snow cutting at Handrahan’s crossing one mile and a half from the terminal in Tignish. Snow shovellers called to clear the stranded freight, had to seek shelter in the coach car, due to the intensity of the snow and high winds. The express train with two engines and snowplovv, having received no orders of the stalled train, came thundering through the storm. It stopped at the tank
and took on water for both engines, after takeoff with a crash that was deafening it split the freight cars right in two. Amongst the wreckage and debris were snow shovellers, Benjamin Richard, Elliot Gavin and Leo Murphy along with Jimmy Hession, the engineer, pinned beneath the train and who later died. Frank Murray, the conductor, and Harold Harper, the brakeman, were injured but freed. Johnnie Fennessey, one of the snow shovellers, struggled through heavy drifting snow and freezing temperatures to alert Dr. Johnston and Rev. John MacDonald, pastor of St Simon and StJude of the dreadful train
106
r._‘._w.w.