The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-07-24
SLAUGHTER OF PILGRIMS:
A Terrible Collision on the Grand
Trunk Railway in Canada
CARS TELESCOPED AND WRECKED

The Second Section OF an Excursion Train
Dashes ut Full Speed Into the First
The Victims Were Pilgrims to the
Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre---An En-
gineer's Awful Blunder.
A terrible accident occurred on the Grand
Trunk Railroad at Craig's Road, Quebec,
Canada. special excursion passenger
train, rushing along in the darkness OF the
early morning, crashed into another e1cur-
sion train preceding 1t, killed thirteen peo-
pie, and wounded thirty. The trains were
filled with pilgrims en- route from Sher-
brooke, Richmond and Windsor Mills
to Lewis, where they were to cross over
to Quebec and proceed to the shrine at st.
Anne de Beaupre. One was following the
other and there was supposed to be an in
terval OF twenty minutes between them.
The forward train was making good time,
having left Richmond at 10 o'clock the
night before. On the rear OF this train was
a Pullman car. in which were the priests
and Others In charge Of the party, and 1t was
in this car that most OF the loss OF lie oc-
Cured.
The first train reached Craig's Road about
s n. m, and stopped at the tank to take
water. Due precautions were taken, and
the semaphore was thrown to danger. Only
the train men were about. The Pullman car
in the rear was wrapped in silence.
Suddenly there was q great crash-tne
second train coming at full speed had dashed
into the rear Pullman Of the first section.
So great was the impetus Of the colliding
train that the engine embedded itself in the
palace car, and the latter plunged forward
and partially telescoped the frst-class car Inn
mediately In front. Every berth In the Pull
man was wrecked, and some ofthe occupants
who were killed never knew what hap
pened to them. They died sleeping. Others
awoke to their horrible surroundings and
position, MANNED, bleeding, and bruised. con-
scious Of little but tho agony that raeked
them. It was an awful scene. The cries OF
the wounded, the means OF the dying, the
outpouring of passengers from cars that
were not badly damaged, and the hur ring
forms OF the uninjured trainmen, with ther
flickering lanterns, all combined to make
sight seldom exceeded in tragic horror.
The work OF rescue was begun as soon as
possible. When the binding clouds OF
steam had subsidized the trainmen. priests,
and others got together and the dead and
wounded were taken from the ruins OF the
engine, the Pullman. and the frst-class car
and removed to temporary quarters, Wnere
the women of the party ntn1ste red
az best they could to the wants OF the
MANNED pilgrims. They tore on their CLOTH
Ing and made bandages for gaping wounds
and tried, In tho absence OF enough medical
aid to 20 round, to stanch the flow OF blood
and properly cleanse the wounds. Alot the
wounded who could be moved were placed
on board and sent to Lewis.
II Is hard to say where the blame for the
accident rests. It has been suggested that
Engineer Mcleod of the colliding train may
have dozed off to sleep and then have missed
seeing the warning semaphore and was un-
conscious of his whereabouts.
The following is list OF the dead:
Charles Bedard, mail clerk. Richmond; Miss
Bedard, Richmond; Hector Mcleod, engineer,
Richmond; Richard L. Perkins, fireman,
Richmond; the Rev. J. L. MERCER, Rich
mond: the Rev. F. P. Dignan, Windsor Mills;
Mr.. Cogan, Richmond; Miss Valin, St.
Joseph de- Lewis: Miss Phaneuf, st. Joseph
de- Lewis; Mrs. J. B. Cayer, Danville; Miss
Delicourte, Shefford; aunt OF Miss Valin,
name unknown, st. Joseph de- Lewis: John
O'Farrell, Capleton.
The scene in the Hotel Dieu. at Lewis,
after the arrival Of the wounded from the
wreck was something which an eyewitness
can never forget. The unfortunate pilgrims
all occupied beds in different wards OF the
hospital. and were attended by physicians
of Lewis and Quebec and by nuns and ladies
of Lewis. The cries OF some OF them were
fearful to hear,