Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-28
A FR|GHTFULL WRE(k K,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10,
r. Jackson, Peterolia, Ont: slightly il
FIXING THE BLAME.

FIXING THE BLAME.
! According to Observation-Disclosures
| Price of this city. it was the agent ant
| operator at Watford the next station cas-
| of Wanstead who failed to deliver to tn
! train crew of No. their orders to pas
| the freight train at Wanstead- Train
master. Price says that in explanation o
the mistake that brought such terrible
: results the operator says he understood
the dispatcher to kill the orders for No.
to pass the freight at Wanstead. but it a:
denied in the dispatcher's Offices here tia
the order was killed.
The Pacific express, which was late
and endeavoring to make up time, was
made up OF two Pullman cars, two day
coaches, and two baggage-cars. The en-:
gineer opened wide his throttle as ne
pulled out of Watford at 9:5S o'clock
a blizzard was raging and the air was
thick with swirling snow. The train was
crowded with people returning from holt
day trips.
No. was running fully fifty miles an
hour through the blizzard when at the
Warstead siding the headlight Of the
freight engine doomed up through the
snow. It was impossible to see a hun
dred feet ahead because OF the snow,
and the trains crashed together almost
before the engine crews realized that a
collision was imminent. The impact
threw the two engines clear off the track
on the right-hand side. The two day
coaches of the express were between the
heavily-loaded baggage-cars and the
weighty Pull1nans With a terrific.
grinding crash the rear baggage-car was
driven into the forward coach for three
fourths of its length, and in a twinkling
score Of the occupants were dead ana
two-score or more were pinned down in
the wreckage, crushed and mangled.
HORROR OF FIRE SPARED.
The horror Of fire was 1nercifuly sparsd
the suffering persons buried in the wreck.
a little fame broke out, but the unin-
jured passengers extlnguished it with
snow before it could gain any Roadway.
The occupants of the two Pullman cars
a"d the second dav coach sWarmed out
Of their cars to the rescue. A perfect
be,.lam of noises greeted them. The hiss
Of esca ping steam from the wrecked en-
gines mingled with the piteous cries of the
unfortunates pinned down in the ruins
The bitter cold wind and snow added to
their suffering. olunteer rescue parties
were Immediately formed, and did heroic
work.
Meanwhile a brakeman had rushed
through the storm to the TELEGRAPH. Office
and notified the London and Sarnia Off
Gals OF the accident. Relief trains, with
surgeons and ,wrec4..ng cars, were on
their way to the scene from both ends OF
the division in the shortest possible time
While they were steaming at greatest
speed the work OF rescue was carried on
by the uninjured passengers. They delved
into the heap Of debris, and guided by
the means and cries of the wounded
found the sufferers, pried and chopped
them out. and carried them to the two
Pullman cars, which were transformed
int temporary hospitals.
Tenderly the wounded forms were car
ried TO the hospital cars, and given wha,
attention was possible before the sur
geons arrived. There was scarcely any
water to be had, and the volunteer nurses
melted quantities of snow, with which
they Stacked the feverish thirst OF the
SURGEONS GET TO WORK.
The surgeons on board the wreckine
train from Sarnia were the first to reach
the scene. They fastened around the
wreck through snow-covered field to
the temporary hospitals. and began MAX
ing. emergency dressings OF the most
serious wounds. The men OF the wreck
ing crew took up the work of rescue.
With their appliances they were able to
and STEEL and extricate those whom the
passengers had been unable to reach
While they were at work the wreckine
train arrived from London, with sur
SeollS. AS SOOlI as II was positively
lnown that all the injured had been
found, an engine was coupled to one of
the hospital Pullmans, and the pitifu
Journey to Londonderry miles away
was begun. Opiates We're administered
to lessen the agonies Of the wounded
aggravated as they were by the unavoid-
able Earring and Jerking Of the car
4 AS soon as the news of the wreck was
received in London the Grand Trunk Off
Gals began arrangements for caring for
he injured at Victoria Hospital, on
South street. The tracks Of the Detroit
and Lake Erie railroad are within a
block and half OF the hospital. and the
hospital car was transferred to them,
and run as closely as possible to the
hospital. Twenty extsmporized ambu-
'ances We're in waiting. Strong arms car
ried the wounded and torn people
tendery out OF the car. and they were
hurried to the hospital. It was $50
0 clock when they arrived, ard in an
hour all had been quito bed. temporarily.
awaiting examination and surgical treat
ment. Until noon the surgeons worked
over them.
DIED IN THE HOSPITAL.
Ed. Debaus. Of Prescott Ontario, and
Lottie Lynch. of Port Huron. Mich. died
soon after they were received at the hos
pital. Several Of the less seriously In
iured persons left the hospital this at
ternoon. Tonight. all those stl.. there
are expected to recover although inter-
nal Injuries or failure to recover from