Smyrna times., 1910-01-26
ICE ENTOMBS
WRECK VICTIMS
River Freezes Over Canadian
Pacific Coaches.
DIVERS SEEKING THE BODIES
Officials Admit Fifty Persons Lost
Their Lives When Train Went Into
RiVer-TerribIe Cold flinders Work
of Wrecking Crew.

of Wrecking Crew.
Sudbury, Ont. Jan. 24.-Divers are
seeking to recover the bodies of the
dead who met death when the wrecked
cars of the Canadian Pacific train
plunged into the Spanish river, and is
now frozen over The number of vic
tins is unknown.
The officials of the Canadian Pacific
admitted that at least fifty persons
met their death in the terrible catas-
trophe. but survivors declare the death
list will reach seventy-five.
The wreck occurred on a 200-foot
steel bridge. with overhead girders and
thirtyfoot embankment sloping down
to the Spanish river underneath. The
engine, corr bination mail and baggage
car and the express car had passed
safely upon the bridge. when the for
ward trucks of the second class coach
jumped the track. The car struck an
immense steel girder with such ter
rife force as to snap the girder in two
and split the car as though it had been
divided with a cleaver. The rear of the
second coach swerved far out to one
side, pulling the colonist car, the first
class coach and the diner off the
bridge into the river and tipping over
the Pullman beside the track Fire
that broke out at once in the portion
of the second class coach which re-
mained on the right Of way added to
the horror OF the accident.
In spite of the efforts of the divers
and wrecking crew who are vainly
seeking to fasten chains around the
submerged cars to bring them to the
surface, it is thought the full extent
of the loss of life will not be known
for a week.
The river is frozen about two feet
deep and the divers can remain in
the water but a few minutes. Time
and time again they come up numb
with cold and without having been
able to force their way into the cars
of death.
Added TO the terrible cold is the
storm which is sweeping over the lake
region. Great bonfres have been con-
structed on the bank of the river at
/ either end to aid the workers.
The divers succeeded in getting into
the smoking compartment of the first
class coach. where were found the
frozen bodies of four travelling men
in sitting position, around a table
just as they were playing cribbage as
the car smashed through the ice OF
the frozen river.
Practically all of the passengers in
half of the second class car, the colon
ist car and the first class car, all oil
which plunged into the river. are be
lieved to be dead A few saved them
selves and are being cared for by hos
pitfalls and residents.
Most of tic people in the half of tn
second class car which remained OF
the bridge were stunned and burne|
to death wien the wreck caught fire
Conductor Reynolds saved most of th'
occupants Of the dining car by tearin'
a hole in the ~oof snd pulling then
THROUGH it. One woman slipped out o
his hands and was drowned.
The passengers in the Pullman wer
Jared AMI bruised. but none of then
was killed. In the first class car. on
man was saved He hung by his hand
to the top of the car for three hour
until hole was chopped through. H
breathed the air which remained a
the top Of the car, which was almos
submerged.
The occupants of the second elias
car, which was torn in two parts b
the accident, one half remaining o
the bridge the other half plunging il
, to the river. were buried drowned ar
mangled like rats in trap. They ha
j no chance of escape, and only fe'
5 were pulled out of the burning half o
+ the bridge, their faces and bodies tor
: and cut and SCARED.