Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

Locomotive Engineer Joseph St. Denis Squeezed to Death.

Another very sad accident occurred this morning on the Canadian Pacific Railway, by which, Engineer Joseph St. Denis, of this town, lost his life.  Mr. St. Denis left Carleton Place this morning, about 7:45, after spending the night at home, taking a freight train to Smiths Falls.

Whilst crossing the switch in the yard at the later station, the engine left the rails and was like to upset after bumping on the ties for a distance, so the Driver Jumped to one side and the Fireman, Wm. Whyte, to the other. The engine was running toward the Driver's side, so, St. Denis was caught by the wheels and had the breath virtually crushed out of him.  He died instantly.  His face and limbs bore no sign of injury.  Whyte sprained an ankle in his fall.  The accident occurred shortly before nine o'clock. 

Mr. St. Denis was one of the best known Drivers on the division.  A steady industrious man highly esteemed by his comrades and friends, and his tragic death is deeply deplored.  He was married, his wife being a daughter of our townsman, Mr. Joe Girouard, and a family of three small children, one boy and two girls, with the widow, are left to mourn the loss of a fond parent and a devoted husband.  The eldest child is nine years, the youngest three.

A deputation of drivers went out on the noon train, and will likely bring the remains back on the evening train.  The sympathy of the whole town flows toward the bereaved.

Was that of driver St. Denis, last Friday morning. One hundred railway employees - as fine a body of men as you would wish to look at - headed the procession, whilst as many more walked behind the hearse, and there was a large number of carriages.

The Engineers, Firemen, Conductors and Trainmen were all represented.  There were delegates from Ottawa, Smiths Falls, Montreal, Farnham and North Bay.  Ottawa sent some forty men and ten women, the latter representing the Women's Auxiliary of the B. of L. E.  The floral tributes were numerous and included a wreath from Capital Lodge, B. of L. E.; a cross from the Engineers of Carleton Place; a wreath from the Firemen of Carleton Place; a broken wheel from B. of R.T. 527; a heart from the G.I.A. to B. of L. E. 213 and a wreath from Mississippi Lodge, A.O.U.W.

Among the mourners from a distance were the sisters of deceased with their husbands from Montreal; a sister-in-law and four children from Point St. Charles; and Mrs. Conley, another sister-in-law from North Bay.

With thanks to Kelly St. Denis for the newspaper reports.