Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-27
FIFTY ARE SLAIN
IN RAIL HORROR
A MISPLACED SWITCH CAUSES
WRECK NEAR coNTIcH, BEL.
ciUM-ovER 100 INJURED.
ALL CARS TELEScoPED:
BODIES GROUND TO PULP
Train, Bearing Excursionists, Crashes
Into Siding, Causing Worst catas-
trophe in Nations History-sta-
ton 10 Turned Into HOSPITAL.

Antwerp, May PA railroad acct.
dent of unprecedented horror in the
annals of Belgian train disasters oc-
CURED Thursday at Contich, a sta.
ton six miles southeast of Antwerp.
on the main line. An express train
from Antwerp to Brussels crashed into
train loaded with pilgrims on their
way to local shrine. This train was
standing on a siding. Several of it's
cars were telescoped and shattered to
matchwood. The total number of dead
is placed at so, and the wounded At
over 100. Rescuers from Contich were
at once on the scene, and the labor of
succoring the injured and removing
the dead was conducted with all DOS.
sible haste. Special trains with doc.
tors, priests and nurses were sent to
Ccntich from Antwerp and Brussels.
Misplaced Switch Is Cause.
The accident is supposed to have
been due to misplaced switch.
The engineer and the fireman of the
express train were killed outright.
The signal man at Contich saw that
his switch was not working lust as the
Antwerp express came laundering
down the line. He leaped from the
window of his signal station and he
roically ran down the track toward the
oncoming train, waving a red flag.
His effort, however, was too late to
avert a disaster. The engineer and
the fireman of the express train were
killed outright.
Station Made Hospital.
The station at Contich has been con.
verified into temporary morgue and
hospital, and is rapidly filling up with
the dead and wounded. Everything
possible is being done to alleviate the
suffering of the injured. All the clergy
and physicians of Contich and the SOL
diers from the neighboring barracks
are taking part in the work. In addi.
ton to the surgeons who hurried down
from Antwerp, an ambulance corps
from Amiens also is on the scene.
1t now appears that the locomotive
of the express train jumped the track
and plunged into and completely
wrecked the last three passenger
coaches of the train on the siding.
This train was carrying an excursion
OF pilgrims to local shrine The
work of extracting the dead and
wounded from the debris appalled,
even the stoutest of the rescuers.
Bodies Reduced to Pulp.
Many of the bodies had completely
lost all human shape and were reduced
to pulp, heads, arms and legs having
been ground off by the wheels and
scattered through the wreckage.
Three decapitated bodies were found
20 feet from the track. Up to a late
hour So dead and 70 wounded had been
recovered. The occupants of the cars
were mostly workmen and peasants.
The wounded persons are being trans
ferred from Contich to Antwerp and
Brussels as rapidly as possible.
Three of the wounded died soon after
the crash. There are several women
among the dead. A second class coach
was overturned by the force of the
impact. The bodies of the wounded
were so pinned down by wreckage that
the rescuers had to make use of axes
to get the victims free.
One Killed in California.
Oakland, CAL, May 22.-The second
section of Southern Pacific train No.
16, known as the Oregon express, was
wrecked at Pinole One man was
killed and four injured. The wreck,
it is said, was caused by broken rail-
The engine, express and baggage car
jumped the track and turned over.
Three passenger coaches left the rails,
but remained upright. No passengers
were injured.