TRAIN WRECKED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21374, 19 March 1941, Page 6

TRAIN WRECKED

MANY WORKERS HURT SEVERAL DEATHS FEARED SUSPICION OF SABOTAGE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 19, 3.15 p.m.) WINDHAM (ONTARIO), March 18 A commuter train which daily carries 600 men constructing the Government’s huge arsenal project at Ravenna was wrecked this morning. The portage country sheriff said the wreck occurred within a 24,000-acre reservation. All available ambulances were dispatched to bring in the injured workers. The Ravenna armament works, where were estimated to cost 15,000,000 dollars, were begun last September. The works are expected to produce 1,000,000 rounds of shells a month. More than 100 miles of railroad tracks are being laid within the armament reservation, forty miles of which have already been completed. A fast Erie train crashed into the rear of the commuter train. Five commuter coaches and ten freight cars were derailed. It is regarded as significant that the wreck occurred only 36 hours after the derailment of a Pennsylvania train at Baden. Forty defence workers were seriously injured and 126 less seriously hurt. It is believed that several were killed. Railway Official's Opinion A later message states that a railway official stated that the wreck was just a plain accident, due to a man’s failure. There was no trace of sabotage. A revised casualty list discloses that 300 people were injured, of whom 75 were taken to hospital, forty being seriously hurt.