The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
CRASH IN STORM; MANY DIE.
COLLISION ON THE GRAND TRUNK
DUE TO OPERATORS BLUNDER.
Twenty-six Bodies Taken Out OF the Wreck
Chicago Express and q Freight
Train Collide, Head On. IN . Blizzard
Many Injured suffer In Zero Weather.

Train Collide, Head On. In . blizzard
Many Injured surfer In Zero Weather.
LONDON. Ont, Dec. 27.-B cause an old
and trusted telegraph operator on the
Grand Trunk Railroad failed to send out
the proper signals the Chicago express and
a freight train collided near the village OF
Wanstead late last night. and the worst
railroad disaster in Ontario in recent
years resulted. Twenty of the dead have
been identified. and six other bodies have
been recovered 1t is believed that the list
will 60 10 thirty. As rany more were
injured.
The accident happened within a mile Of
Wahstead, way station about forty miles
west Of London. The express was nearly
two hours late and was going at a high
rate Of speed to make this up,
There arc conflicting stories IA to how
the orders were mixed. One is that the
freigh; train should have been ordered to
stay at Wyoming. The other is that the
passenger train crew should have been
notified to look out for the freight at
Wanstead
The passenger train bore down on the
freight a minute before the latter could
reach the Wanstead siding. There was
bad blizzard raging at the time and this
doubtless prevented the engineers seeing
the danger ahead of them in time to avoid
tho collision
The engines crashed into each other,
stood on end and then fell over into the
ditch. The passenger engine carried three
cans with it. two of them filed with pas
sengers, and the other with baggage and
mail matter. The rest of the train
remained on the track. The freight cars
piled up into a mass behind the engine.
The tremendous speed of the passenger
train caused the great havoc among the
occupants of the coaches. The cars
crumbled up like eggshells, and crushed
out the lives of those within. The engineer
Of the freight train and the fireman OF the
express are among The dead.
Passengers say that there was no warn
ing Of the terrible crash The train was
speeding at great rate. Judged by the
waving of the coaches. Mos, of the pas
sengers were asleep.
Suddenly there was a sound like the
smashing Of mighty timbcrs, the grinding
OF iron against iron. Then came an awful
hush. This was momentary. bun it was so
terrible that il impressed itself wildly
upon the minds Of all After the stiffness
came the sound Of escaping steam from
the engines and The broken steampipes in the
coaches, partly drowning the cries of the
MANNED and diving
1t was a bitterly cold night, the mercury
being at zero. and this made the suffering
Of the injured passengers harder to bear
Owing to the lack of facilities at Wanstead
there was necessarily a long wait for relief.
As soon a. the accident occurred word was
a, -
tho dead and injured YVES proceeded Sith,
but little could bo done for the rehcs If the
injured before morning.
small fire broke out after the wreck
but it was not of much consequence and it
was easily extinguished by the train hands
who We're uninjured.
n. McGuiSan, superintendent of the
Grand Trunk road, said that there were
about thirty killed and thirty injured
Il cannot understand how the operator
who il charged with the blunder came to
make such a mistake" he said. He is one
Of the oldest and most reliable men In the
company's service He went into the
service with the Great Western in 1871 and
has been with that company and the Grand
Trunk ever since. 1t appears that he failed
TO give the order to the passenger train to
80 - O. " -,
Everything possible has been done for
tho in iured and aid l,s bao, cont FROM,
,"o "J''" " nv i''7 '''h 7eh' itom
Sarna, London and other points"
Wa,.,a.d l.. n NOS, ,,ilIo,, 1, ro,,,.
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county Ont, on the Grand Trunk Rail-
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way h'le' '"'htN -oh' IHi'S iloHl SlTatAToy.
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