Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1935, September 5 - CPR Empress of Australia special, hits a handcar at Finch, Winchester sub., one dead, one injured

Ottawa Citizen 6 September, 1935 C.P.R. STATEMENT (Canadian Press.) MONTREAL. Sept. 5. Head office of the Canadian Pacific Railway issued tonight the following in connection with the fatality today on their Montreal-Smiths Falls run: " At 2.05 p.m., EST., the Empress of Australia special to Toronto, at mileage 71.2 Winchester sub-section, struck a handcar at a farm crossing near Finch. Ont. Sectionman Johan Alguire was instantly killed and Oscar MrConnell seriously injured. McConnell was taken to hospital at Smiths Falls. When the accident occurred the men were trying to remove the handcar from the right-of-way." Ottawa Journal 13 September 1935 FIND DEATH ACCIDENTAL FINCH. Ont Sept 13  At an inquest into the death of Johan Alguire. section man who was instantly killed a week ago when he was struck by a C.P.R. special passenger train just east of here as he and two companions attempted, to lift a hand-car from the rails, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. A rider attached to the verdict, however, recommended that in the future four men be available to man hand-cars while at work along the tracks.

Return to Main Page of Railway Accidents

Updated 13 April 2021