Terrible Railway Accident.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 237, 3 September 1884, Page 2

Terrible Railway Accident.

i-i: A terrible calamity happened recently m the neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada, on the Grand Trunk railway line, by the collision of a car attached to a dummy engine and carrying the employes of the bolt works to their daily labor with a freight train. Some 20 or 30 persons wore killed. The accident occurred at the rounding of a sharp curve just before reaching the boltworks. The engine saw the freight train coining thundering down the track towards him. He reversed his engine, blew his- whistle, and, with the fireman, jumped for his life. The conductor heard the warning, and, shouting " Jump, boys, lor your lives !" sprang into the snow. In a second more there was a terrible crash. The .engine of the freight train knocked the boiler of the dummy clean ,ib. rough the first car, pushing the unfortunate passengers m every direction, and pinning many to the floor. The engineer of the freight train, whten. he saw a collision was inevitable sprang from the engine, but his fire- ' man was killed instantaneously. To add to the horror of the scene the boiler of the dummy exploded, and the steam scalded and carried death i or terrible injuries to many mangled and bleeding men. Then a fire broke out, and completed the sicken - ing work of destruction. No more awful scene could be witnessed. The dead were taken to the morgue, and the wounded as quickly as possible to the hospital. One man, John Howett died shortly after he arrived. When found among the debris he spoke cheerfully, and asked to be allowed to walk. On looking down he cried, •f-Qh, Qod, my legs are off 1" apd so they were-=:burn't qff. Barber., the conductor of the freight train, to whose ignorance of the time-table the accident was due was placed under arrest. Public subscriptions have been started for the benefit of the wives and families of tbe sufferers, and money flowed m freely. Lord Lansdowne, Governor general, sent 2500d01.