The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-12-20
BODIES OF ELEVEN
WERE TAKEN FROM
THE WRECKAGE
The Injured Were Taken to
a Hospital at Brownville
Junction by a Special
Train, Which Was Sent
With Doctors and Nurses

Onawa, Me-. Dec. 20 Fifteen per
sons were killed or burned to death, in
eluding the engineers of both trains,
and many sustained burns and injur-
les to-day when freight train col
lided with a special train from ST.
Johns. \. B.. loaded with steerage pas.
sengers from the steamship Empress Of
France, on the Canadian Pacific rail
way near here.
The freight train telcscoped the en-
ginc and forward cars Of the passenger
train and the wreckage was burned
The bodies of II persons have been
removed from the wreckage and laid i'll
row on the snow-coyered embank
ment awaiting possible identification
1t was not certain whether all had
been removed from the wreckage
The passengers who were burned or
injured are known TO number So They
were taken to hospital at Brown
willie Junction by a special train, which
was sent with doctors and nurses from
that point.
The collision was understood to have
been due to failure of the freight train,
which was eastbound, to obey orders TO
stop at Bodtish, small siding near
here. but this was not confirmed
The Bangor Aroostook railroad, in
response to a request for aid, dispatched
train from Grecnville, carrying all
the doctors and nurses who could be
secured
The Bangor Aroostook is assisting
in transportation of passengers on the
Canadian Pacific between Greenville
aud Brownvillc junction. while the
track is blocked, conveying them by
way Of Derby
The dead include four trainmen the
engineers and tiremen of both trains.
The passenger engineer was Fred Will
son and the freight engineer man
oamed Bagley, both residents of Brown
vile. The bodies Of the two firemen
were still in the burning pile of debris
at noon.
Uninjured Passengers Turned Rescuers.
The engine and first two coaches,
containing eolored immigrants mostly,
were telescoped by the freight train,
many of the passengers being injured
or killed outright in the crush Others
lost their lives or were seriously burned
bv the fire which ensued.
Passengers in the other coaches es-
capped before the flames spread to their
cars and aided the trainmen in get
ting out the dead and injured Some Of
the bodies were burned beyond recog-
milton. The names of the dead immi.
grants were not known.
The collision was understood to have
been due to misunderstanding Of or
ders The freight train, in compl-
ance with orders, waited on Bodfish
siding, one mile west of here, until the
first section of the special train had
passed, then started for Brownyille
Junction.
Engineer Bagley either did not know
OF the second section, or forgot it, un-
ill he, struck it about a mile beyond
Bodfsh siding.
Many of the 35 persons injured sus.
tanned broken arms or legs They were
Jared for by doctors and nurses brought
on relief trains dispatched from Green
vile junction and Brownville Junction
west and east of here, and as soon as
III had been accounted for they were
taken to the Railroad Young Mems
Christian association building at Brown.
Vile junction, which was converted into
temporary hospital.
Arrangements were made with under
takers at Milo to send 10 caskets by
motor trucks to Brownville Junction
70 be forwarded here by train.