San Francisco Call, Volume 93, Number 28, 28 December 1902 — TRAINS CRASH AS RESULT OF CARELESSNESS [CHAPTER]

TRAINS CRASH AS RESULT OF CARELESSNESS

Operator Makes Fatal Error in - Sending Orders.

Express Dashes Into Freight While Blinding Storm Is Raging.

LONDON". Ont., Dec 27.— A frightful collision occurred a short distance from tho little station of Wanstead, on the Carala branch of the Grand Trunk Railway; last night. The trains In collision ¦were the Paclflc Express and a freight. The express was running nearly two hours late and was making fast time. The freight was endeavoring to make a Elding to get clear of- the express, but failed by a minute or two. ' There was an awful crash, the locomotives reared up and fell into a ditch, the -baggage car of the express telescoped the smoker and in an Instant arose the shrieks and cries cf the Injured and dying. The number of dead Is twenty-eight. The injured number many more and many of these may die. " Several of the dead wer« terribly mutilated and the level stretch of snow became crimson •with the blood of the victims. The responsibility for the accident has, not been definitely , fixed, but it is be'jAieved to have been due to a telegraph Operator's error. Tho operator at- one of the stations where the two trains stopped cave an order to the freight to pass No. I, the Pacific express, at Wanstead. * In the system of the Grand Trunk

this order should have been duplicated, a copy being given to the conductor and engineer of the express. Instead of this the conductor of the express received a clearance order, telling him that he might run through. The freight train meantime had stopped at Wanstead to sidetrack and was telescoped by the express. The blinding storm which was raging rendered objects invisible at a distance of a few feet.- -The operator at Wanstead is not usually on duty at night, but last evening he happened to be in the office for a short time. j He was going out at the door when he I heard the telegraph instrument click* and j immediately call repeatedly the message, I "Stop No. 5," "Stop. No. 6." Seizing a lantern, the operator dashed lor the door and as he closed it" behind him lie heard the crash of the collision up the Irack. There was not a house at hand to which | .the, injured could be carried. Fortunately, I however, thg two Pullman cars on the train did not sustain any damage. They .were .wajm. and .comfortable and were converted into 1 a temporary hospital. The injured were placed in the berths and j everything 'possible done to ease their i sufferings. , \ k .

DEATH'S GRIM ROSTER*

Following is a list of the dead: ALEXANDER STEWART, Petrolia, Ontario. MRS. ALEXANDER STEWART," Petrolia", Ontario. A. RICKETTS, Sarnla Tunnel, fireman Nc. 5. . • J. GILLIES, Sarnla Tunnel, engineer freight. , MRS. J. TROTTER, Petrolia, • Ontario. H. B. LAWRENCE, Watford, Ontario. F. S. FREEMAN, Oil Springs, or HenFail, Ontario. NICHOLAS JEFFREY, London. GUY DE RENIER, ticketed for La Crosse, Wis. DR. PEN N WARDEN, ticketed for Pctrolia, Ontario. WOMAN, supposed to be wife of Dr. Pennwarderi. ' , J. H. BROCK, Brucefleld, Ontario. O. B. BURWELL, Port Huron, Mich. CLEM BODLEY, Port Huron, Mich. WILSON MORTON, Chicago. ALEXANDER -CAMERON, Strathroy, Ontario. MISS GEDDES, Sarnia, Ontario. ED DE BEAUS, Prescott, Ontario. MRS. BODLEY, Port Huron, Mich. LOTTIE LYNCH, Port Huron, Mich. GEORGE BURKHOLDER, Sarnla, Ontario. A. DOUGLASS, Alvinston," Ontario. WILLIAM JOHN LUCAS, Straihroy. ROBERT STEVENSON, Wyoming. UNIDENTIFIED MAN, about 40 years of age, -well dressed. VIOLET BROCK, aged 11 years, Chicago, formerly of Brucefield, OITcario. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, about 85 years of age. MRS. JULIA BARNES, Woodstock, Ontario.

LIST OF THE INJURED.

Following is a list of passengers injured in the wreck, most of those named not being seriously : hurt: Alexander M. Steward, Wingham, Ontario; Mrs. J. J. Culberson, Port Huron; Mich.: James Ramplin, Toronto; Mrs. Samuel Cum mings. Port Huron, Mich.; Hattie Norbey, Peterboro, Ontario; James B. Norbey, Peterboro, Ontario; Mrs. Coote, Chicago; Frank E. Baker, London, Ontario, dislocated shoulder; William M. Morse, wife and child, Sarnla; Thomas Coote, London, business address Chicago; George Stacey, Wanstad, Ontario; Dr. Basil Harvey, Chicago; Mrs. J. M. Stewart and children, Oshkosh, Wis.~ (Mrs. Stewart fractured jaw, Earl broken arm and collarbone, Hobart fractured hip); Russell Quinn, Chicago, burns, considered serious; James Barnes, Woodstock, Ontario; Beatrice Gedder, Sarnla; J. J. Culberson, Port Huron, Mich, fractured jaw; John Bird, Chicago, fractured arm; J. A. Lamont, .Wyoming, Ontario, fractured leg; Mrs. W. Gott and daughter, London; J. S. La wler, Strathroy; W. H. Cole and wife, Flint, Mich.; R. K. McDonald, Strathroy; Mrs. P. M. Byrnes, Sarnia; Annie Sinclair, Kokomo, Ontario; Miss Flossie Culberson, Port Huron, Mich.; Mrs. Pugsley, London; R. Jackson, Petrolia, Ont.

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.

According to Master of Transportation Pi ice of this city, it was Andrew Carson, the agent and operator at Watford, the next station east of Wanstead, -who failed to deliver to the train crew of No. 5 their orders to pass the freight train at Wanstead. Train Master Price says that in . explaining the mistake that brought such terrible results the operator says he understood the dispatcher to say "kill" the orders, for No. 5 to pass the freight at Wanstead, ,but it is denied at the dispatcher's office here that the order was "killed."

The Pacific express, which was late and endeavoring to make up time, was made up of two Pullman cars, two first-class day coaches and two baggage cars. The engineer opened wide his throttle as he pulled out of Watford at 9:58 o'clock. A blizzard was raging and the air was thick with swirling snow. The : train was crowded with people returning from holiday trips. The express trairi was- running at a speed of fully fifty miles an hour through the blizzard when at the "VVanstead siding the headlight of the freight engine loomed up through the snow. It was Impossible to see a hundred feet ahead because of the snow and the trains crashed together almost before the engine crews realized that a collision was imminent.

The impact threw the twe engines clear off the track on the right hand side. The two day coaches of the express were between the heavily laden baggage cars and the weighty Pullmans. A. terrific grinding k-rash and the rear baggage car was driven into the coach for three fourths of its length, killing a score pf the occupants and pinning down two score more ln the wreckage, crushed and mangled. The horror of fire was mercifully spared the suffering persons- burled in the wreck. A little flame b r °ke out, but the uninjured soon extinguished it with enow before it could gain headway. HEROIC KESCIJE WORK

The occupants of the two Pullmans and the second day coach swarmed out of their cars to -the rescue." A bedlam of uolses greeted them. The hiss of escaping steam from the wrecked engines did not drown the piteous cries of the unfortunates Dinned ln the ruins. The bitter ccld added to their suffering. Volunteer rescuing parties were immediately formed and did heroic work. Meanwhile a biakeman had rushed through the storm to the telegraph office and notified both London and Sarnia officials of the acci-

dent. ¦- Relief trains with surgeons and vn-ecklng cars were on their way to the scene from both ends of the division in the shortest possible time. • While they were steaming at top speed the' work. of rescue' was carried on by the uninjured passengers. They delved Into the heap of debris and, guided by the moans and cries, found the sufferers and pried and chopped them out and carried them to the two Pullman cars, where they were given such attention as was possible before the surgeons arrived.

Ed de Beaus of Prescott and Lottie Lynch of Port Huron, Mich., died soon after they were received at the hospital. Several of the lesser injured persons left the hospital this afternoon. To-night all those st}H there are expected to recover, although internal injuries or failure to recover from the awful shock may result fatally in one or two cases. When the second Pullman arrived here at 10 o'clock it was met by undertakers' wagons Instead of ambulances. Twentyfive bodies were in the borths behind the closed curtains. The broken forms were placed in coffins ln the freight sheds and then removed to the Morgue, where the work of Identification : was begun. .

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