Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1912, November 28 - Grand Trunk engineer killed in the yard at Brockville.

Morrisburg Leader 5 December 1912 A Fatal Pitch In Wilson W. Bromley, of Brookville, a Popular and Trusted Engineer, Killed in the Yard Here Early Friday Morning. At 12.15 on Friday morning last during an immense fog, a fatal accident occurred at the depot here. Wilson W. Bramley, a most popular engineer of the Grand Trunk Railway and a life-long resident of Brockville, was the victim. He was in charge of engine No. 1247 attached to a freight train, and was on his way west. When taking the sidting here to permit another train to pass, the air brake went into emergency and the train was stopped with a portion of it extending on the main line. So soon as the brakes were applied the pin holding the knuckle of the engine and the drawbar of the first car was severed. Engineer Bramley and conductor C. Laviolette were endeavoring to repair the break, when the other train bumped the the caboose and Bramley was caught in the region of the abdomen and terribly cut and squeezed, while Laviolette had his elbow injured. Bramley must have died almost instantly. He was picked up and taken to the waiting room. Dr. Casselman, coroner, summoned a jury on Friday, and after viewing the body, the inquest was adjourned until 1 30 today. The hearing has been going on all afternoon, and was further adjourned until next Friday, December 13th. The remains of the dead man was taken to Marsh's undertaking rooms and prepared for burial, going up on the Moccasin on Friday night. Mr. Driver, of the law firm of Hutchison and Driver, of Brookville was present at the inquest in the interest of Mr. Bramley's relatives. Morrisburg Leader 12 December 1912 The Bramley Inquest The Jury Find that W. W. Bramley's Death was Caused by the Negligence of the Company and its Employees. The inquest over the death of the late W. W. Bramley, the G. T. R. engineer who was killed in the yard here on Nov. 28, was resumed in the town hall on Friday last. W. A. Lewis of Brockville, represented the company, while R. J. Driver appeared for the family of the deceased. The following is the verdict rendered: - "By reason of a defective pin in the draw part [sic] of a knuckle head which couples the tender to the immediate following freight car caused the emergency brakes to set, while a number of rear freight cars and caboose remained on the West bound main line. "And your jurors aforesaid, on their oaths aforesaid, do further say that while engineer W. W. Bramley was rightfully and lawfully endeavoring to remove the said pin from the said drawbar, and while he had hold of the knuckle head, standing behind it, the aforesaid mentioned engine No. 766, train no. 91, passing along said track ran into and struck the caboose and rear freight cars of said last mentioned engine no. 1247, forcing them suddenly forward and causing the knuckle head of the foremost freight car to crush the said W. W. Bramley, between such knuckle head and the knuckle head against which the said W. W. Bramley had hold of, causing almost instant death. "The sudden violent collision and contact between the aforesaid foremost freight car and the tender of engine no. 1247, caused such mortal wounds, contusions and concussions to the said W. W. Bramley as to cause his death. And your jurors, aforesaid, on their oath, do further say that the contact and collision aforesaid resulting in the death of W. W. Bramley was caused by a reason that the flagman of train 1247 C. Lester, was guilty of negligence in not going back (in accordance with the rules of the Railway Company) a sufficient distance with signals, which would have prevented the collision; and by reason of the further negligence of the night operator at Wales, Ontario, Mr. D. A. White, by violating the rules in allowing train no. 91 to proceed past Wales without a proper clearance from Morrisburg, and by the further negligence of the Railway Company in not maintaining the east semaphore in its former position and properly operating it; your jurors being of the opinion that if the semaphore had been in its former position and turned against train No. 91 the collision would not have occurred; and furthermore if either the flagman of train No. 1247 or the operator at Wales had done his duty the collision would not have occurred." Bramley's engine was no. 1247, his brakeman was C. Lester, referred to in the verdict. Engineer Antonio Jacques of Montreal was in charge of engine no. 766, train 91, which run into Bramley's caboose.

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Updated 29 July 2021