The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-13
FOUR DIE IN WRECK.
Collision Between Express
Train and Runaway Freight.

Halifax. N. S, April 13.-Four per
sons killed. two fatally hurt, at least
one missing and several others slightly
injured is the record of a head-on col
lision on the lnter-Colonial railway.
which occurred Just before midnight
near Windsor junction, seventeen miles
from Halifax
The poles and telegraph lines along
the roadside were wrecked and this city
was cut off from communication with
the outside world for hours. The trains
III collision were the Canadian Pac1hc
railway express from Montreal and BOS-
ton for Halifax, and q fast freight FROM
Halifax for Montreal The conductor
and driver of the freight had orders to
take the siding at Windsor junction and
let the express cross, but for some un-
known reason Driver Copeland, Of the
freight. ran past the junction on the
main line and met the express two miles
beyond. It is thought that Copeland
may have lost control of his train.
which was made up of seventy-five cars.
The freight was running twenty-five
miles an hour, and the express. which
was two hours late, was travelling
about forty-fiVe miles an hour. The
dead are;
EXPRESS DRIVER VIM. WALL
EXPRESS FIREMAN MICHAEL
OAKLEY.
FREIGHT FIREMAN HILL.
FREIGHT BRAKEMAN THORPE.
Fatally hurt: Freight Driver Cope
land; tramp named AfeCready, OF An
The express c,rsss. I'd of postal and
baggage cars and three passenger
coaches in charge of Conductor McClaf-
ferty-
The freight was an unusually heavy
train in charge of Conductor Haynes
Both trains were hauled by new and
powerful locomotives and they crashed
together on level piece of road skirt
ing a lake The engine crew of the ex-
press and Fireman Hill, of the freight,
and Brakeman Thorpe was also in
stantly killed. The driver of the freight
is in the hospital with a broken spine
and cannot live. A tramp had been
caught stealing a ride on the train and
had been put off each time by the train
hands. but managed to swing on again
and was finally taken into the cab out
of danger. The brakeman of the
freight, who was Killed. was in the cab,
having gone forward prior to reaching
Windsor Junction. to be in readiness 10
drop off the train when it slowed up
and open the switch to let the freight
in on the siding
When the speed of the freight was
not reduced approaching the junction,
Conductor Haynes says he realized that
nothing short of q miracle could pre-
vent collision. There was no bell cord
to sound a warning to the driver. and
the conductor ordered Il brakeman to
drop off the rear end of the freight and
telegraph the next station. Wellington.
to hold the express. The message was
too late The express sped past Vel
lington station as the operator there re-
ceived the warning signal He dashed
out on the platform wildly waving
lantern. but the train disappeared down
the line in the darkness. A few minutes
later the collision occurred.
The locomotives locked together and re-
mained on the track The postal and bag
gage cars went over the embankment
down into the lake. Two railroad mail
+ clerks in the postal car We're shaken up.
4 Their car landed right side up and began
to I'LL with water. but they escaped by
climbing through a window in the roof and
wading ashore The men in the baggage
/ and express car had like experience, ex-
/ cept that a heavy safe broke loose in the
fail and smashed through the side of the
car The passenger coaches were consid-
erably damaged. but remained On the
track Several passengers were thrown
I down by the shock or cut by flying glass
Driver Wall of the express was caught
/ in the mass of twisted iron and was scald-
I ed to death by escaping steam. Fireman
/ Oakley was thrown. or jumped from the
cab and was drowned in the lake, where
4 his body was found in six feet of water.
/ Fireman Hill was burned to death and
Brakeman Thorpe was killed outright Ar
1 other brakeman Of the freight train IS
/ missing and the lake IS being dragged for
] rf