF the en-
bankment, his head severed from the
body and lying few feet from it II
looked as il he had tried to escape by
jumping from the smoker. The next
body recovered was that of Quincy Of
New York. 1t was near the second
baggage car. The horror OF the dis
aster was increased when the work OF
clearing away the wreck was well UNI
der way. Men were appalled, when
body after body was taken out from
under the debris. They were burned
TO crisp and not one OF tho eighteen
recovered could be recognized. The
charred remains Of three ladies were
among the number. Only one OF tho
bodies had the head and its features
were burned so frightfully that even it
could not be identified. 1t is impossi-
BILE to ascertain the names OF the I'M
fortunates who were imprisoned in the
cars and roasted alive.
1t is feared that big Bill Phillips Of
Chicago, first baseman of the Hamilton
to am, was killed. He was expected to
report on the 9th. A majority Of the
passengers killed were in the smoking
car and coach following it. They were
telescoped and were first to catch fire.
1t is doubtful If the names OF eighteen
OF those who were burned beyond rec
ognition will be know for several days.
1t is certain that all were through pas
sengers, as only few tickets were
collected for Canadian points.