Thursday, March 22, 1906

 Ernest Thurston, of Honeywood, was killed in a railway collision at South River,Wednesday of last week. Thurston was on his way to the west, having started from Stayner in charge of a car of settlers' effects. A Barrie despatch of Thursday tells of the story of the collision: A bad tail-end collision between two freight trains of settlers' effects occurred on the GTR last evening at South River and Ernest Thurston, who was looking after a car of effects, was killed. An extra freight, in charge of conductor J. L. mcDougall, and engineers Wisdom and Campbell, ran into another double-header in charge of conductor Hunt and engineers Patton and Northgrayes which was standing at the station. Conductor Hunt saw the second train some distance away, and seeing a collision inevitable with the speed at which it was travelling, hastened to the van and warned several settlers riding there. Then he ran along the side of the train calling to the other men in the cars. While he was doing so the collision occurred and his own train was driven past, and the first engine, the van and five cars toppled over on his side of the track, a few yards in front of him, the engine being a total wreck. The second engine kept on the rails, stopping right beside Mr. Hunt. One of the settlers was driven clean through the top of a boxcar and escaped with a few scratches. Had it not been for the prompt action of Conductor Hunt, nine men would almost certainly have been killed.