Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area
1894, September 24 - Derailment of a Stock Train at Britannia, Canadian Pacific Railway.
 LAC PA 106186  LAC PA 27291 Both photos William Morell Harmer collection  Ottawa Journal 24 September 1894: One cow killed a score - see drawing also. TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF CATTLE AT BRITANNIA Wreck of CPR Night Freight by a cow on the rails TOUCHING SCENES VIEWED BY DAYLIGHT Animals Mercifully put out of Their Misery by City Butchers - Story of the Accident - Terrible Crash of Cars There was a wholesale butchery of cattle on the C.P.R. track at Britannia at an early hour this morning through the derailing of a stock train from the Northwest. The train was composed of about twenty-five cars which were filled with more than three hundred head of cattle bound for the English stock market. As the train was passing through Britannia at twelve minutes past three this morning the engineer noted a cow lying on the crossing only a few yards west of the station. He whistled several times but the animal refused to move, and as the train was travelling at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, it could not be controlled in time to avert striking the animal. STRUCK THE ANIMAL When the engine struck the cow, instead of being knocked off the track, the animal got under the cow catcher. It was dragged along under the engine for about one hundred yards rolled up in a ball. Then the cow got before the trucks of the first car of the train and soon the front trucks of this car were wrenched off, and the car and seventeen others that followed filled with their living freight were thrown into the ditch. AN APPALLING SCENE The scene which followed is described by an eye witness as appalling. The groans of the dying cattle could be heard fully a mile away. So pitiful were their moans that they caused one to shudder. Many of the cattle were killed outright, their bodies being horribly mutilated. Others were pinned beneath the timbers of the wrecked train in dreadful suffering. The train hands and those in charge of the cattle had nothing else to do than to cut the throats of these animals. Other cattle that were injured beyond hope of recovery were killed on the spot that their flesh might be bought by the city butchers and thus the owner of them recover something that he would not have done had they been left to die. WRECKING TRAINS ARRIVE No sooner had the accident occurred than telegrams were despatched to the city giving information on the wreck. The city butchers were also informed at an early hour that there was beef galoreonly a few miles distant from the city that they might buy at whatever they choose to offer A message was also sent to Carleton Place asking tht the wrecking train be sent to the scene of the accident Within three quarters of an hour after the accident occurred the wrecking train from Carleton Place had arrived and with the same promptness a few minutes later the wrecking train from the city with Assistant Superintendent Spencer on board also made an appearance The work of clearing the track was immediately begun, with a staff of over fifty men. Under the direction of Mr. Spencer and after many hours hard work the track was cleared shortly after one o'clock this afternoon. 255 HEAD OF CATTLE The stock train consisted of 255 head of cattle belonging to Mr. Gordon Ironside, the proprietor of one of the largest cattle ranches at Calgary, and three other car loads of forty-three cattle belonging to Mr. J. McMullen of Prince Albert, N. W. T. The men in charge of Mr. Ironside's cattle state that they had it traveled two thousand miles without the slightest mishap. This was the eigth train of cattle shipped from their ranche [sic] this year and not an accident had happened. There remained two thousand more cattle to come over the C.P.R. this year. The cattle belonging to Mr. McMullen were in the rear of the train and not one of the cars containing them was derailed. Of the Ironside shipment twenty two cattle were killed, four butchered and three disabled but these will be taken on with those uninjured. It is very remarkable that the loss of cattle was not greater than it is. The cattle were in splendid condition and were expected to realize a hundred dollars a piece when they reached the English markets. TRAIN SERVICE STOPPED In consequences of the accident, No 8 ""Soo" train due here at 4 in the morning and No. 20 train from Toronto were sent around by Smith's Falls and Kempsville Junction entering the city by the Prescott line. This forenoon's train for Toronto went round by way of Kemptville. P The Britannia Suburban service was not affected in the least. The train conveyed the passengers from the east end of the wreck, which is only a hundred yards from Britannia station, into the city. AT THE SCENE A JOURNAL reporter visited the scene of the wreck this morning. Many of the cars were badly smashed and lying in all positions along the side of the track. The line of wrecked cars stretches a distance of more than 200 yards along the track. The cars were bespatted with blood. Underneath them lay the cattle pinned to the earth by the broken timbers and by the side of the cars in the center of the wreck which seem to be more broken up than the rest lay dead cattle in groups of three, four and five in pools of blood. The uninjured were re-loaded into other cars and taken into the city and about two o'clock this afternoon we started on their way to Montreal by a special train. The conductor of the wrecked train was J. Carrell and the driver of the engine o 282 was J. Towsley The engine was partly derailed but by the use of jacks was put on the track and sent into the city shortly after the accident happened. The cow which caused the derailing of the train was owned by Mr. W. W. Wyld of this city and was a valuable Jersey breed. The flesh of the cow was scattered for several hundred yards along the track. Also covered in Ottawa Free Press same date. Ottawa Citizen 25 September, 1894 CATTLE CARS DERAILED. A Whole C. P. R. Train Thrown off the Track at Britannia At a quarter to four o'clock yesterday morning Mr. H.B. Spencer, Assistant Supt. of the Eastern Division of the C.PR. might have been seen eagerly pacing the sidewalk in front of the Russell, and heard muttering maledictions on the head of a tardy cab man. The cause of his early appearance and his great haste to be off [sic] to the station was the news that had just reached him of the wreck of a cattle train near Britannia. And it was not long until the Assistant Superintendent was on the spot directing the movements of the relief crews. The scene was one of great confusion; the sounds emitted from the living wreckage something appalling. Eighteen cars had been thrown off the tracks and piled up in the ditch. It was some time before the cattle were released. Twenty-two head were killed by the overturning of the cars; four were wounded past recovery and were slaughtered by city butchers, and three or four injured, but not so seriously as to necessitate their slaughter. In the past two months or more these stock trains from the Northwest have been passing through Ottawa at the rate of 18 to 25 trains a month instead of going to Montreal via Smith's Falls as formerly, and this is the first casualty of any sort that has occurred, The one wrecked at Britannia yesterday morning contained 268 head, 255 of which were from the Ironside ranch. near Calgary N.W.T. They were destined for the English market. Three cars containing 43 head of cattle from Prince Albert were left safely on the track The accident was caused by the train striking a cow which was lying on the track at Britannia, and which refused to budge when the whistle was sounded. The carcase of the animal, after being run over by the engine, struck the forward truck of the first car, throwing it off the track. Seventeen others were derailed and thrown into the ditch. All the morning trains arrived in the city by way of Smith's Falls and Kemptville Junction on the Ottawa and Prescott line. The cow that caused the mischief was a valuable Jersey, said to belong to Mr. W. Wyld, of Ottawa. Montreal Gazette 25 September 1894 A Stock Train Wrecked. A cow on the track ot the C.P.R. at Britannia, five miles from Ottawa, caused the wreck of a cattle train this morning [sic] at 3 o'clock. The stock train consisted of 255 head of cattle belonging to Gordon & Ironside, the proprietors of one of the largest cattle ranches at Calgary, and three other carloads of 43 cattle belonging to Mr. J. McMullen, of Prince Albert, N.W.T. The men in charge of the Ironsides cattle state that they had travelled 2,000 miles without the slightest mishap. This was the eighth train ot cattle shipped from their ranches this year and not an accident had happened. There remained 2,000 more cattle to come over the C. P. R. this year. The cattle belonging to Mr. Mc Mullen were in the rear of the train and not one of the cars containing them were derailed. Of the Ironside shipment twenty-two cattle were killed, four butchered and three disabled, but these will be taken on with those uninjured. It is very remarkable that the loss of cattle was not greater than it is. The cattle were in splendid condition, and were expected to realize one hundred dollars a piece when they reached the English markets. The wreck caused detention of two hours to the Toronto train, which was brought in over the St. Lawrence and Ottawa track. Fifty men were at work immediately under Mr. H. B. Spencer, and by one o'clock the track was cleared. Ottawa Journal 28 September 1894 The debris of the recent railway wreck at Britannia has been gathered together and burned. The damaged cars are being made ready for loading on other cars that they may be taken to the workshops for repair. Almonte Gazette 28 September 1894 Accident on the CPR. Near Ottawa on Monday - many cattle bound for the English Market killed and others maimed - Seventeen cars thrown into the ditch. Ottawa, 24. - a cow on the track created a tremendous smash up on the C.P.R. at Britannia six miles west of Ottawa, at an early hour this morning. A special stock train from the northwest, composed of about 25 cars and filled with over 300 head of cattle, bound for the English markets, reached Britannia shortly after 3:00. The engineer noticed a cow lying on the crossing near the station and whistled several times for the animal to move, but without avail. As the train was traveling at the rate of 15 miles an hour, it could not be controlled in time to avert striking the animal. When the engine struck the cow instead of the animal being knocked off the track, it got under the cow catcher and was dragged along under the engine for about a hundred yards. Then the cow got before the trucks of the first car of the train and soon they were derailed, and the car and seventeen others that followed, filled with the living freight, were thrown into the ditch. The scene which followed is described by an eyewitness as appalling. The Groans of the Dying Cattle could be heard fully a mile away. So pitiful where theirgroans that they caused one to shutter. Many of the cattle were killed outright, their bodies being horribly mutilated. Others were pinned beneath the timbers of the wrecked train in dreadful suffering. The train hands and those in charge of the cattle had nothing else to do then cut the throats of these animals. Other cattle that were injured beyond hope of recovery were killed on the spot and their meat might be bought by the city butchers, and thus the owner of them recovered something which he would not have done had they been left to die. Almonte Gazette 5 October 1894 Last scene of the Britannia wreck. The final scene of the C.P.R. Britannia station accident was enacted on Saturday (29 September), when the last animal which broke away at the time of the slaughter was shot. From the day of the accident the men in charge of the cattle on the derailed train had been chasing the wild steers that broke away during the confusion following the killing of a number of the cattle and had great difficulty in collecting them together. Some of them were so wild and dangerous that people found it necessary to give them a wide berth, and finally there was one that had to be brought to be with a rifle. |
Updated 27 June 1894