Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area
1904, February 2 - A passenger train from Prescott collided with a light engine while crossing the engine round house yard at Ottawa West.
Ottawa Journal 2 February 1904 Prescott Train in Collision Fireman Ellis but no Passenger Hurt Incoming train runs into coal engine near roundhouse The Prescott train this morning when running into Ottawa had a narrow escape from becoming a total wreck. The train was a heavy mixed one and was about twenty minutes late when it was up to the Y between the coal chute and the roundhouse on the Richmond Road. At this time the train was only going from 10 to 12 miles hour and was about crossing the line from the coal chute to the roundhouse when Eng. Geo. Hawley driving engine 271 on the Prescott train, saw an engine ahead of him. He shut off steam and jumped at once, also calling to his fireman, William Ellis of Prescott. Before the collision took place, the engine, no. 434, in charge of Engineer Geo. Low, had crossed the track but the Prescott engine ran into the tender and carried it twenty yards before throwing it off the track. The engine proper was clear and was not even derailed. Just when the Prescott engine got the coal tender off the track it left on the reverse side completely leaving the track and plowing into a snow bank. Engineer Low of the coal train did not leave his engine and was not hurt. Not one of the passengers of the Prescott train even got a shock, as they were in the rear end of the train and only a baggage car in front left the rails. Engine No. 271 was made almost a total wreck, and Fireman William Ellis had a very lucky escape, being thrown from his cab. He fortunately escaped with a very severe shaking up. The engineer of the road engine is said to have been to blame for the accident, but owing to the intense cold the engine threw so much steam little could be seen on the track. |
Updated January 2014