The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-28

TO kill the orders for Nc to pass
the freight at Wanstead, but it is
denied in the dispatcher's office here
that the order was annualled.
The Pacific express, was made up
of two Pullman cars, two day coaches
and two baggage cars. The engineer
opened wide his throttle as he 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 holiday trips.
Number was running fully 50 miles
an hour through the blizzard when at
the Wanstead siding the headlight of
the freight engine doomed up through
the snow. 1t was impossible to see a
hundred 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 Of
the track on the right hand side.
The two day coaches of the express
were between the heavily loaded bag
gage cars and the weighty Pullman.
With a terrific grinding crash the rear
baggage car was driven into the coach
for three-fourths Of it's length and in
twinkling a score of the occupants
were dead and two-score more were
pinned down in the wreckage crushed
and mangled.
Worked In the Bitter Cold.
The horror of fire was mercifu1ly
spared the suffering persons buried in
the wreck. A little flame broke out,
but the uninjured passengers extin-
guished ii with snow before IL could
gain any Roadway.
The occupants Of the two Pullman
cars and the second day coach swarm
ed out of their car to the rescue. A
perfect bedlam of noises greeted them.
The hiss of escaping steam from the
wrecked engines mingled with the pit
eous cries of the unfortunates pinned
down in the ruins. The bitter cold
wind and snow added to their suffer-
ing Volunteer rescue parties were inn
mediately formed and did heroic
work
Meanwhile a brakeman had rushed
through the storm to the telegraph Of
flee and notified both London and Sar-
MIA officials of the accident. Relief
trains with surgeons and wrecking cars
were on their way to the scene from
both ends of the division in the short
est possible time While they were
steaming at greatest speed the work
of rescue was carried on by the unin-
jured passengers They delved into
the heap of debris and guided by the
means and cries, found the sufferers,
pried and chopped them out and car
ried them to the two Pullman cars.
Cared for I'm the PuIImnns.
Tenderly the wounded forms were
carried to the hospital cars and given
what attention was possible before the
surgeons arrived. There was scarcely
any water to be had, and the volun-
teer nurses melted quantities of snow
with which they slaked the feverish
thirst of the suffering.
The surgeons on board the wrecking
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
making emergency dressings OF the
most serious wounds.
The men of the wrecking crew took
up the work Of rescue. With their OPP
pliances they were able to penetrate
deeper into the tangle Of wood and
steel and extricate those whom the
passengers had been unable to reach.
While they were at work the wreck
ing train arrived from London with
surgeons.
AS soon as IL was positively known
that all the injured had been found, an
engine was coupled to the hospital
Pullman, and the pitiful Journey to
London, forty miles away, was begun.
Carried to the Hospital.
Opiates were administered to lessen
the agonies of the wounded, agra
waited, as they were, by the unavoida-
BILE Earring and jerking Of the car.
AS soon as news of the wreck was
received in London, the Grand Trunk
officials began arrangements for car
ing for the injured at Victoria Hos
eptal on South street. The tracks of
no T.akA E,ria Ratirnn n
are within a block and a half from
the hospital, and the hospital car was
transferred to them and run as close
ly as possible to the hospital.
Twenty extemporized ambulances
were in waiting. Strong arms carried
the wounded and torn people tenderly
out of the car and they were hurried
to the hospital. 1t was $50 o'clock
when they arrived, and in an hour all
had beenlput to bed temporarily await
ing examination and surgical treat
ment. Until noon the surgeons worked
over them.
Ed de Beaus of Prescott, Ont. and
Lottie Lynch of Port Huron. Mich,
died soon after they were received at
the hospital. Several OF the less Sc
riously injured persons left the hospi-
tai this afternoon Tonight all those
still there are expected TO recover. al
though internal injHries or failure to
recover from the awful shock may re-
suit fatally in one Or two cases.
Underwriters Met 1t.
When the second Pullman car ar
rived In the city at 10 o'clock 1t was
met with undertakers' wagons, instead
af ambulances. Twenty-Five bodies
were in the berths behind the closed
curtains. The broken forms were plac-
ed in collins in the freight shed and
then removed to the morgue, where
the work of Identification was begun.
At 10 o'clock tonight only one I'M
claimed and unknown body still re-
manned at the Ferguson morgue.
Tonight at Watford, DR.. A. Il. Har-
vey, county coroner, empanelIed jury
to Investigate the wreck and decide, il
possible, on it's cause. After electing
a foreman, the jury adjourned until
Monday, when the investigation will
be begun.
Up to late hour tonight, Andrew
Carson, the operator at Watford, whose
mistake Trainmaster Price says caused
the wreck, had not been placed under
arrest.
Conductor McAullffe Of the express
asid to-day that the freight train crew
had opened the Wanstead switch, and
the train had started 10 move into
II when the collision occurred. A min
ute or two more and the freight train
would have been safely sidetracked
Tralnmaster Price says that 10000
VIII cover the loss 10 rolling stock and
equipments The line was cleared soon
after noon, and Tonight the shell or
the baggage cars Hes on one side OF
the track, surrounded by the wreck
age 81 the feiesc0peu day coach on