The Portland daily press., 1889-04-30
HORRIBLE SCENES At THE WRECK.
Work OF Rescue From the Shattered
Cars at hamilton.
How the Train Dashed From the Rails
to Its Destruction.
a broken Locomotive Axle found
In the Debris.

HAMILTON, Ont, April 29.-Fuller details
Of yesterdays accident describe II as a most
sckenlng spectacle. The cause Of the aecl-
dent Is said to have been slippery tracks, the
steep grade and the curve which the engine
jumped instead of rounding. The express
train came down the grade at a high rate Of
speed and with the slippery rails made 10
difficult TO control the momentum Of the
heavy load. The train wheeled the first
curve In safety and passed the switch on the
embankment but its momentum was too
great to enable 1t to round the second curve.
1t jumped the track and bolted straight into
the water tank at the apex Of the Y. The
engine left the rails 125 feet from the tank
and rushed across the intervening space
like a flash and struck the tank with such
force as TO stave it into pieces. The water
rushed down the bank TO the marsh beneath
and the locomotive was turned upside down.
The tender leaped over II aud landed among
the debris Of the tank. The leading bag
gage car shot past on the south side and
alighted at the entrance Of the rock cutting.
The next baggage car mounted a coal pile on
the south side and the smoking car banged
against the upturned engine. A day coach
that followed telescoped into II with hid
eous results. The next three cars were
checked by plowing In the deep sandy soil
and came to stand uniDjured. The two
sleepers remained on the track. or the scene
that followed no correct account can be OBJ
tanned from the survivors. Amid escaping
steam and binding rain the screams OF the
injured arose from the awful mound OF de-
bris. The survivors worked like heroes and
In short time removed about dozen
wounded from the wreck. The flames
leaped out driving back the already half
stifed rescuers. Above the noise Of eseap-
ing steam could be heard frenzied voices
shrieking In the burning ruins. A woman's
voice rose high above the rest for few mo-
ments, screaming with pain and then was
stilled. The fire department Of this city was
sent for and responded.
At about two In the afternoon the flames
were so Tar extinguished as 70 permit search
being made for the bodies. When the heap
OF black ashes, filed with cushion springs
and irons, was turned over. body after body
was found blackened and charred out Of an
resemblance TO humanity. Seventeen In all
were picked out during the afternoon.
One through passenger, who did not give
his name related that when the acciden hap
pened he crawled out and ran forward 10 as
sist those imprisoned In the wreck. The
first cry he heard was that Of a woman.
Bending over the debris he saw young girl
with one leg out OF car window. She told
him she was caught by the other and he
made efforts to release her, but the flames
spread rapidly toward where she was and
forced him back. The means Of the victim
grew fainter and at ledgth ceased.
A. j. Carpenter, passenger from Yank-
ton, OAK, on the way 10 Richfeld Springs.
N. Y, said: II was In the smoker when the
first shock occurred. In the smoker were
about IS persons. was thrown forward In
the car and two men fell on top Of me and
had THAR laQa Qaunhf N tho tfunkara II rraf
out from under them and with the aid Of q
fireman got one man out Just as the flames
reached him. We had very close call
The loss In rolling stock Is nearly 10000.
LATER.
An axle Of the locomotive has been found
broken short OF and this may have
caused the accident. IL Is believed that not
more than nineteen were killed. Joseph
Morris Of Clarke's Island, Maine, has In
iuries about the head.