Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

 1891, December 10 - An Ottawa Electric Railway streetcar colides with an Ottawa City Passenger horse car

Ottawa Journal 10 December 1891 STREET CAR COLLISION AN ELECTRIC CARSMASHES INTO A HORSE CAR. Nye and Another Lady Passenger in the Horse Car Severely Shaken - The Damage to the Cars. A collision occurred about 12:30 this afternoon at the intersection of Sparks and Metcalfe st, when electric street car 16 struck horse car No.10. THE COLLISION The electric car was passing from Albert towards Wellington st., and the horse car traversing Sparks st. going west. The driver of the latter thought, as he afterwards stated, that the motorman had stopped the electric car. Such, however, was not the case. The electric car came on striking the other full in the center of the side with a terrible crash, the lighter vehicle having its side shell stove in and being lifted half off the metals, whilst the vestibule of the electric car was demoralized. BADLY SHAKEN UP Fortunately there were only two ladies in the horse car, but both were severely shaken, one, Mrs Nye, wife of Mr. Nye of the Russell House cigar store, receiving a serious shock to her nervous system. They were speedily released and Mrs Nye conveyed to her home, on Sparks street. The passengers in the electric car received very little shaking. The cars were returned to their respective shops for badly needed repairs. WHAT MR. SOPER SAYS Mr. Soper of the Electric Co. said the accident was being investigated by superintendent Hutcheson. [sic] The instructions to the motorman with reference to crossings were very strict. The damage was light and would not exceed $20 or $25. The fact that the damage was so slight showed that the cars could not have been going very fast. The motorman's name was Lafleur. Later inquiries made at the residence is of Mrs. Nye elicitated the information, that although badly shaken and having a lump on the back of her head she is not otherwise injured. Ottawa Free Press 10 December 1891 At a few minutes to one o'clock today a collision occurred at the corner of Sparks and Metcalfe between an electric and a horse car. Both were so badly smashed that they had to be immediately taken to the car shops for repairs.  The horse car, with one lady passenger, was going west along Sparks street, when it stopped at the crossing between Gravis' and Shillington's corners.  Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the horse car, electric car No. 16 came along.  It was moving slowly and had reached the nearest crossing on Metcalfe street before the driver of the horse car moved.  The latter, seeing the danger, whipped up his horses, but was then too late, and both cars came together with a crash.  The horse car was lifted clear off the rails, the axle of the hind wheels being bent, and the wood work on both cars smashed to pieces.  The passengers were greatly frightened, but fortunately nobody was injured. December 12  - Mrs. Alphonse Daford of 281 Sussex street, who was sitting in the horse car on Sparks street when the collision between it and the electric car occurred on Thursday, is under medical treatment.  She is suffering from injuries to the head, lung and knee, and this morning was expectorating blood. Ottawa Citizen 11 Deceber 1891 Shortly before one o'clock yesterday a collision took place between an electric and a horse car at the corner of Sparks and Metcalfe streets. The horse car was going west and the electric car moving up Metcalfe street. Both cars were considerably damaged, the horse car being lifted off the rails and nearly overturned. Two ladies were in ithe horse car at the time, and although they received a severe shaking up, were not seriously hurt. Mrs. Nye, wife of L. N Nye, tobacconist, was one.

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Updated 29 March 2023