The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-27
FRIGHTFUL CRASH.
A Passenger Train and a Freight
in Collision.
Disaster Occurred on the Grand
Trunk Railway.
80 PERSONS KILLED.
Engines Upset in Ditch and For
ward Cars TelescOped.
Hardly a Passenger in the
Smoker Escaped Injury.
OPERATOR is BLAMED.
1t Is Said That He Failed to
Give Out Orders.
A Blizzard Added to Suffering
of the Injured.
Engines Upset in Ditch and For
ward Cars TelescOped.
Hardly a Passenger in the
Smoker Escaped Injury.
OPERATOR is BLAMED.
1t Is Said That He Failed to
Give Out Orders.
A Blizzard Added to Suffering
Of the Injured.

London, Ont. Dec. "a train wreck
bringing death to over two score of per
Sons and terrible pain and suffering to
about forty more occurred last night al
Wanstead, Canada, a station on the
Sarnia branch of the Grand Trunk 40
miles from this city, when the Pacific
express, flying westward at the rate of
80 miles an hour and crowded to it's
capacity with passengers returning to
their homes from holiday visits, crashed
into an eastbound freight.
The latest estimate of the fatalities Is
thirty killed and thirty-five or more in
5ured.
Following is a partial and official hst
OF identified dead:
THE DEAD.
ALEX STEWART. Petrolia, Ont
MRS ALEX STEW ART. Petrolia,
A RICKETTS,. sarnia Tunnel, fire
J. G. GILLIEs. sarnia Tunnel, en-
MRS. TROTTER, Petrolia. Ont.
Mr. LAWRENCE, Watford, Ont.
F S. FREEMAN, Oil Springs or Hen
sail, Ont
GLEN PODLEY. Port Huron, Mich.
GAY DEBENIER. ticketed to La
DR. 'PENWARDEN. ticketed to Pc
trolia, Ont.
WOMAN. supposed to be Penwarden's
wife.
]. H. BROCK. Brucef1eld.
o. B. BURWELL. Port Huron.
WILSON MORTON, Chicago
In addition to the above fifteen bodies
remain to be identified.
THE INJURED.
Alexander NJ. Stewart, Wingham, Ont
J. J. Culbertson and wife, Port Huron
Mich
Flossie Culbertson. Port Huron, Mich
James Pramberlin. Toronto.
Mrs. Samuel Cummings, Port Huron,
Mich
Hattie Northey. Peterboro, Ont
James r. Northey, Peterboro Ont
Nellie Coutts, Chicago.
Frank Z. Baker London, Ont.
w. \. Morse, wife and three children,
Sarnia.
Thomas Coults, Chicago
George STAGE, Wanstead. Ont.
Edward DeEvans Prescott, Ont.
DR.. Basil Harvey, Chicago.
Mrs J. NJ Stewart and child, Osh-
kOsh, Wis.
Russell Quinn. Chicago
James Banes, Woodstock, Ont
Beatrice Geddes, Sarnia, Ont.
Lottie Lynch, Port Huron. Mich.
John Bierd. Chicago.
Albert Limont, Wyoming, Ont.
Mrs. W. Cott and Margaret Cott Lon
don. Ont
j. F. SDaWleS, StrathrOY, ont.
w. II. Cole and wife. Flint Mich.
b. X. Mcdonald, Ontario
Mrs. L. y. Byrnes, Sarina, Ont
Ada Sinclair. kOmoka, ont.
Mrs. Pugsley, London. Ont.
Carl Stewart, Oshkosh Wis.
Robert Jackson, Petrolia.
Hobart Stewart. Oshkosh. Wis.
James Bainer Woodstock ont.
The injuries of Lottie Lynch are the
most serious. but it is believed that al
OF the injured will recover.
OF the others injured Frank E. Baker
has a dislocated shoulder and decorations
Thomas Coote, injured on the hip; Mrs
CoOte bruises end internal injuries;
Carl Stewart. fractured hip; Hobart
Stewart. broken arm: Mrs. J. H. Stew
art. fractured jaw and decorations: Rus
sell Quinn bruises. burns and scalI
wounds. Mrs J. j. CuthbertsOn inter
nal injuries. decorations and bruises;
Flossie CuthbertsOn, bruises; j. J. Cuth-
bertson. fractured jaw and decorations
Mrs Samuel Cummings cuts on face
and head. DR.. Basil Harvey lacerate5
wound on head and bruises; John Bierd
fractured arm. injured back and scalI
BLIZZARD RACED.
The darkness of the night and the
raging of d blizzard added horrors tC
the wreck. Fortunately the fire horror
was averted. A fire broke out in the
wreckage of the day coach. but it was
smothered with snow and coats. which
headway.
The Pacific express is fast train.
Last night it was delayed two hours
by the heavy travel and at WansteaC
It was speeding to make uD time. TIT
freight was working slowly east unde
orders to take the switch at WansteaC
and allow the express to pass. In IN,
binding snow storm. neither enoinee
saw the other train approaching. ap
parently end the freight had just com
nenced to 9un in on the siding whel
the passenger train came up.
The shOclz was aWfuk The train
came together squarely head-on. In
second the baggage and express cars 0
the passenger train telescoped into tn
day coach This day coach was reduce,
TO sDlinters and fragments back to til
last three windows. AS it was crowdet
the results were terrible. Fire that brolS
out was quickly smOthered, but the fir
was scarcely worse dangerous than tn
cold. For three hours or more wounde,
and manned passengers were pinned un
derneath wreckage, crying piteOusly 70
help, while they suffered from exrOSur
to the elements.
Exposure undoubtedly hastened tn
death Of some Of the more seriously in
5ured ard caused the death Of some O
those who might have been saved if
had been only question of extricatin.
them from the wreckage
The Pullman cars stayed on the tracl
and were comparatively uniniured. al
thought the passengers in them We're Sc
verely shaken in the shock.
As soon as possible word was sent t