Continuation of the inquest into the Grand Trunk Railway accident as reported in the Hamilton Spectator of May 4, 1889 :
“The adjourned inquest on the victims killed in the junction cut accident was continued last evening in No. 3 police station before Dr. A. Woolverton.
The coroner said that he had communicated with Hon. J. M. Gibson to see if the attorney-general would defray the cost of employing experts in connection with the inquest. He had received a telegram from Hon. Mr. Gibson stating that the expense must not exceed $200. He had also spoken to Mr. Crerar, crown attorney, about being present, but that gentleman stated that he had a previous engagement.
The witnesses, who were employees of the railway company, were excluded from the room.
Valentine Ford, switchman at the junction cut during the past six and a half years, sore that he had five switches to attend to in the vicinity of the cut. Was nearly always able to attend to the switches himself, but when trains follow closely the operator assists him. He alternates every other week on day and night duty, and was on night duty at the time of the accident. Thought four trains went through that night, but sometimes the number is as high as twelve. A freight went through about 6:20 on the morning of the accident. He let her in on the switch, and closed and locked the switch after her. The freight changed vans there and went on, and he returned to the operator’s office. The first he knew of the accident was the appearance of the conductor, running down the track. Ran out to meet him and asked what was the matter. He said : “I don’t know. I think we struck something at the junction cut,” or words to that effect. Witness went towards the wreck and met the fireman who did not reply to his inquiries, merely shaking his head. Then he met the driver, Watson, and asked him what was the cause of the accident. He first said, “A broken rail,” and then said he didn’t know. He returned to the wreck with witness and showed him a hole where he and his mate got out. Said he didn’t know whether anyone was killed or not, but asked witness to put up the semaphore to protect the rear of the train, and he did it. Looked along the rails to see where the train ran off. Found the switch closed and locked and in good condition; got under the cars and examined the switch rods, but found them alright, and there was no mark on the switch rails. The first rail east of the switch rail on the north side was pulled eastward half an inch out of its place, and there was a mark on the end where the wheel had struck it. The west bolts of the fish plate were broken on the south side of the rail. The ties were in place near the switch and had no marks on them. On the south side the end of the wing rail was bruised down. The wing rail is alongside the third rail from the switch. Further east the whole road bed was dragged bodily south about fifteen inches up to the point where the fire was burning. The frog on the crossing was quite clear and in good shape, but had been moved with the rest of the road bed. He took all this trouble simply to find out what the cause of the accident was. After he completed his examination alone, he called upon Crane, the section foreman, to come and look at the switch and switch rails. He did all this because he heard some of the crowd on the hill call out that it was an open switch caused the accident.
The coroner – Be careful in your statements. Don’t try to prove too much.
Witness (continuing) – Only took Crane to examine the switch and not the rails. Also took Mr. Nelson to see the switch. Subsequently he assisted in shoving back two of the cars. The third sleeper had its west truck on the track over the switch, but the east truck was off the track. Of the west truck the two east wheels had passed the points of the switch, but the four west wheels of the west truck were on the main line. Did not think twenty men could move the switch with the car on it. When witness reached the wreck in the first place, the debris over the engine was in flames, shooting up pretty high. He had not the slightest idea how long it took the flames to spread from the engine to the last sleeper burned. He refused to say whether it was ten minutes or an hour. Never saw an accident at that switch or on that curve. Understood that the St. Louis express stopped near the junction house on Saturday night, but did not see it.
Cross-examined by jurors – Did not stop at the wreck when he got there, except very shortly, but went right to the switch. It is an automatic spring switch, but he was always there when a train was to go over it off the Y switch. A gang of section men were working around the switch the previous Thursday.
Mary Flood, daughter of previous witness, is the little girl who saw the accident occur. She said she saw the train coming out of the curve before the accident. It was going at the speed trains usually do. First noticed the engine plowing along as if off the track. It was then a little east of the first telegraph pole past the switch. It jumped and struck the tank and then disappeared. She thought it had gone down the hill on the north side. The next car, instead of following the engine, went right along the track. Then a lot of cars were jumbled together, and the fire burned awful quick – in about a minute. She ran to the section foreman’s house and told him there was a smash up at the tank. Then went over to the fence, and saw her father come around the end of the train some time after. Did not hear any people screaming or groaning, but her father showed her a dead man. There were a lot of smashed cars burning then, and the fire started on one of the cars off the track.
Daniel Young was another witness of the accident. He lives across the road from Flood’s house. Was on his way to the stable to milk when he saw the train coming along at about twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. Saw her strike the water tank.
Q. – What did you notice after that?
A. – I didn’t take notice after that; I went in to milk my cows. (Laughter.) Didn’t feel very well, and didn’t want to go up and get wet. When he came out he saw the cars on fire. Went into the house and put on his overcoat and went up to it, and asked if anyone was hurt. They said no one was hurt, and he came back after staying about ten minutes. Got breakfast and then went up again. Asked Mr. Crane if anyone was hurt, and he said there were two men under the fire. Saw Dr. Philip attending to some wounded. Then went back and went to bed. Denied that he was tired out after his humane efforts. Was not sicker before he milked the cows than after. Was more interested in the cow than the tank.
A juror (sarcastically) – Had no more use for the tank. The water was all out of it. (Laughter.)
George A. Black, a commercial traveller, was a passenger on the train. Before reaching Dundas was running at a very high rate of speed, but slowed up at Dundas. After passing that station thought the speed was considerably increased. Was sitting on the south side of the fifth car from the engine, but changed over to the north just before the accident. Felt the speed decrease and a jolting as if the brakes were applied. Later on, when the accident occurred, he thought the brakes were being put on tighter. Felt the car jolt alarmingly, and then stop. Kept his seat because he thought they were going into the Desjardins canal and it was all up with them. Got out through a window after the car stopped, and went to work at once to get out the wounded. Only a few people would believe that there was anyone under the wreck, but said he was sure there were at least twenty people under the wreck, because before the accident he had seen about a dozen people in the smoker and twenty in the next coach. Mentioned his impression to the conductor, and that official said he thought there were more than twenty under the wreck. When the passengers heard that, they made a great effort to get at them, but it was then too late, as the fire was blazing up. About a minute was spent in debating the question before the conductor came up. There were only a few buckets to put the fire out with, and nothing could be done with them, though an attempt was made. Thought the accident occurred at 7:05. Saw smoke coming from the wreck as soon as he got out of the car. Thought it was thirty to forty-five minutes before the auxiliary arrived. When it arrived, no attempt was made to put out the fire. Witness went back to assist in getting the last two cars shoved back, and fancied that the rails were spread at the switch, and the end of the rail was flattened. Might be mistaken about it, but certainly saw the rails separated on the north side of the track.
The witness was shown a map, and continued to assert his belief that the switch rails were apart; but he was equally positive that the switch disc was parallel to the main line, indicating that the switch was closed. The switch is a new-fashioned switch, different from the ordinary kind. His attention was directed to the switch by another passenger who said, “There is the cause of the trouble.” The speed had been slackened considerably before the accident occurred.
Robert McCauley, traveller from Aitkinson Bros., city, was a passenger on the train from London. Thought there was no slackening of speed before the accident, and the train was running very fast. When the crash took place, he heard the cries of men and women and the air seemed to be filled with dust. Got out and ran forward and on meeting the fireman asked him if it was an open switch that caused the accident. He said, “No; the switch is all safe and locked. Go and see for yourself.” Saw three men climbing from under the wreck, and assisted one who was badly injured. Then came back and asked if there were anymore in the wreck, and was told there were no more. The smoker seemed to be on top of the engine, and the next car jammed into it. Did not think the fireman had had time to go back to the switch before he spoke to him. Understood that the fireman had seen the switch as he passed over it on the engine.
J. R. Britton, conductor, swore that he was in charge of the St. Louis express on Saturday night before the accident. The express stopped near the scene of the accident by the bursting of a pipe which let on the air brakes. The stoppage was accidental, and occurred just after the express passed the switch. From Hamilton to the Falls, the express was handled with hand brakes that night.
The inquest then adjourned until Thursday night, May 11, at eight o’clock.”
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