Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area
1926, June 17 - Near hit with a milk wagon in Hull, no injuries
Ottawa Citizen 17 June 1926 TEAM BALKED AT CROSSING GATINEAU RY. Engineer Throws on Emergency Brakes and Stops train within Few Feet of Stalled Dairy Wagon. PASSENGERS ARE GIVEN THRILL THIS MORNING Prompt Action of Mr. George Holly Highly Praised by Those on Train. Passengers on the Gatincau train coming in to their homes or work this morning were given a thrill when, shortly after the train had left Beemer station, in Hull, after an uneventful trip and with a big load of passengers aboard, the emergency brakes went on with such suddenness as to almost throw passengers from their seats. The train, under the urge of the clamping on of the brakes, came to a standstill within a few feet of a crossing, upon which passengers rushing to the doors and windows of the train to find out what had happened, discovered white-faced driver of a Producer's Dairy wagon fighting a team of refractory horses, with their noses a few feet from the engine tender. Passengers declare that the prompt action of the engineer of the train, Mr. George Holly, 346 Cambridge street, prevented an accident in which Edgar Blais, milk driver, 27 St. Henri street, Hull, might have lost his life, or at least suffered serious injury, together witb the horses and rig. St. Henri St. Crossing. The place where the near-accident took place is the St. Henri street crossing, where a serious accident occurred some years ago, resulting in the death of two boys and the maiming of a third, when two C.P.R. engines travelling light struck a Ford truck loaded with youngsters. The Gatineau suburban train, in charge of Conductor Houlihan, Ot tawa, en route from Alcove to the city,. where it was due at 8.30, was approaching the crossing, after the engineer having "sounded" for the approach and was within about forty feet of it, travelling fortunately at about only twelve miles an hour, when Engineer Holly, leaning out of the cab, saw a Producer's Dairy wagon, drawn by a team of horses. just getting on to the tracks. Sounding a warning screech from the locomotive whistle, the engineer called to his fireman, clamped on the emergency brakes and brought the heavy train to a grinding stop, just in time to avoid hitting the team. Horses Stopped on Tracks. When Mr. Blais saw the train he attempted to back up, but the horses became refractory, possibly due to the whistle of the train, and swung around on the tracks with the wagon and a collision seemed imminent. When the engine came to a atop the driver succeeded in getting clear. after which the train proceeded on to the Union station, the passengers loud in their praise of the smart work on the part of Engineer Holly, who had averted what might have been a very serious accident. "We were travelling about ten or twelve miles an hour. We can't be any faster over those crossings," said engineer George Holly, "and I had sounded my whistle for the crossing, when, about forty or fifty feet away, as we rounded the curve, I saw the team and dairy wagon debouching on the tracks. The driver tried to back up, apparently, but the horses were giving him trouble and I clamped on the emergency and brought the train to a stop within a few feet of the outfit, which just succeeded in getting clear when we were a few feet from him." |
Updated 24 November 2020