Thursday, February 5, 1852 | The Globe (Toronto) | Page 3, col. 2 |
Dreadful Accident at Hamilton.—Information from a private source reached us, to the effect that a bank of earth had fallen upon the excavators of the Great Western Railway, near Hamilton, and had buried a number of them. The statement is confirmed by the Journal & Express of yesterday, which says, that on Wednesday morning [February 4] while the men were employed on the Great W. Railroad, under the height, near the lower bridge, the bank gave way, and buried ten of them under an immense load of stone and earth. One person was most fortunately saved by the prompt action of the foreman. He was standing further out than the reset, and at the first fall was seized by the foreman and dragged out of danger. Immediately afterwards another fall tool place, and an immense portion of the bank covered the spot on which he stood a second before. The bodies dug out, presented the most horrifying appearance. They were crushed and mutilated in an indescribable manner. Five of the unfortunate men, we understand, were married, and their wives and friends [illegible] the air with their lamentations. We by no means wish to attached blame to the contractors—Messrs. Peerson and More—but from the frequency of these accidents, we think the greatest caution should be used in excavating banks composed of gravel and mid.
Railways: G.W.Ry.