Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1930, April 2 - Crossing Accident at Rosedale, CPR., Winchester sub., one fatality.

Ottawa Citizen 2 April 1930 Man is killed as train strikes rig Believe victim to be George Condie of Rosedale, Near Smiths Falls Terriby cut and mangled, a man believed to be George Condie, of Rosedale, four miles from Smiths Falls, was killed about 12.15 this afternoon when he was struck by a fast Montreal-Toronto train at a crossing a few miles south of Smiths Falls.  The body of the unfortunate man was found on the cow-catcher of the C.P.R. engine when it entered Smiths Falls at 12.20 o'clock this afternoon. Bits of harness and the flesh of a horse also upon the cow-catcher of the engine made it apparent that the man had been driving over a crossing when the speeding train struck him.  Coroner Dr. C.L.B. Stammers was called immediately and the body was removed to a local undertaking parlor.  An inquest will be held probably this evening, it was stated. Ottawa Citizen 3 April 1930 Rider meets death when horse dashes in front of train Animal takes fright of engine's of roar and carries George Condie, Rosedale farmer, to tragic death. Smiths Falls, Ont., April 2 - identification of the mutilated body of a man, struck by the fast Montreal-Toronto C.P.R. train as it whirled by a farm crossing a few miles south of Smiths Falls shortly after noon today, as George Condie, a well-known farmer of the Rosedale district, was made this afternoon by his son Roy Condie, who was a witness to the accident. The accident was described by Roy who with three other men, were at the crossing when the fatality occurred. All five were engaged in wood cutting on the farm and were returning home for lunch, Roy Condie, Harvey Condie, Ambrose Halliday and H. Woodridge in a motor car while George Condie rode on horseback beside the car. Knowing that the train No. 19 was due, the party halted at the private crossing and waited for it to pass when the horse on which George Condie was riding suddenly became frightened by the approaching train and dashed onto the track just as the speeding locomotive swept by. Neither John Muldoon, engineer, or Roy Graham, fireman on No. 19, knew anything of the accident until the train pulled into Smiths Falls a few minutes later. The body was removed by a local undertaking parlour after coroner Dr. P.C.L.B. Stammers had arrived. - - - Ottawa Journal 4 April 1930 Attach no blame in Farmers death. Inquest is held into fatality after horse's dash into train. Smiths Falls, Ont., April 3. - A coroner's jury, empanelled to inquire into the death of George Condie, well-known Rosedale farmer who was instantly killed yesterday afternoon when his fear crazed horse dashed onto the railway track at a private crossing directly in front of the speeding Montreal-Toronto train tonight returned a verdict of accidental death at the inquest. No blame was attached to anyone. Ambrose Halladay, Harvey Condie, Roy Condie and H Woods, eyewitnesses of the fatality, and John Muldoon and E.G. Graham, engineer and fireman of the train were the witnesses heard. Halladay and the two Condies and Woods also stated that the victim had been riding on horseback and had stopped his horse at the private crossing when the whistle sounded. The horse apparently grew frightened as the speeding train drew nearer and suddenly leaped onto the track directly in front of the locomotive. John Muldoon, the engineer stated that he knew nothing whatever of the accident until his train pulled into the Smiths Falls yard. A yard brakeman whose duty it was to change engines gave him his first notification of the tragedy when he told him there was a dead man lying upon the pilot. Graham, the firemen also knew nothing of the accident until notified at Smiths Falls. Coroner Dr. C. L. B. Stammers presided at the inquest and the jury was composed of T.E. Foster, foreman, O.C. Abbott, C.S. Belles,  J.E. Burns, J.A. Cameron, F.C. Clayton, S.B. Phillips and J. F. Montgomery.

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Updated 6 January 2020