Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area



 1897, October 27 - Rear of train collides with front portion at Iroquois, some twenty cars derailed. One injury



Kingston Whig Standard 27 October 1897

FREIGHT CARS COLLIDED.
A Broken Half of a Train Smashed Into the Standing Part

Iroquois, Ont., Oct. 27. A big smash-up occurred at this station, which is on the Grand Trunk main line, this morning. A heavy east-bound freight train broke in two a short distance west of here. The engine and part of tha train attached sped into the station and began taking on water, intending to run back afterwards and bring in the remainder of the train. To the surprise of all, the rear half suddenly appeared coming towards the station at high speed. Before the forward part could get out of the way it crashed into it. The collision was terrific, and twenty grain-laden cars were badly wrecked. Their contents were scattered in all directions. It seems as if every third car was telescoped into the one in front, but there were few derailed. The rear brakeman says he did not know that the train had broken in two, a thick fog making it impossible to see two car lengths ahead. He had a narrow escape from death. A large wrecking crew have arrived end will have the line clear this afternoon.
(Also verbatim in the Kingston Daily News same date)


Ottawa Citizen 28 October 1897


The Train Parted
Tail End of a Freight Dashed Into the Front Portion
Iroquois Ont. Oct. 27 At seven-thirty this morning, a freight train, composed of about thirty cars, broke in two near the middle, some two miles west of this station. The front part of the train ran into the station and stopped for water. The rear part came more slowly, but there was a considerable downgrade. With a gathering momentum it crashed against the stationary cars, smashing about twenty of them. Most of the cars kept their places on the track, but at two or three points they were telescoped. They were principally loaded with grain, which is scattered along the track for about forty rods to the depth of several inches.
The brakeman on the rear of the train, not knowing the cars had parted, and the fog being very dense at the time,stepped off, falling in front of the train, and had a miraculous escape from being run over. He is severely, but, it is thought, not fatally injured. Assistance was soon procured from Brockville, and a large gang of men with a wrecking train are clearing the debris.

Ottawa Journal 28 October 1897

Twenty grain laden cars of a G.T.R freight train were wrecked in an accident at Iroquois, Ont., yesterday

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Updated 22 October 2023