Three railway men killed.

Head-on collision at Mount Vernon yesterday.

Trains met at a curve.

No time to escape from instant death.

Dense fog was partially responsible for the collision, but the Coroner and the Railway Officials will make a thorough inquiry—Two of the victims were London men.

The dead.

W. Fralick, engineer, London.

Cecil Burchell, fireman, London.

Charles Rupple, yardman, Brantford.

The injured.

Ernest Lewis, fireman, Brantford.

George Yapp, engineer, Brantford.

Special Despatch to The Globe.

Brantford, Oct. 7.—Three men killed and two seriously injured is the result of a head-on collision which occurred about 8 o'clock this morning at Mount Vernon, a small place distant from here nearly seven miles. Charles Rupple, a yardman from here on the yard engine, was instantly killed; Cecil Burchell, fireman, of London, was fatally crushed and scalded from escaping steam; W. Fratlick, engineer, of London, was cut in two by the tender of his engine.George Yapp, engineer, and Ernest Lewis, fireman, both of Brantford, are seriously injured, being crushed and scalded.

From what has been learned so far it appears that a special freight train left here shortly after 7 o'clock this morning and that the yard engine which does shunting along the line was returning to the local yards, when almost without a second's warning they crashed into each other with the result stated.

Medical aid and other help were rushed from here, but the three men named were instantly killed. The two injured men were brought to the city.

The line was blocked for some time, but the damage to the line and rolling stock is comparatively light.

Curve obscured the view.

The scene of the collision is four hundred yards west of Mount Vernon at a point near a sharp curve, which evidently obscured the view of the two trains as they came together. The impact was terrific. The tender of the yard engine and the boiler of the freight were piled high in the air in a disjointed mass, while three flat cars attached to the special, loaded with piles, formed a ram and wedge the two engines in a death-dealing grip.

Conductor Winder and two brakemen were in a caboose at the end of the freight at the time. They escaped unhurt. Engineer Fralick made a vain attempt to jump from the cabin after turning off the air brakes, but was too late. The tender was jammed by the impact and his body was severed.

Fireman Burchell stuck to his point. He was found dead in front of what remained of his cabin, which was piled up in front of the boiler door. Death had been instantaneous, and steam and water had added to the horror, burning a large hole in the side of his body.

Yardman Rupple's death was due to internal injuries. He was picked up in the wreckage, along with Yapp and Lewis, who were unconscious for a time.

The work of rescue.

Doctors from Burford and Brantford hurried to the scene, and the dead and injured were removed and attended to. A special train was sent out from Brantford and injured brought here, where they were treated and are doing well.

Engineer Yapp, in charge of the yard engine, said he did not see the approach of the special train until it appears around a sharp bend at 7.52 o'clock. He claimed to have the right of way, with sufficient time to return to Brantford, where the special was not due to leave until 8.08 o'clock. In the sixteen minutes he could have made the run easily. There was no time to avoid the collision, and the impact was terrific.

The Coroner's inquest.

After viewing the remains of the victims this afternoon the Coroner's jury adjourned until Monday night, when the inquiry will be opened by Coroner Ashton.

The wreckage has been partly cleared by auxiliary crews. Both engines are completely demolished. Difficulty will be experienced in fixing the responsibility. Engineer Yapp of the yard engine claims that under the rules no train should have left the local yards until he returned. He was returning when the collision occurred, owing to special work on the construction train leaving the yards ahead of time.

On the other hand, Conductor Winder of the work train contends he left the yards under orders. It has not been yet ascertained who gave the order. The Grand Trunk are holding an official inquiry, and the Coroner's inquest will also bear on that point.

A dense fog was partly responsible for the crash, although it occurred when the trains were rounding a curve and neither was sighted in time to prevent disaster. Even if there had been no fog the wreck would probably have occurred.

Bodies will be sent to London.

The bodies of Fralick and Burchell will be sent to London. They are terribly mutilated. That of Charles Rupple will be removed to his home in this city. In connection with his death there are pitiful circumstances. He had been married but two months and had recently moved into his home on Grey street in this city. Only yesterday he and his wife had purchased furniture for their home.

This is the third escape which Yapp has had from dangerous accidents in this vicinity in the past few years.

Railways: G.T.Ry.

Stations: Mt. Vernon

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