Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1872, September 26 - Brockville and Ottawa Locomotive is separated from tender, one fatality.

Ottawa Citizen 1 October 1872 Last Sunday a locomotive attached to a freight train on the Brockville and Ottawa Railroad became separated from the tender.  The engineer jumped off at once, and the fireman followed, jumping off on the opposite side of the track.  The tender ran off the rails and falling over, crushed the fireman beneath it, killing him instantly.  The deceased was a brother of Mr. A.G. Peden of the St. L. & O.R. Company, and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. Ottawa Citizen 11 October 1872 The Coroner's jury in the recent case of accidental death on the Brockville and Ottawa Railway, returned the following verdict: "The jury of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, to enquire into the cause of the death of Graham Robertson Peden, of the town of Brockville, Province of Ontario, after a searching investigation, agree that the said Graham Robertson Peden, accidentally came to his death on the morning of Sunday, 26th of September, 1872, on the Brockville and Ottawa railway about four miles north of Smith's Falls, by being crushed under the tender of No. 5 locomotive - said tender having overturned in consequence of running off the track, in conjunction with the engine and two cars. The reason of the train running off the track at that particular place the evidence does not clearly show, but enough was given to prove that the track for two or three miles adjacent is in a very unsafe condition, and this jury cannot but censure the Brockville and Ottawa Railway for not having, before this, put it in proper repair. The jury also regret that the Brockville and Ottawa Company have not more reverence for the Sabbath, and more consideration for their employees, that to make a custom of running their trains on that day,"

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Updated 10 November 2021