Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-22
40 PERSONS DIE
IN TRAIN WRECK
ON CANADA LINE
Many Drowned, Others
Cremated, w hile Some
Are Crushed to Death
CAR BURNS ON RIVER
Broken Rail Causes Ap-
palIing Disaster on C. P.
Road at Isolated Point
[Assoclated Press1

NJ ORTIZ BAY, Ont, Jan. 21.-Forty
Y or fifty persons are believed to
have been killed today, when
four cars of a Canadian Pacific pas
senger train on the 500 branch, jumped
the track and, falling down a steep
embankment, plunged through the Ice
into the Spanish river.
Some were drowned, others were
burned, almost within hand-reach of
the drowned, and still others were
crushed to death. One of the splintered
cars was burned on the brink of the
river.
According to stories told by injured
passengers brought to Sudbury, 1t was
one of the worst cases in the history
of Canadian railroading.
The wrecked train was en- route from
Montreal to Sault Ste Marie and Min
neapolis. An official statement says
the accident probably was due to a
broken rail.
The engine, baggage car, express
and mail car, and one second class
coach remained on the rails, while
one second class, one first class, diner,
and a sleeper went down the embank-
ment.
The ftrst-class car and diner went
into the river. The sleeper and seconds
class car stopped on the embankment,
the second-class car catching fire.
Where 1t Happened
AI.f.
miles west of Sudbury, where the
tracks cut into the side of a steep hill
skirted by the river.
The forward part of the train passed
over the break, whatever it was. The
day coach, the fourth from the end of
t.Ah train, was the first to leave the
rails.
The train was running forty miles an
hour, and the momentum carried the
car down hill in terrific plunge.
About twenty-five passengers were in
this car, and it is practically certain
that none escaped.
Two minutes after the first crash only
the roof of the day coach showed above
the floating ice in the river The Sec
ond-class coach smashed against the
end of the culVert and was crushed like
an egg shell.
Some passengers were killed outright,
but others were caught in the wreck
age, which broke into flames, and were
roasted to death.
The strong construction of the din
ing car saved it's occupants. 1t fol-
lowed the day coach to the brink of
the river, but every one in it escaped
without serious injury.
The sleeper turned over on it's side
on the embankment. Several of the
train crew in the sleeper escaped with
slight injury.
All Help Rescue
Every man who was able to stand
turned to the work of rescue. Snow
was piled upon the burning second
class car, and the train crew and the
uniniured passengers did some heroic
work in trying to rescue those pinned
in the blazing wreckage.
Physicians were hurried from Sud-
bury as soon as word was received,
and a wrecking train with General Su-
perintendent Gutulius made record
time from North Bay.
ARRANGEMENTS were made to bring a
diver on a special train from Sault
Ste Marie to recover booles from the
submerged cars. lie Is now dI INC
wreck.
The injured, taken to Sudbury, in
clude the following:
George P. Dier, Beissevain, Mimi;
Mike Nikola, Max, N. D.; L, M. Don
aid Minneapolis E. Mansfield, Mon
treal, injured internally; D. III. Brodie,
police magistrate, Sudbury, Samuel
BuIlard, st. Paul; A. Q. Odessman,
Norway: w. j. Bell, Sudbury; Joseph
Deeleuch, Erin River, Mich; j. H.
Wade, Sudbury; r. Russell, Hamilton,
ont; Mrs Houde, Sault Ste. Marie
(since died).
Two Cars Burned
From the crew of a freight train
which arrived here tonight it is learned
that two second-class coaches were de-
rallied and afterward took fire.
Eighteen persons are said to be dead.
and il is thought most of the injured
were in these two cars. The crew of
the train are all North Bay residents.
1t is also reported that ]. j. Ander-
son, district passenger agent of the
Canadian Pacific, was on the train.
1t is said train made up at the
scene of the wreck Will arrive mere
early tomorrow morning.
There is some disparity in the esti-
mate of the number of persons in the
submerged car. Members of the train
crew say there were not more than
fifteen, but passengers who had just
left 1t to go into the dining car place
the number as high as twenty-five.
The nearest telegraph station to the
scene of the wreck is Lairn, five miles
from the Spanish river bridge.
1t is said six of the injured taken to
the Sudbury hospital have since died,
but their names are not obtainable.
Railroad men who arrived here after
midnight say at least forty persons
were killed.