Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area 

1925, November 1 - Six injured and one fatality in crossing collision at Maxville, CNR., Alexandria sub.

Ottawa Citizen  2 November 1925 SEVEN PERSONS HURT WHEN AUTO IS HIT BY TRAIN Stanley and Wellington Allen, of Cassburn, and Their Families Victims of Level Crossing Smash At Maxville Sunday Morning. Contrary to expectations of Sunday evening, four people hurt in a collision between motor car and the C.N.R. Montreal-Ottawa train Sunday morning, are now rallying and doctors are confident of their ultimate recovery. Three others who were not so seriously injured, are making good progress. The seven were injured at a level crossing close to Maxville, Ont. when the car in which they were all riding was struck by the train, thrown some distance from the track and set on fire by escaping gasoline. Those injured, all residents of Cassburn. Ont.are as followg: BADLY INJURED. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Allen, husband and wife, both suffering from grave internal injuries. Mrs. Wellington Allen, sister-in law of Mr. Stanley Allen, internal injuries and seriously burned. Louise Allen, three months old daughter, of Mr. and Mrs. Welling ton Allen, shock. SERIOUSLY INJURED. Mr. Wellington Allen, broken left leg,  dislocated right shoulder and other slighter injuries. SLIGHTLY INJURED. Harold and Deane Allen, seven year-old sons respectively of Mr. Stanley Allen and Mr. Wellington Allen. Auto Takes Fire. The accident occurred on Sunday morning, when the C.N.R. train from Montreal, due to arrive in Ottawa at 11.55 o'clock. crashed into an automobile carrying seven passengers, all residents of the village of Cassburn Ont., at the crossing just east of Maxville station. The automobile, a Ford sedan which was thrown some distance from the railway track by the force of the collision, caught fire, and some of its occupants were badly burned. before they were extricated from the wrecked car by persons who witnessed the accident, and rushed to their assistance. In the meantime the train had pulled up a short distance from the scene of the accident, and aided by the train crew the injured, who were in a desperate plight, were taken on board and given first aid by Dr. W. D. McDiarmid, of Maxville, and then rushed in to Ottawa where they arrived at noon. Fleet of Ambulances. Conductor Edward Eaman, in charge of the train, telegraphed to Ottawa, and when the train arrived the motor ambulances of Hulse Brothers, George Burney & Son George H. Rogers, McEvoy Bros, and A. E. Veitch. were on hand, with nurses and doctors, and the injured were rushed to the Civic Hospital. There they were received by Dr. Jones, staff doctor at the hospital, and were attended to by Dr. F. V McKinnon. Not one of the passengers in the ill-fated motor car were able to give any explanation as to how the accident occurred, as when they were picked up Mrs. Stanley AIIen and Mrs. Wellington Allen were in an unconscious condition, and their husbands were too badly injured to be questioned. Upon examination at the hospital. Dr. McKinnon discovered that both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Allen, who were the worst hurt, were suffering from internal injuries in addition to severe lacerations to their heads and bodies, while Mrs. Allen had sustained severe burns, when the automobile caught fire; Mrs. Wellington Allen, had both of her legs badly burned and was suffering from shock, while her husband. Mr. Wellington Allen had his left leg broken, and his right shoulder dislocated: :their three-months-old baby daughter, Louiee, which was thrown clear. of the car when the crash came, is not expected to live. The other two passengers in the car, Masters Deane Allen, seven-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wellington Allen, and Harold, the same age, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Allen, while badly shaken up and suffering from bruises and cuts, are expected to recover, unless complications set in. Says Bell Ringing. The train was in charge of conductor E. Eamon, and the engineer was Mr. R. Dickenson, both of Montreal. The latter in his report of the accident stated that the crossing bell was ringing, and that he did not see the automobile until it was on the tracks almost in front of the engine, when he applied the emergency and brought the train to a standstill, a few hundred feet distant. Ottawa Journal 2 Noveber 1925 SEVEN PERSONS ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN TRAIN CRASHED INTO AUtO AT LEVEL CROSSING Members of Party Are Trapped In Car Which Caught Fire - Injured Brought To Civic Hotpital - Rescue Work Difficult With Auto a Mass of Flames Their automobile crushed when struck by a C.N.R. train at a level crossing in the viillage of Maxville, Ont., 44 miles from Ottawa on the Ottawa-Montreal line, seven people lie in Civic Hospital here sufferng from serious injuries. The Injured Detail omitted Broke Out in Flames. At the moment of impact the automobile broke out in flames, and, imprisoned in a flaming cage, the occupants of the car were dragged down the track for perhaps 150 feet before the automobile broke loose and fell beside the track. Before it broke loose, Mrs. Stanley Allen with her baby in her arms fell out of the blazing sedan on to the right of way. When the train came to a stop the automobile settled against the second class coach of the train, the flames mounting steadily higher. Two bystanders, Messrs. John McKilligan and James MacDonald, and Constable Ripert of the Provincial Police, who was perhaps first off the train, ran to free the imprisoned occupants of the blazing machine, and after great difficulty and much personal risk succeeded in dragging them to safety. Mr. Stanley Allen's clothes were blazing, and it was found that in attempting to beat out to the fire in his hair on the way down the track his hands had been badly burned.  All Removed to Hospital. All the injured are at the Civic Hospital under the care of Dr. F. W. McKinnon, and all are being X-rayed to determine the exact extent of their injuries. While all, with the exception of Dean Allen, are in a very serious condition, the baby, Louise, is perhaps the worst, and recovery is a matter of doubtful speculation. Every member of the party is suffering badly from shock, especially Mr. Stanley Allen who was driving the automobile at the time the accident occurred. The accident occurred at about 10.40 a.m. yesterday, at a crossing on the Main Street of the town about 100 yards east of the C.N.R. station. The entire party were motoring in a Ford sedan from L'Orginal to visit Mr. and Mrs. MacDougall, of Maxville. The automobile was travelling south on the Main Street of the town, Mr. Stanley Allen, the owner, driving. Beside him was Mr. Wellington Allen, and in the rear the two ladies and the children. Approaching the C.N.R. railway crossing, Mr. Allen swung in behind another automobile going the same direction, which crossed the tracks without any indication of hurry. Both machines were going at a slow rate of speed. Jammed on the Brakes. While none of the party is able to make a statement concerning the accident. It is understood that as the first automobile crossed the tracks and Mr. Allen was about to do so, a bystander waved frantically for him to stop. Mr. Allen jammed on the brakes but in spite of the slow speed at which he was going, was not able to stop clear of the tracks. The train, which was slowing for the station about 100 yards farther on, struck the front of the automobile, and dragged it down the track. Four Physicians On Train. Dr. W.B. MacDermott and Dr. D. McEwen, of Maxfield, and Dr. E.T. Smith, of Ottawa and Dr. Michael James, of Mattawa, Ont., passengers on the train, were on the scene in a moment, and supervised the removal of the injured to the baggage car of the train. Fortunately a diner and a Pullman were attached to the train, and the patients were soon receiving treatment almost as efficiently as a hospital could provide. In the meantime, the train had moved on to the station, as it was found that the burning automobile had set fire to the second class coach. This was easily extinguished and then the run to Ottawa was commenced. En route Dr. Smith and Dr. James tore up sheets for bandages, and quantities of hot water were provided from the diner. Fortunately also it was found that there were large quantities of olive oil in the diner, with which it was possible to ease the agonies of Mr. Stanley Allen, whose entire body seemed to be covered with large burns. Normally the train is due at Ottawa at 11.52. It arrived at 12.15 and waiting ambulances from Hulse Brothers, McAvoy Brothers, Geo. B. Burney and Sons,  A. E. Veitch, and Geo. H. Rogers and Co., Ltd. On arrival it was also necessary to use a taxi, and shortly the entire seven were receiving treatment at the Civic Hospital under the supervision of Dr. McKinnon. Car Completely Destroyed. At Maxville it was stated yesterday that the automobile was entirely demolished by the flames. According to a statement issued by the C.N.R. at Ottawa yesterday afternoon, the train was No. 47, running on the main line of the C.N.R. From Montreal to Ottawa, in charge of Conductor Eaman and Engineer Dickenson both of Montreal. No statement is obtainable from the train crew in Ottawa as the accident occurred in the Montreal Division and a report will have to be made there. C.N.R. officials here stated that the crossing in question is protected by an electric bell which was ringing the time the accident occurred, and that's the train stoped within two or three car lengths after the impact. The speed of the train was 15 miles per hour. It was learned in Maxville that while there is a fairly clear view of trains from both sides of the crossing, that is not sufficient to enable a motor to stop clear unless the driver has had previous warning from the electric bell. In the case of Mr. Allen, the motor preceding him is thought to have distracted his attention from possible approaching a railway traffic. The crossing is well within the town with buildings closely adjacent. Ottawa Citizen 3 November 1925 Baby Louise Allen Dies From Injuries Infant Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Allen, Cassburn, Ont. Parents in Hospital. One death has resulted from the automobile accident at Maxwell [sic], on Sunday morning, when a Ford sedan in which seven people were riding, was struck by the C.N.R. train from Montreal and all were more or less injured. Baby Louise Allen, three months old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wellington Allen, of Cassburn, Ont.. died at the Civic Hospital this morning as the result of injuries she received. It was thought at first that she might survive, but during the night she sank rapidly death coming at 3 a.m. - - - Morrisburg Leader 6 November 1925 Used Ottawa Journal story of 2 November 1925 Ottawa Journal  16 February 1926 LACK OF PRECAUTION CAUSE OF FATALITY  Accidental Death Is Verdict At Allen Inquest The inquest opened into the death of Louise Audrey Allen, three-months-old daughter ot Mr. and. Mrs. Stanley Allen, of L'Orignal, Ont., who died from injuries received on November 1, when the auto in which she and six others were riding crashed into a C.N.R. train at Maxwell's crossing, was finally closed last night after three previous adjournments. Coroner T. J. Scobie presided ever the inquest. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, but attributed the cause of the fatal accident to the lack of precaution taken by the child's father, who drove the car. Crown Attorney J. A. Ritchie, who examined the witnesses, in addressing the jury, claimed that the driver of the car did not excercise sufficient care when approaching the crossing. The testimony included that of four eye-witnesses of the accident who said that they had heard the whistle of the train blow for the crossing. Mr. John McKilliean, of Maxwell, stated that he was about 12 feet from the crossing when the accident occurred. He had seen the car approaching and had heard the train's whistle. Seeing that the driver of the auto was making no effort to stop he had attempted to signal him to stop, but was too late. Baby Louise was one of seven injured in the smash. and the only one to succumb to injuries. When the car was struck by the train Mrs. Allen, clutching her baby in her arms was thrown from the car. The baby fell underneath her and her skull was fractured. The other occupants of the car were carried in the machine, which caught fire instantly, for about 150 feet along the track. They were: Stanley Allen, the father; Mr. and Mrs. Wellington Allen and their son, Dean, all of L'Orignal, Ont. and Harold Allen, son ot Mr. and Mrs, Stanley Allen. Mr. Herbert Tracy, Hugh Fraser and Alex Duperron all of Maxwell, Ont., were other eye-witnesses of the affair who gave testimony.

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