The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-30

London. Ont, December 27.-The most
frightfu railroad accident in the annals
of the past decade. happened a snort
distance from the little station of wan
stead ON the Sarnis branch OF the Grano
Trunk railway, last night. Inc Trains
in collision were the Pacific Express
and a freight. The express was running
nearly two houIs late and was making
fast time. The freight was
to make a siding to get GEAR OF the ex-
press but failed by a minute CT two.
There was a dreadful crash. the 10
romotiyes reared up anG fell over in r
ditch. the baggage car Of the express
telescoped the smoker n in an instant
shrieks and cries of the wounded ana
the dying filled the air. The loss Oh HE
Is twenty-five. The injured will num-
Der considerably more, and many OF
these may die.
Many of the dead were terribly mutt
lated. Heads we're cut off. legs were
wrenched off from the bodies and the
level stretch of sno became crimson
with the blood CT the victims.
The responsibility for the accident mas
not been definitely fixed but 1t IS pc
Heved to have heen due TO a Telegraph
operators error.
The operator at one of the stations
where the two trains stopped gave an
order to the freight ~ pass NO. D, the
Pacific Express at Wanstead.
In the system of the Grand Trunk.
this order sholld have been dupncateu;
a CODY being given to the conductor anu
engineer of the express. Instead of this
the conductor of the express received a
clearance order, telling him to run rlsnt
through. The freight train
had stopped at Wanstead, to side track
and was telescoped by the express.
The binding storm which was raging
rendered objects invisible at the dis
lance of a Few feet. The operator at
Wanstead is not usually on duty al
night but last evening he happened TO
be in the Office for a short time. he
was going out at the door when ne
heard the telegraph trume cncK
repeatedly the message stop NO. D.
stop No. s." ,
Selling a lantern the operator daSneo
for the door AMI as he closed 1t behind
him, he heard the crash of the collision
IN the track.
There was not a house at hand to
which the injured could be carried
Fortunately how ever, the two Pullman
cars on the train did not sustain any
damage. They were warm and COM
Portable and were converted into q
Temporary hospital. The injured We're
placed in the berths and everything pos
sible done to ease their suf1erlngs.
According to Master of Transportatlor
Price Of this city, it was the agent anC
operator at WItford. the next station
east of Wanstead who failed to deliver
to the train crew of No. 5 their order
to pass the freight train at Wanstead
Train Master Price says that In eApia'
nation of the mistake that brought suct
terrible results, the operator says he un'
derstood the dispatcher to kill the or
ders for No. ), to pass the frelSnt a
Wanstead, but 1T is denied in the dis
patcher's office here that the order wa
killed.
The Pacific Express which was lat:
and to make up time wa
made no of two Pullman cars, two da7
coaches and Two baggage cars. In
engineer opened wide his throttle as n
pulled ou- of Wexford at 1888 O'Clock, :
blizzard was raging and the air wa
thick with swirling snow. The tran
was crowded with people returning from
holiday trips.
Number ) was running fully fit,
miles an hour through the blizzar'
when at the W..nstead siding the head
light Of the freight engine doomed u
through the SHOW and the trains crash
~
crews realized that n collision was i'm
minent. The impact threw the two en-
gines clear of he track on the RICH
hand side.
The two day coaches Of the expires
were between the heavily loaded bag
gage cars and the weighty Pullmani
with a terrific grinding crash the req
baggage car Was driven into the coac
for three raurtls of its length and in
tvinkling a sc IRE of the occupants we
dead and two score more were pinne
down in the wreckage. crushed an
mangled. The torror of fire was me-
cifully spared the suffering person
buried IN the wreck. A little nan
broke out, put the ~uninjured passenger
e~xtinguisned IT with snow before
could gam any Roadway. The occl
pants of the two Pullman cars II
second day coach swarmed out the
cars to the rescue. A perfect bediam
noises created tnem. The hiss OF escal
Ing steam from the wrecked engin
mingled with tie piteous cries OF Il
unfortunales pinned down in the ruin
The bitter cold wind aGded to their su
fering. Volunteer rescue parties we
Immediately formed and did hero
work.
Meanwhile a brakeman had rush'
through the storm to the telegraph @
dce and notihei both London n So