SMASH ON THE WELLAND

Conductor Boyle’s Train Ditched Near Thorold

Express Messenger Grobb Badly Bruised

[Welland Telegraph, 23 January 1891]

As the mail train on the Welland road, due here at 11.24, last Monday morning, was passing the stone road crossing, about one and a half miles this side of Thorold, the baggage car, smoker and coach left the rails. The two former rolled down a six foot embankment and rested in an inverted position, while the coach careened over and rested against the smoker at an angle of 40 degrees. The smoker and baggage car were badly wrecked, and the escape from death or very serious injury of some of the occupants was miraculous. The experience of express messenger Grobb, baggageman Spratt and mail clerk Boyle, was the most thrilling, and the first named gentleman is now confined to his bed with severe bruises, but fortunately with whole bones. Just how he was hurt he has no recollection, but thinks he was struck by the large iron safe in the car. The baggageman, with the exception of a few small bruises came out all right, and his escape may be attributed to the absence of any heavy baggage in his compartment. Mail clerk Boyle was mixed up among the mail bags, which saved him. Four or five passengers were in the smoker, and how they came out with so little injury seems marvelous. One of them, Mr. Anson Garner, of Stamford, had one of his fingers badly jammed and his shoulder somewhat bruised. In the coach were a number of ladies, who behaved with the utmost coolness. Said a passenger, “They walked out of that car after the accident with as much dignity as they would have out of church.”

As soon as he extricated himself from the wreck baggageman Spratt was despatched to Thorold for a physician, and express messenger Grobb was extricated from his perilous position just as the car was commencing to take fire, but coolness and presence of mind on the part of the train hands soon extinguished the blaze. Conductor Boyle was everywhere, looking after the passengers and arranging for their comfort, while brakeman Welsh, with the blood streaming down his face from some several cuts, worked like a Trojan wherever necessary.

Plenty of medical aid was on hand in a short time, but fortunately with the exception of Mr. Grobb, no one was in need of it.

A train was sent up by the Allanburgh branch from Niagara Falls to bring the mail and passengers, which arrived here about 3 p.m.

Various theories as to the cause of the accident are advanced, but the generally accepted one is spreading of the rails, after the engine had passed, as it was the front trucks of the baggage car which first left the track.