Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-19
FRIGHTFUL WRECKS
An Express Train Derailed on
a Curve in Canada.
FIVE KILLED AND 40 INJURED.
Oars Leap Past Each Other Down ar
Embankment.

Miraculous Escape OF q Large Number OF
Passengers - A Car PIunges Into the
River from Trestle on the Wheeling
q Lake Erie ROad-FOur Persons Killed
and Several Injured.
QUEBEC. Dec. 19.-The Intercol onial
Railway had its good record of immu.
nifty from serious accidents broken at II
a. m, when five cars on the Halifax
through express, east bound, ran off the
track at St. Joseph de Lewis, and five
persons were killed and 40 wounded,
some fatally.
There were about 200 passengers on
board at the time, and when one viewed
the wreck, lying % feet below the track,
it seemed miraculous that every soul on
board did not perish.
About three miles from the depot the
railway crosses a public street at St.
Joseph de Lewis by a bridge about 25
feet high. 1t rests upon stone piers, and
the superstructnre is of wood. The
train was making time on a down grade,
when it reached the bridge, and the To-
connective had all kbut crossed, when the
express car left the track, and the next
instant the whole train was humping
over the rails.
Rolled Down the Embankment.
The shock was sufficient to break most
of the couplings, but the locomotive
managed to cross in safety, dragging with
it the tender and the express car. The
baggage car following ran over the bridge
and rolled down the embankment nearly
100 yards from the rest of the train.
The second car rolled over just as it
was leaving the bridge and fell upon the
IT. lar, tINe g.
considerable extent and breaking the car
in two.
The smoking car rolled off the center
of the bridge and fell plump into the
street, grazing as it did a corner dwelling
house. The car was smashed and rested
on its side, leaving only a very narrow
passage between it and the house.
The first-class car had even more mar
row escape. 1t fell at the foot of an en-
bankment and the Pullman car was
thrown a few feet beyond and over it,
the two cars lying almost side by side.
Had the Pullman fallen on top of the
other car not a person in either would
have escaped.
There happened to be a number of per-
sons around at the time and they went
to work to rescue the imprisoned pas
ssngers, but it was fully three quarters
of an hour before the last person was re-
leased.
The Dead.
The dead are five fin number. Their
names are Dioneu, Gauvin, Blais, lie
Claire and Winner. The laGter was news
agent on the road. The conductor,
Walker, was badly hurt, and very few
of the passengers escaped without more
or less injury. One has both legs
broken, another a fracture of the skull,
and all are cut and bruised, g.
As the accident happened in the center
of ST. Joseph village, aid was immedi-
ately given by the residents, and the
houses were thrown open for the recep-
ton of the dead and wounded. The
Quebec city authorities were prompt
and energetic in sending down surgeons
and other assistance, and citizens of
Lewis and Quebec hurried to the scene in
large numbers. The clergy of St. Joseph
was also on the spot, giving aid and con-
tolation to the wounded and dying.