The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-21
Thirty.Eight Dead and ~ Ill
iured Taken From Wreck.
THE WORK OF RESCUE
Still i'm Progress Hours After
the Disaster.
Misplaced Switch Caused Engine
to Jump Track
And Plow Through a Train on
Adjacent Siding.

Antwerp. May PA railway accl-
dent of unprecedented horror in the
annals of Belgian train disasters, oc-
CURED at 9:O6 this morning at Contich'
q station six miles southeast of Ant
werp, on the main line. An express
train from Antwerp to Brussels crash
ed into a train loaded with pilgrims on
their way to a local shrine. This train
was standing on a siding. Several or
its cars were telescoped and shattered
to matchwood. The total number OF
dead is placed at so and the wounded
at over 100.
Up to o'clock this afternoon 3S dead
and 70 wounded had been removed
from the wreckage.
Rescuers from Contich were at once
on the scene and the labor OF succor-
ring the injured and removing the dead
was conducted with all possible haste:
Special trains with doctors, priests and
nurses were sent to Contich from Ant
werp and Brussels.
The accident is supposed to have
been due to a misplaced switch.
The engineer and the firemen of the
express train were killed outright.
Every car of the pilgrim train, ex-
cepting the foremost one, was telescop-
ed The cars were literally ground 10
pieces, and all the passengers were
either killed or badly injured.
Surgeons, doctors and nurses arrived
early from Antwerp at the scene OF
the wreck. Helpless wounded persons
are still pinned under the debris and
the scene is one of horror beyond des-
cription.
The station has been converted into
a temporary morgue and is rapidly fill
ing up with the dead and injured. EV-
erything is being done to alleviate the
suffering of the Injured. All the clergy
and physicians of Contich and the SOL
f,-0, he r1oiOhhOrinQ barracks
are taking part in the work.
In addition to the surgeons who hur-
ried down from Antwerp, an ambulance
corps from Aniens also is on the
scene.
It 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:
The collision occurred just as the
express from Antwerp to Brussels was
entering the depot at Contich. The
train loaded with pilgrims was bound
for Turnbout-
The work of extricating the dead
and wounded from the debris ap-
palled even the stoutest of the res
curers. Many of the bodies had COM
pletely lost all human shape and many
were reduced to pulp, heads, arms
and legs having been ground off by
the wheels and scattered through the
wreckage. Three decap pitated bodies
were found 20 feet from the track
The occupants of the cars were
mostly workmen and peasants. The
wounded persons were transferred
from Contich and Antwerp and Brus-
sells as rapidly as possible.
A second class coach was over
turned 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.
The signal man at Contich says
that his switch was not working just
as the Antwerp express came thunder
ing down the line. He leaped from
the window of his signal station and
heroically ran down the track to-
ward the oncoming train waving a red
flag. His effort, however. was too
late.