Click here to see Corporate History

References

From Swamp and Shanty is an excellent history of Russell, Ontario, printed in 1987.
Trains - May 1952 pages 30 to 32. "From Ottawa to the Edward Hungerford Country" by Frank P. Donovan Jr.
Branchline - November 1987 page 10. Article by Paul Bown.
Branchline - March 1993  pages 8 to 14 "Russell and the New York Central" by Dr. Donald McCaffrey
Hagley Museum and Archives PO Box 3630, Wilmington, Delaware, 19807-0630. Phone: (302) 658-2400 holds a  collection of photographs of the construction of railway bridge at Cornwall. The collection contains 100 photos over a 2 year span and shows each stage in the structure's construction, as well as some particularly-interesting ones surrounding the 1898 collapse of the south span. There are also some excellent photos of the swing bridge section over the Cornwall Canal (the section which was swept away by the breach in the canal wall in 1908).

The Ontario Pacific Railway Company commenced construction between Hurdmans Bridge and Cornwall in 1897. The name was changed in 1898 to Ottawa and New York Railway and the line was opened July 29, 1898. The O&NY was taken over by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad on 12 December 1906.

According to the Ottawa Evening Journal, the original plan was for the Ottawa and New York to get from Hawthorne to Central Station on the Canada Atlantic.  However, the line was planned and built to cross the CAR at Hawthorne and run parallel to the CAR to a junction with the M&O Railway (CPR) near the site of the present Union passenger station.  However, due to a dispute with the CAR  the Ottawa and New York advertised on 2 August 1898 that its trains were running from the CPR Sussex Street station. Sussex Street was reached from the connection to the Sussex Street subdivision at Hurdman. A pre-opening run took place on 27 July 1898.

The O&NY had intended that its first trains would run from Cornwall into Ottawa on 25 July 1898, according to a Journal story of July 9.  On August 5 it was reported that the NY&O (sic) had gone before the Privy Council Railway Committee once more, ("fighting it over again"), and that they had reached a draft agreement with the M&O for the use of part of their tracks.  For further insights on relationships with J.R. Booth see Section 14.  The actual wording of their August 2 advertisement, (repeated in subsequent weeks), actually lists two daily trains, but is open to some interpretation around the use of the word "established":

"Regular train service has been established as follows:

Ottawa 6:30 am Cornwall 10:30 am
Ottawa 5:00 pm Cornwall 7:45 pm
Cornwall 7:45 am Ottawa 10:30 am
Cornwall 4:00 pm Ottawa 7:50 pm

Trains depart from and arrive at Sussex Street Depot, Ottawa."

The O. & N.Y. railway  gave up on plans for a central freight yard, as they announced on July 8, 1898 that they had chosen the site for their shops and yards and had filed plans in the registry office for the O'Donnell property at the head of Deep Cut, and lots 297, 298, and 299 of the Stewart property on Hurdman's road, to be utilized for yard and storage.  On Thursday July 21 there was also a reference to the O. & N.Y. level crossing of Ann Street, (later Mann Avenue).  This yard would also become their passenger station after 1 January 1941 and would be abandoned on 15 February 1957.

One of the piers of the bridge over the St. Lawrence River collapsed during construction killing 15 people.  The initial death count was believed to be 14.  However, one man was away from the worksite, but he returned shortly before the accident and forgot to "sign-in" that day for work. Originally, authorities thought he was still away, but then they found his body.  The opening of service was thus only between Cornwall and Ottawa.  Through service to the USA could not commence until the bridge had been rebuilt.  Click here for an article by Stuart Manson on this accident and click here for a detailed account of the accident.

There was a second interruption of service across the St. Lawrence to New York when the drawbridge over the Cornwall Canal collapsed on 23 June 1908 due to the failure of the Canal bank.  Pictures taken on 27 Jun 1908 show work in progress to replace the bridge. On 30 Nov 1908 the BRC approved plans showing temporary repairs to the drawbridge over the Cornwall Canal and the NY&O was authorized to use and operate the bridge until further order of the Board.  On 18 Feb 1909 the BRC approved plans showing Cornwall Bridge Drawspan and foundations for bents Nos. 1 & 2. Click here for an article by Stuart Manson on a relicof this accident. The wheel in question (that which lies in the water near the riverbank and which was the subject of that playful article) is many feet (perhaps 15 feet) in diameter. It seems that it was the wheel upon which the bridge turned.

Corporate History of the Ottawa and New York Railway

This helps to explain some of the apparent date discrepancies in the NYC takeover of the O&NY.

NEW YORK AND OTTAWA RAILWAY COMPANY

This company was organized January 19, 1905, under Stock Corporation Law of the general railroad laws of the State of New York as a successor to the New York and Ottawa Railroad Company, sold under foreclosure proceedings December 22, 1904. Its line of road was leased to The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company, under an annual lease,
February 1, 1905; the lessee company agreeing to furnish funds to provide such equipment as may be necessary; to pay all expenses of operation and maintenance; all taxes; and the interest upon all obligations of the lessor company outstanding from time to time. Merged March 7, 1913.

Its predecessor, the New York and Ottawa Railroad Company, was formed October 28, 1897, by the consolidation of the New York and Ottawa Railroad Company (chartered July 22, 1897) and the Northern New York Railroad Company (incorporated May 27, 1895, and purchased by the New York and Ottawa Railroad Company in July, 1897). The Northern New York Railroad Company had previously purchased, under foreclosure proceedings on May 25, 1895, the property of the Northern Adirondack Railroad Company which had been in the hands of a receiver from January 25, 1894. The Northern Adirondack Railroad Company was formed April 9, 1890, by the consolidation of The Northern Adirondack Railroad     Company (incorporated February 9, 1883) and the Northern Adirondack Extension Railroad Company (incorporated February 17, 1886).

OTTAWA AND NEW YORK RAILWAY COMPANY

Chartered in 1882, as the Ontario Pacific Railway Company and the present name assumed by act of the Canadian Parliament in 1897. Its capital stock was owned, and its line of railroad operated by the New York and Ottawa Railroad Company, until the sale of the road of the latter company under foreclosure proceedings, December 22, 1904. The entire capital stock of this company is now in the treasury of The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company.

NEW YORK AND OTTAWA BRIDGE COMPANY

Organized April 15, 1899, and chartered as a New Jersey corporation April 18, 1899. This company leased, under date of November 1, 1900, the bridge properties of the Ottawa and New York Railway Company and the Cornwall Bridge Company at an annual rental of $25,000 payable to the Ottawa and New York Railway Company and $12,500 payable to the Cornwall
Bridge Company. The New York and Ottawa Bridge Company acquired the entire issue of bonds of the Cornwall Bridge Company ($250,000) and the entire issue of bridge section bonds of the Ottawa and New York Railway Company  ($500,000) The New York and Ottawa Bridge Company issued its collateral bonds to the amount of $500,000, secured by
 the $750,000 bonds above mentioned. All of the collateral bonds of the New York and Ottawa Bridge Company and its entire issue of capital stock are in the treasury of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company. An agreement dated November 1, 1900, provides that the Ottawa and New York Railway Company shall pay to the New York and
Ottawa Bridge Company the sum of $30,000 per annum for running rights over the combined bridges.

CORNWALL BRIDGE COMPANY

Incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey under date of July 28, 1897, and property leased to the New York and Ottawa Bridge Company November 1, 1900. The company was organized to complete the American end of a bridge across the St Lawrence River, the Canadian portion of the bridge being built by the Ottawa and New York Railway
Company. These bridge sections form a connection between the New York and Ottawa Railway and the Ottawa and New York Railway. The entire capital stock of the Cornwall Bridge Company is in the treasury of The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company, and its entire issue of bonds, $250,000, was acquired by the New York and Ottawa Bridge
Company and forms part of the collateral securing $500,000 in bonds of the latter company.