Results for ‘Train Wrecks’
[Welland Tribune February 27, 1940]
Switch Engine Conductor Trapped Under Train
Hamilton, Feb. 27- Storm conditions were blamed today for the second railway fatality within eight days when A,N, Clavel, 36, Hamilton conductor of a Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo switch engine crew, slipped in the Forest avenue yards, fell under a moving train and was killed. A fine snow caused slippery conditions.
The last car was said to have passed over his legs, death resulting as police were rushing him to the General hospital. Born at Montreal, Clavel had resided here for 23 years. He is survived by his widow and four children. Dr. Leeming Carr, coroner is investigating.
James G Lord 63, a Canadian National Railways car repairman, was killed Feb. 19 during the season’s worst blizzard when he walked into the path of a backing switch engine.
[Welland Telegraph October 29, 1903]
Tuesday morning a light road engine , while backing out from the Grand Trunk roundhouse ran down and instantly killed a workman named James MacDonald. The unfortunate man was dragged some 20 feet, the wheels of the engine passing over his legs. The body was rolled under the ash-pan of the engine and it was found that nearly every large bone was broken. Death was instantaneous. James MacDonald was about 50 years old, a carpenter in the employ of the company, and was working near the round-house at the time the accident happened. He stepped in the way of the engine as it backed out thinking no doubt, he was stepping on to the pathway. Before he could step back the engine was upon him. He was a married man leaving a wife, one daughter and two sons, who reside at Simcoe.Ont.
[Welland Tribune January 31, 1940]
Instantly Killed When Newly-Laid Rail Springs-Second Workman Hurt
Thorold, Ont., Jan 31-William Ivansuik, 33-year-old workman at the Beaver Wood Fibre Company plant, was instantly killed and a second workman William Mowry suffered a broken collarbone and other injuries today in an accident that occurred while the two men were laying railway track. They were engaged in construction of connecting spur to main line track in the company yards when the accident occurred. Hoist and coal car passing the connection on the mail line caused the newly-laid rail to spring, hurling the two men to the ground.
Company officials are unable to account for the accident.
Michigan Central Freight Train Smashed
[People’s Press, 9 May 1905]
St. Thomas-May 6-A bad wreck 0ccurred on the Michigan Central railway two miles west of Kingsmill yesterday at 5 a.m. through an axles of a freight car breaking. Eighteen cars were derailed and piled up six in a tier. The train was a fast merchandise. One car was loaded with steel plates. There were two carloads of pianos and several automobiles, all of which were smashed to pieces.
[Welland Tribune March 16, 1897]
Harry Nablo, Formerly of Welland, Killed in Buffalo
Harry Nablo of No. 399 Bayness street, Buffalo, was killed on the New York Central crossing on Jewett avenue while on his way to work on Thursday morning last week.
Nablo was 26 years old and was employed at the Niagara Bicycle works on Jewett avenue, He left his home shortly after 6 o’clock in the morning.
When he reached the railroad crossing he stopped while a freight train passed and then stepped out onto the track. As he did so a Belt Line train from Tonawanda, which he had failed to see on account of the freight, struck him and hurled him into the air. Nablo’s head was crushed and his body mutilated.
Harry Nablo carried on a blacksmith shop in Welland a few years ago, in connection with A.A. Pegg, and previous to that lived in Dunnville. He leaves a widow-a lady to whom he was married since he went to Buffalo.
[Welland Tribune December 17, 1897]
Tilsonburg, Dec. 12- About 1 o’clock on Sunday morning three young men left Tilsonburg in a buggy and drove northward to a hotel on the north side of the M.C.R. track, near the station. They were refused admittance, and one of them got out of the buggy. The others started to go back and were struck by the M.C.R. North Shore express, running about a mile a minute. The horse, which was across the track, escaped unhurt and was found about a mile away. The buggy was smashed to atoms, and one of the occupants, named Charles Lloyd, was hurled a distance of 90 feet and instantly killed. His head was crushed in, his teeth knocked out and both arms and legs were broken.
The other a lad of seventeen, named Charles Chandler, was hurled a long distance, but escaped with a cut in his leg.
[Welland Tribune May 21, 1897]
The Michigan Central had a wreck last Sunday morning about 4.30, at Cayuga, between an east bound and a west bound train. It happened on the crossing switch. As the west bound train was approaching the station the engineer lost control of his engine and crashed into the side of the east bound train, completely destroying 5 cars loaded with cotton and lumber. The wrecking crew was ordered from St. Thomas, and had both tracks clear in a few hours. Two of the fast passenger trains were delayed about three hours.
[Welland Tribune February 8, 1947]
Truck, Car Sideswiped, Auto Hots Tree, But No One Suffers Injury
Three automobile-train accidents occurred in Port Colborne Thursday and all were blamed on the blinding snow. Considerable damage was done to cars and a truck involved, but no one was injured.
Thursday afternoon a truck owned by Corey Electric and driven by Earl Cuff was travelling on King street at the Maple Leaf crossing and the driver failed to see a T.H.&B train approaching. The train sideswiped the light truck doing damage estimated at between $200 and $300.
Clarence Beck, driving on Kent street, failed to see a C.N.R. train approaching at the spur crossing until too late to stop his car. He jumped from the car as it reached the crossing and the car travelled over the crossing and into a tree, but was missed by the train.
Edward Beauchamp, 67 Cross St., Port Colborne, was driving at the Welland street crossing about 9 o’clock Thursday night and failed in the snowstorm to notice a C.N.R. train approaching. Less than $50 damage was done to his car.
[Welland Tribune March 4, 1947]
A Pere Marquette freight train last night smashed into an Imperial Oil tank truck, stuck in the snow over a New York Central Railway crossing on Highway 3A between Chamber’s Corners and Beckett’s Bridge, shoving the truck into a ditch. It was the second of two traffic accidents in the Welland area attributed to yesterday’s snowstorm.
The truck driven by Don Crosby of R.R. 2 Welland, was returning from Dunnville when it got stuck in snow over the crossing, with front wheels jammed between the rails. When Crosby saw the train approaching he ran down the tracks in an attempt to flag it down. The freight slowed up but was unable to stop in time to avoid the truck. Badly damaged it was hurled into the ditch. The truck contained 200 gallons of gasoline, but there was no explosion. The accident occurred at 3.10 p.m.
The train, proceeding west, was in charge of Conductor C. Watson and Engineer L. Fyle. Provincial Constables Reg. Bass and Frank Bromfield investigated.
Earlier in the day, an auto driven by John Cameron, Toronto, struck three school children, walking on Highway 3A on their way home from school near Singer’s Corner. The three Henry Lamay 16, is under observation at the Welland County General hospital for a bump on the head. The other two children, whose names were unavailable were taken to their homes..
The driver told police who investigated that due to snow flurries visibility was poor and he did not see the children on the highway until he was too close to be able to avoid them.
NO FIRE OR EXPLOSION WHEN LOCOMOTIVE HITS OIL TRUCK
[Welland Tribune March 4, 1947]
A Pere Marquette freight train last night smashed into an Imperial Oil tank truck, stuck in the snow over a New York Central Railway crossing on Highway 3A between Chamber’s Corners and Beckett’s Bridge, shoving the truck into a ditch. It was the second of two traffic accidents in the Welland area attributed to yesterday’s snowstorm.
The truck driven by Don Crosby of R.R. 2 Welland, was returning from Dunnville when it got stuck in snow over the crossing, with front wheels jammed between the rails. When Crosby saw the train approaching he ran down the tracks in an attempt to flag it down. The freight slowed up but was unable to stop in time to avoid the truck. Badly damaged it was hurled into the ditch. The truck contained 200 gallons of gasoline, but there was no explosion. The accident occurred at 3.10 p.m.
The train, proceeding west, was in charge of Conductor C. Watson and Engineer L. Fyle. Provincial Constables Reg. Bass and Frank Bromfield investigated.
Earlier in the day, an auto driven by John Cameron, Toronto, struck three school children, walking on Highway 3A on their way home from school near Singer’s Corner. The three Henry Lamay 16, is under observation at the Welland County General hospital for a bump on the head. The other two children, whose names were unavailable were taken to their homes..
The driver told police who investigated that due to snow flurries visibility was poor and he did not see the children on the highway until he was too close to be able to avoid them.
[Welland Tribune January 6, 1947]
Hamilton, Jan. 6- Railway traffic was halted, power cut off and Station road in nearby Smithville blocked Saturday night when a T.H. and B. Railway freight train plowed into the rear of another near the village station.
Two men, Conductor Edward Barlow and Trainman A. LeRoy, both of Hamilton, leaped from the caboose of the first train seconds before the crash. No one was injured.
The collision wrecked four coal cars and the caboose of the first train and two coal cars of the second. The locomotive of the rear train was damaged. Immediately after the crash, the caboose of the leading train caught fire, but the blaze was extinguished by Smithville fire department before serious damage resulted.
Smithville Lights Out
In addition, one of the derailed cars knocked down a hydro line and plunged Smithville into darkness for the night. The community’s power supply had been restored only a few hours before after a 30-hour blackout caused by storm damage to the electric system.
Wreckage strewn along the tracks prevented service from being resumed until yesterday, and a C.P.R.-T.H. and B. Toronto-New York train, had to be rerouted via the Canadian National Railways to the suspension bridge at Niagara Falls station road, near the village depot, was also plugged by debris and was not opened for traffic until yesterday.
Railway officials could offer no explanation for the crash, but it was pointed out that both freights were extras and that recent storm damage had made communications difficult. Many wires in the area were not yet operating when the accident took place.
Both trains were bound for Hamilton. The first had just pulled onto main line from the Dunnville spur when it was struck. The other was en route from Welland to Hamilton.
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