Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-17
BUILDING WILL FALL DOWN
Montreal Railway Station Scene of
Curious Catastrophe.
ENGINEER BLOWN OUT OF CAB
Uncontrolled Locomotive Drags Cars
Through Structure, Forcing Way
Through Granite Walls.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

MONTREAL, March 17.-Running at
a speed of forty miles an hour. the Bos-
ton express of the Boston and Maine
due in Windsor street station
at $50 o'clock this morning, rushed
the station and broke way
walls clear through the ladies' waiting
room and into the general waiting room,
where the engine, tender and baggage
car. smashed out of all recognition. pre-
sent a scene Of chaos completely be-
yond description.
At the present time it is known that at
least two persons-both girls-are dead.
several severely injured and eighteen or
twenty more or less injured.
Among the injured is Don Gariepy. the
oldest hotel porter In Montreal, who was
his legs are broken. 1t is not likely that
he will live.
The tender and front portion of the bag
gage car crashed through the flooring and
are half way between the Osborne street
level of the station and Donegana street.
The exact spot that the tender went
company. where was sitting clerk named
Boch. AT the present time Boch is under
the debris in a badly injured condition,
although conversing with friends and
pleading for release.
Girl Hurled Thirty Feet
A girl named Mabel Murdoch. who
was In the ladies' waiting room. was
hurled through the northern door Of
the room and picked up in an uncon-
scious condition thirty feet away. She
was revived in a nearby hotel and
was not thought to be severely it,
jured.
At O'Clock General Manager McNicoll
gave orders that the scene of the acci-
dent was to be cleared of all persons
except the rescuers. in view of the
of the station Immediately about tn.
wreck was liable to collapse. This
seemed imminent because the engine
carried with it one of the immense
granite pillars which supported the
roof of the edifice-
The accident was undoubtedly due to
the blowing out of the plug of the en-
gine just after it left West Mount
station. The engineer was blown from
his cab, and the fireman SO injured 1t
is believed that he was unable to do
anything to stop the mad race to Mon
treaL
Persons half a mile from the station
saw the train dashing toward destruc-
tion. As the engine sped over switches
and curves, there was d wild rush from
the outlying sections of the station to
view what was then apparent would be
fatal disaster
Fortunately or unfortunately-it is diff
ticult to say which-there was nothing to
stop the train. Down it rushed on track
No. Z, while with screams and shouts
passengers in the outer station awaited
what seemed to them certain death with
the collapse of the building into which
the engine was speeding.
In Ladies' Waiting Room.
The ladies' waiting room of the Wind
sor depot was in the southwestern cor
ner Miss Gavin, the matron, had but
moment before left tine room to give some
instructions in another department.
She made this statement after recover
ing somewhat from the shock.
$50 far as l can remember there were
seven or eight persons in the room. /
think there was a child-a girl of about
twelve or fourteen-and four or five
women.
81 have seen several of them taken from
the ruins-I don't just know how many.
but l think three. Whether thev are
dead or not | do not know.
Il have looked around since then to see
if any of them were injured. but have not
been able to find them. Poor things, |
am afraid that several of them are under
the ruins
A young man named Arthur Fitzpatrick
was standing near the newsstand He
says he looked into the ladies' waiting
room less than minute before the acci-
dent. and there were at that time seven
or eight persons within. He believes that
none of them escaped either death or in
jury
1t was learned shortly after Miss Cav
ems interview that the little girl she re-
ferred to was killed and that the body
was mangled beyond recognition.
1t is question If Montreal has known
such wild scenes of excitement for many
years that which closely followed the
accident.
to story that the building was on fire.
Telephones quickly carried the news to
all parts of the city that there had been
frightful disaster in the Windsor street
station. Soon there was in the neighbor-
hood of 10000 persons clamoring to get
view of the scene of destruction.
Police Guard Spectators.
The entire police reserve force was called
out together with all the available de-
tectives. With the assistance of tiremen
they roped off the ground and gave the
rescuers Il chance to do their work at
the risk of their lives.
There can be no doubt that within a
short time the disaster will be added to +,
by the collapse of the iron girders which
are supporting the engine. With the fall
Of this mighty piece of weighted machin-
cry that section of the building is ex-
pected to collapse. probably bringing
with it the entire corner of the station.
Eight victims of the accident are in the
General Hospital They were
brought in shortly after $40 o'clock and
for the most part were unconscious The
number include both men and women.
Three victims of the accident have been
brought tn Notre Dame Hospital In the
Victoria Hospital are four persons who
were taken there i'm ambuiances.
One Of them, a little girl about eight
years old. was dead when she was taken
into the hospital. Her name has not been