Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1885, August 22 - Two children cut down on the Canada Atlantic Rideau River Bridge.

Montreal Daily Witness 22 August 1885 A SHOCKING ACCIDENT. CHILDREN CUT TO PIECES ON THE RAILWAY TRACK. A fearful accident occurred this afternoon, on the Canada Atlantic Railway. at the bridge over the Rideau about a mile and a quarter from the Elgin Street station. A few minutes before three o'clock the freight train, Ne. 6, consisting of a locomotive, twenty-one cars and a van, was coming from the east and, when on the curve, just at the bridge, the discovered four children on the structure. The bridge is one which is not intended for public use and warning notices are placed at each end of it. Seeing at a glance the danger the children were in Chase, the driver, an old, careful, hand, at once reversed his engine and signalled " down brakes." The train was not going very fast, and for a few seconds he hoped to control it. In some way two of the children got away, but the two eldest girls, of about eleven and fourteen years of age, were caught by the train and mangled to death. The greater portion of the cars passed over them and literally tore them to pieces. Chase  brought the train to a stand, waited only long enough to make sure nothing could he done, and uncoupling his engine drove into the station and reported what had taken place. Dr. Grant was at once sent for and returned with the driver to the scene of the catastrophe. His presence could avail nothing. The fragments of the bodies, which were in some cases many feet apart, were placed in a tool chest and brought to the city. An examination of the locomotive showed that there were no marks on the pilot nor any indlcntion that it had touched either of them. The driving wheel and several of the car wheels were marked with blood hair and fragments of skin, showing the dreadful mutilation which the victims had suffered. So far it has been impossible to ascertain their identity, but they are said to be the children of a man named Hogan, who resided on Theodore street.

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