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i WATERLOO canonlcu-Wedrmdny. Much 9.2011-2I ; i i l The runaway iron horse l a a a a o ‘ 1 Remembermg (1 Waterloo railway accrdent that shook the community m 1 902 : i BY MARSHAILWARD of the accident being the marvel- I \ Special to the Chronicle lous escape of Engineer Mitchell j 1 who clung to the lever, while the . i he 1902 train wreck. just a tender left the rails in rounding a 1 z I few kilometres north of curve as his favourite iron horse I 3 Waterloo. is a tale of tragedy plunged after it, down the j i and carnage. embankment ten feet below. When . ‘. it's a tale Ruth Stewart-Verger things came to a standstill, he was 1 i will be telling as part of her histori‘ still at his post, suspended by his 1 ‘ cal storytelling event, lron Horses: arms from the lever and all he had 1 ‘ Riding ithails intol'Canada‘s Past, to do was let go and drop to the 1 March [Sat the Waterloo Region ground.” _ i ‘ Museum. Stewart-Verger explained that i [ "it's likely the most significant many passengers were injured. as j i rail disaster to ever happen in the women and children were taken to » .4 E . 1 1 Waterloo area." said Stewarth'erg- nearby farm houses and men with . ‘ ., ‘ . er. an Ottawa-based storyteller broken limbs were assisted into ‘ if? . ‘ who has traveled across Canada the baggage car to await medical _, ‘ telling stories in schools, libraries, attention. “The story has huge \ museumsand festivals. gaps in it, but i absolutely love .. 1 “There's not a lot of historical that," said Stewart-Verger who a e _ ‘ data about the 1902 train wreck," researched old newspapers, funer- 7 . \ she said. "But ~ al records. and ' there's enough it. ' the autopsy l to put a story gig report. “There's \ l together." A . .55 j '1 ' a: little bits of 1| ' 1 headline in the . ' ' "4.1M information in . 1' I . m 1 Sept. 8, 1902 . .., A... .- " there that is g 1 edition ofThe ; “ “ ‘ is!" - very important ' 4 Daily Telegraph, 3,; L 1-“ g A». to me in terms , ,. , ~ 1 on, one ofa few ”f at ' . . if" story together. 2; , . ~ ’ . . “’9‘“ ' ‘ * ' 1 j documents she 21*.“ ‘ . " . ~ ' We know very . . found. summed 1 g “J r g “ ‘ little about - I ’ u p the chaos: . -(;§3=.,.t§’i -* i‘ Mitchell and A picture of the accident on the Grand Truck Railway which may have been Waterloo’s worst disaster. Mama 1 "Fatal Railroad “ . Jones, and the . ; i Wreck on the 3‘ 7 .6 h ' only other history with railroads. “My rela- events in many communities. Atellingevents across thecounu'y. i i Elmira Line - Vt ' at ' name men- tives are railroaders," said Stewart- OttawaStoryTellers.ca states: “To "1 see young kids who are crazy i i lijtetnan lones '\ ~ tioned is Clem- Verger. whose grandfather was an hear a story is to be touched in about history, along with older 1 1 Killed instantly. ai- mer.” expert on CN diesel trains “To get heart and mind. in body and spirit. people who want to remember a 1 While Engineer . , § The Daily an idea of what the engineer would The storyteller gives the tale; the certain time.” she said. j Mitchell. Still , - ; Telegraph arti- be doing in my story. I asked rela- listener receives it, responding out Stewart-Verger said she's espeâ€" 1 (‘|inging to the 3‘ cle reads: ”Mr. tives about their experiences when ofhis or her own being" cially looking forward to telling her ‘ 1“ er. i: gt. apes i5 . g; .. i Clem mer. the grandpa took them into the engine Stewart-Vetger elaborated. “it train tales at the Waterloo Region 1 Without a . A., ' farmer who of the old steam locomotives. And asks more of your audience. If I‘m Museum: "i learned that the Museâ€" i Scratch,” Ruth Siam-two's“ lives close by. that's really important to give the going to describe what is happen- um is sitting on a site where there ‘ The story was notified of story flavour. ing, then you have to create that used to be a train station at one 1 ‘ reads: “Probably the most fearful the wreck and immediately "i also draw inspiration from picture in your own head. You are point, soit’s reallyquite fitting." j ‘ and distressing railway accident hitched up his horses and drove to the country side from that time, co-creating that art, using your As for what caused the 1902 1 that has ever occurred in Waterloo Waterloo to spread news. The and the scene of Clemmer's farm. own memories and life experience. train wreck in Waterloo County. . . County took place on the Elmira physicians were all summoned as Phi?- the Grand Trunk had a fasci- And ill-“'5 the beauty 0f SlO'I'Y' Stewart~Verger said there are 59"” ‘ ; branch 0fthe Grand Trunk Railway well as the ham! (Berlin at Water- nating history all to itself, and i talk telling â€" it‘s a collaboration era] conflicting theories The mysâ€" 1 on Saturday evening. Never, as [00) Hospital. it is estimated that a bit about that in my story.” between authour and listener.” tery adds to the allure, she says â€" 1 1 long as the 25 or 30 passengers and about 4.000 Waterloo Countyites With over 25 years of experi- it's this creative and collabora- “and it makes foragreat story!" 1 train hands ii“; will they forget the visited the scene on Sunday.” ence in telling stor'ies.’ Stewart- tive process that Stewart~Verger “but life is fleeting And perhaps t . trip. Stewart-Verger also draws Verger says storytelling is an age» finds so rewarding when audi~ mats part of the seductive quality 1 i .. l‘he most miraculous feature inspiration from her own family old art in revival, with festivals and ences of all ages attend her story- ofit. . . m‘ ‘_ ,9 " . 1 * '~ v - on 11116 . , I. t- #74041!“ “in; . i. O 0 m? It’s .t’ E .I WI“ you 1101111118 . ,W J... -. 1;; l S W,. , , , , A” - ,, MAAW, ,, ,, , , J