SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1682, 16 February 1884, Page 11

SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

A terrible calamity happened in tho neighbourhood of Toronto,- Canada, on the Grand Trunk railway-line, on the morning of January ?, by the collision .of a car attached to a dummy-engine and carrying the employes of 'the boltworke to their daily labour with a freight - train. Some 20 or 30 poisons were killed. The accident occurred at the rounding of a sharp curve just before reaching the bolfcworks. The engineer saw tho freight train coming thundering down the track towards him. He reversed his engine blew his whistle, and, with the fireman, jumped for his life. The conductor hoard the warning, and, shouting "Jmnp, boys, for your life!' sprang into the snow. In a second more there was a terrible crabh. The engine of the freight train knocked the boiler of the dummy clean through the first car, pushing the unfortunate passengers in every direction, and pinning flaany to the floor. The engineer pf the

freight train, when he saw a collision was j inevitable, sprang from the engine, but his nreman was killed instantaneously. To add to the horror of the scene the boiler of the dummy exploded, and the steam scalded and carried death or terrible injuries to many mangled and bleeding men. Then a fire broke out, and completed tiie sickening work of do- . struction. No more awful scene could be witnessed. • The dead wero taken to tho •morgue, and tho wounded as quickly as possible to the houpital. One man, John Hewlett, died shortly after he arrived. When found among tho debris he spoke cheerfully, and asked to be allowed to walk. On looking down, he cried, " Oh, God, my legs are off !" and so they were — burnt off. Barber, the conductor of thu freight train, to whose ignorance of the timetable the accident was due, was placed under avresii. Public subscriptions have been started for the benefit of the wives and families of the sufferers, and money flowed in freely. Lord Lansdowne, Governor- general, sent 2500d01.