Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1888, November 3 - Freight train divides, ten cars derailed,  C.P.R. Chalk River sub., one fatality

Almonte Gazette 9 November 1888 KILLED ON THE C.P.R. Nelson Tetlock, of Carlton Place, the victim of a terrible accident. This week's Herald gives the particulars of an accident that occurred on the C.P.R. near Chalk River last Saturday evening, whereby Albert Nelson Tetlock, of Carlton Place, a Brakeman on the road met his death. A heavy freight train coming east, in charge of conductor Stevenson, left Chalk River about 7:30, and when about a mile out the train became divided by the breaking of a coupling pin, part of it going on with the locomotive, and the other cars following at a good speed, as the incline had been overcome when the coupling broke and the train was now on a downgrade. The accident was soon discovered, and those in the rear cars were engaged in putting on the brakes when the engine reversed with the forward cars to make the coupling again. Tetlock was at his post on the top of a boxcar, on the first section, waiting for the others to close up as it were, and, it being dark, did not notice that between him and the boxcars in the distance were a number of flats, when suddenly the crash came, poor Tetlock was thrown into the air, and his lifeless body was afterwards found between two of the flats, his head crushed and neck broken. ten cars were derailed and smashed to pieces - flats flats, two box and three cattle cars. Six head of cattle were killed out right and two more had to be butchered to put them out of agony. The remainder of the cattle, which were from the ranches in the North-West, were freed from the wreck and allowed their freedom for a time. When the sad news reached Carlton Place a wrecking train was immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident, and several friends of the deceased young man went with it. The body was dressed and coffined and brought home on Sunday evening. Nelson Tetlock was the eldest son of Mr Henry Tetlock of C. Place, was only 21 years of age, and was married on the 16th of November last, hardly a year ago. His untimely end is a very severe shock to his young wife and bereaved parents. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters (having been initiated only last Tuesday night) and the O.Y B's., and these societies have done what they could to ease the sorrow of the afflicted family. The funeral took place on Tuesday, and was a very large one. The young widow of deceased will get $1,000 indemnity from the Foresters.

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Updated 9 November 2022