Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1902, February 6 - Laborer Falls off a Canada Atlantic Snow Train at Ottawa East and is killed

Ottawa Citizen 7 February 1902 BOY KILLED ON C.A.R Otto Schroeder Fell From a Snow Car, Was Run Over and Fatally Hurt A slight disregard for orders cost Otto Schroeder. a 19-year-old lad, his life yesterday afternoon. Schroeder was one of a gang engaged clearing snow from tbe C. A.R. tracks at Ottawa East. The snow was being removed on flat cars and Schroeder took up a position on the end of the last car of the train. A slight jolt when the train was being stopped, threw him off his balance. He fell across a rail and the wheels of one truck passed across his abdomen. The unfortunate lad endeavored to pull himself clear of the rail. A fellow workman, Paul Rousseau, seized him by the hands and pulled him aside before further injuries were inflicted. Schroeder was placed on the train and taken to Ottawa East, but before medical aid could be summoned he died. Dr. Baptie, coroner, was notified and the body was removed to Rogers' morgue, Rideau street. Schroeder had worked at his last job only a couple of days. He was engaged under Jas. Logan, section foreman. "I have frequently warned the men not to stand on tbe ends of the cars," said Mr. Logan. "In fact. It's one of my hardest tasks to watch them. Onmore than one occasion men have been dismissed for not obeying this rule." Members of the train crew and Schroeder's fellow workmen bore out the foreman's statement. Engineer W. Weston stated that the train was coming to a standstill on a down grade when the accident happened. The brakes had been applied shortly before. The train was in charge of Conductor Thos. Hyde. Schroeder was until a few months ago engaged by the O. E. R. as switch boy. He recently worked for the Capital Brewing company. He was a twin son of Mr. Charles Schroeder. 127 McKay street. New Edinburgh. Recently deceased resided with his brother Ernest on Robert street. A brother-in- law, Charles Neufkey, was working near-by at thetlime Schroeder met his death. A brother. Paul Schroeder, is in the employ of ihe Canada Atlantic. An inquest was opened last evening at the morgue. It was adjourned to secure further evidence. Ottawa Journal 7 February 1902 FELL IN FRONT OF THE WHEELS LIFE OF OTTAWA EAST LABORER CRUSHED OUT Was Working on a Snow Car in Canada Atlantic Yards. Lost His Balance and Fell Otto Schroeder, a German laborer, 19 years of age, fell in front of a moving snow train in the Canada Atlantic yards yesterday and was killed. Schroeder lived at 50 Robert street, with his brother. He leaves a father, three brothers and two sisters. His mother has been dead for some years. The accident happened in a very simple manner. Schroeder who, with some forty-eight others, was employed loading snow on a train of flat cars and drawing it down the line through Ottawa east, was standing on the end of a flat car with his back to the end of the train. The engine was pushing the train, and when it slowed up, the cars, which usually give a jolt, threw Schroeder off his balance, and he fell over the end of the car. Before the train, which was on a down grade, was stopped, the car wheels had passed over his back breaking his spinal column and causing probably instant death. John Bracken, a fellow laborer of Schroeder's, was standing on the car alongside of Schroeder when he fell. Bracken said last night that he had warned Schroeder several times not to stand so close to the end of the car as it was dangerous. When Schroeder fell, he (Bracken)  grabbed hold of him, but as he had mittens on he could not hold him. "I caught hold of the brake wheel, and this is all that saved me from going too," said Mr. Bracken. James Logan, yard foreman, also stated that he had warned Schroeder to be careful. Schroeder had been in the employ of the company but two days and was comparatively new to standing on flat cars when they were moving. As soon as the accident happened, Dr. A. Jamieson was sent for. He arrived promptly, but was too late to be of any assistance. Schroeder's remains were removed to Roger's morgue on Rideau Street, and an inquest opened last evening by Coroner Baptie. The Jury. The jury empanelled were A. Keith, foreman, B. J. Grace, J. Mahoney, J. A. S. Ellicott, J A. Bower, J. White, J. B. Lyon, D. C. Ferguson, F. J. Compeau, D.G. Lapointe, C. H. Jones, R. M. Murphy, A. Desjardins, and . R. Matheson. The jury simply viewed the remains and adjourned until today. The late Otto Schroeder leaves three brothers, namely, Ernie, of Robert St., and Paul and Frank of McKay street, New Edinburgh. He had also two sisters, Mrs. Noffice, of Ottawa East, and Rose, a young woman of twenty years. His father was Charles Schroeder, of McKay street. Ottawa Citizen 8 February 1902 Schroeder Verdict Death was accidental, but adequate protection was not accorded. The coroner's jury empaneled by Dr. Baptie to enquire into the cause of death of Otto Schroeder, which occurred while working on the C.A.R. on a train at Ottawa East, Thursday afternoon, brought in the following verdict. We, the jurors find that Otto Schroeder came to his death by accidentally falling from a snow train at Ottawa East on the 6th day of February, 1902. Orders appear to be given but not strictly enforced, consequently often disregarded. And in this particular case it is found to be so. We don't consider that there was adequate accommodation for safety provided and that there should be a remedy provided in this respect by the railway company. The circumstances connected with the young man's unfortunate death as brought out by the evidence last evening are briefly as follows: Otto Schroeder was one of a number of men employed by the C.A.R. in loading and unloading snow from a train of flat cars in the railway yard at Ottawa East. Shortly after 2 o'clock on Thursday a train of thirteen cars loaded with snow was being backed down to the dump where it was to be unloaded. Schroeder was standing on the foremost end of the last car of the train, the engine being at the other train-end and pushing it along.  Just as the engineer who was in charge got the signal to stop at the required place young Schroeder fell over the end of the car upon which he was standing and one pair of trucks apparently passed over the body killling him. One person, F. Boecker who was close by the deceased on the car saw him actually fall over. He claims that Schroeder was standing on the moving car with his face towards the engine and that a slight jolt caused by the slowing up of the train caused him to lose his balance and topple over the end of the car. Witness said that he tried to catch the falling man, but was unsuccessful. Apparently Schroeder disregarded instructions given the men each time the train started off with a load, viz., that four men should occupy one car and that they were to sit down on the snow towards the center of the car to prevent just such an accident as happened Thursday. According to nearly all witnesses these orders were issued by Foreman James Logan, who has had 18 years' experience in the yards and was in charge of the men on this occasion. Boecker in his evidence submitted the peculiar statement that on the first trip out that afternoon the dead man had warned him to be careful so that he might not fall off. The trucks at one end of the car had evidently passed over the body as several witnesses testified that they felt the car strike something and rise up. Schroeder was pulled from under the car by Paul Rousseau, of 380 Gladstone avenue, a fellow employe. There was still life in he body though Schroeder could not speak. Other employes testified that the snow was piled on the car about three feet high at the summit and sloping down to the floor of the car at both sides and ends. Mr. Donaldson, superintendent of the C.A.R. systems, said that the floor of one of these cars was about nine feet wide. Engineer Maurice Weston gave evidence to the effect that the train had never moved at a speed greater than six miles per hour during the work and being fitted with the latest interlocking coupling appliances could make scarcely any jolt or jerk when stopping, and that on this time it had been stopped in the usual manner. He denied that the train had been stopped and then started  up again at the time Schroeder is said to have fallen off. J. Leveiller, of lower town, who was a workman on the train, when asked by the coroner if anything unusual had happened on the date in question, replied: "No, only just that a man was killed." The other wirnesses were James Logan, foreman; William Carroll, brakeman; Fred Hyde, conductor; W.M. Cooper, fireman; Chas. Romhild, Harry Nicholson, W.R. Kenney and W. Broker. The C.A.R. was represented by Lawyer Rethune and Mr. Morley Donaldson, superintendent. The jury was out about an hour and a half. It was composed of the following: Alex Keith foreman, F.A. Bowen, F.J. Campeau, A. Desjardins, F.A.L. Ellacott, D.C. Ferguson, B.J. Grace, C.H. Jones, D.O. Lapointe, J.B. Lyon, H. Milburne, Chas. G.R. Matheson, John Mahoney and Jonathon White. Ottawa Journal 8 February 1902 THE SCHROEDER INQUEST The verdict given by the jury last night in the case of Otto Schroeder who was killed by a Canada Atlantic railway train at Ottawa East, on Thursday, was to the effect that he came to his death by accidentally falling from a snow train and that the railway should provide better accommodation for safety.

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Updated 9 April 2018