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[1me in MM WWW? ’Ifie Wigflt of tfie Wefrose Train fixplbsion W/ien my fiusEandKevin's Eeeper sounded tfiat nig/it, indicating a train on fire at tfie Mefiose crossing, I mumfifed "5e careful‘” and ro[[ed Eacfg over and went to sieep. He often was caded out in tfle midd[e of tfie nigfit as fie was a memoer of t/ie Townsfiip ‘Fire ©epartment. I nave gotten so I don 't wake up as I used to and so I assumed w/ien I Heard tfie pounding at Me door tfiat fie liad returned It too@ me a minute to rea[ize tfiat tfie rapid pounding was more tfien a nusliandwfio fiadbckedfiimsfl out. ‘Vl/fien I opened tne door tfie expression on tfiejemafe pofiee ofi‘icer's face spoke more to me tnen tfle words tfzemse[ves. ”’Z7iere fias 5een a train crasn and tnere is potentia[ of an exp[osionâ€"you must [eave your /iome immediate[y. ” I as/{ed wfiere tne Tirefigfiters were and sfie said tfiey were Eacflat tne site at a safe distance from tne wrecfi flit a[most t/ie exact time, tfie air stifled and a large wfioosfi was fodowed 5y an even 5igger exp[osion. ‘Ifie fiousefil‘flad witfi an eerie g[ow. (Pictures fiadfa[[en of tfie wads of tfie Eacflof t/ie House and fly t/ie time I readied a window to tfie nortfi a uzrgefire out was r0[[ing into tfie s/{yh I did not nave to wake my cfiififren. Tfie eyqdosion did t/iat. I touftfiem as ca[m[y as I cou[d to get dressed and into t/ie car fls tfie Kids worried aoout tfie pets I said t/iat anytfiing t/iat was in tfie car wfien I got tfiere coufdcome. Our dog, a cocfler spanief, [edtne pacfl t0 tfie garage, I am sure s/ie Knew tnere was somet/iing wrong. Sometime during t/iis time Kevin ca[[ed from tfie Wefrose station to warn me; fiurriedfy I toldflim we were fleaving, We raced in tfie car away from our House, up ’l/l/yman’s ma toward O[d WumEer Two I tfiin/g tfiere may nave Eeen anotner explosion at tfiis time, My cfiiufren were frigfitened and worried aoout tfieir @ad ”We reacfied t/ie ‘Zjiendinaga Sc/ioof wfiere friends and neignoors were 6eing sfieltered unti[tfie emergency was over. Kevin and severaf otfier Tirefigfiters came to cfiecflon tfle group and fi[[ in tfie community tfiat lived near tfie wreck It was apparent at tfiis time tfzat tfze potentiaf for more serious eggp[osions reszdting in. poisonous gases was present. I pacfied up tne kids and [mad furtfier away to Wapanee to stay at my Wot/ier's. ’VI/e were contacted 6y CT tfiat we coufd a[[ stay at tfie Ramada Inn @edevide. ‘Me option of a water sfide was a[[ my Kids needed r(/Ve [iougfit Eatning suits, and some otfier neeessitiesâ€"( we coufifn't return. to our fiome}and spent tne weekend vacationing. On Sunday we returned fiome. rMe sme[[ of Erunt [entils flung in tfie air. fl ”controded" eeqdosion was set for tfie next day for t/ie last propane tank I was refievedwfien tnat was over. rInc experience fias cfianged tne way I view trains and safety. (We see trains everyday. I cross 3 sets oftracfg every day on my way to work; We potentiaf for serious accidents [ifle tflis one is a[ways present. One must nope tfzat t/ie [egislations put in p[ace are adequatefy protecting us a[[, and wnen an accident like tnis liappens it 6ecomes a ”wake up ” cad for tfie pufific and tfiose tfiat are protecting us. R0 5in Q7iompson~mcflv0y