Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1884, June 13 - Head on Collision near Perth, Canadian Pacific, 1 killed

Almonte Gazette 20 June 1884 COLLISION ON THE O. & Q. R.- a serious collision took place between two special freight trains on the Ontario and Quebec on Friday evening, near Perth. Both trains were proceeding at a high rate of speed at the time, and without a moment's warning plunged into each other. The engines were overturned, and as the accident took place in a miry swamp, they sank to a great distance. About eleven or twelve cars were also telescoped and smashed to fragments and their contents nearly all destroyed. The engineers or firemen of both trains did not observe their predicament until too late to avert the accident, and jumped for their lives. They escaped with no serious injuries. An unknown man stealing a ride on one of the cars was found crushed to death under the wreck. The remainder of the train hands escaped unhurt. The loss will be very heavy. The accident is attributed to the wrong interpretation of orders, and owing to a curve in the thickly wooded swamp the trains did not observe each other until too late.

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Updated 9 October 2022