Norwalk rail accident
Encyclopedia
The Norwalk rail accident occurred on May 6, 1853 in Norwalk, Connecticut
and was the first major U.S. railroad bridge disaster; 48 were killed when a train travelling at 50 mph plunged into the Norwalk Harbor
off of an open draw (swing) bridge
.
The accident occurred on the New York and New Haven Railroad
where it crosses a small inlet of Long Island Sound
via a swing bridge. The approach from New York is around a sharp curve, the signal that the bridge is passable by trains was by way of a red ball mounted upon a tall pole.
At 08:00 that morning the Boston
express left New York with 200 passengers driven by a substitute driver for whom this was the third transit of the route. The train comprised two baggage and five passenger cars. On approaching the bridge he neglected to check the signal and only became aware that the bridge was open when within 400 feet of it. The bridge had been opened for the passage of the steamship Pacific which had just passed through. The driver applied the brakes and reversed the engine but was unable to stop in time. He and the fireman leapt clear before the bridge and escaped serious injury. The engine itself flew across the 60 foot gap, striking the opposite abutment some 8 feet below the level of the track and sinking into 12 feet of water. The baggage cars came to rest atop the locomotive; the front of the first passenger car was crushed against the baggage cars and then submerged as the second passenger car came to rest on top of it. The third passenger car broke in two; the front half hanging down over the edge of the abutment; the rear remaining on the track. Most of the 48 dead and 30 injured were in the first passenger car. A further 8 people were reported missing.
Many doctors were travelling on the train, returning from the Sixth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association
in New York; seven of them were killed. Amongst the unhurt was Dr. Gurdon Wadsworth Russell who wrote an account of the accident for the Hartford Courant in which he says that the dead "presented all the symptoms of asphyxia from drowning, and were probably drowned at once, being confined and pressed by broken cars. Oh, what a melancholy scene that!".
As a result of the public panic and indignation caused by the accident the Connecticut Legislature enforced a law compelling every train in the state to come to a dead halt before crossing any opening bridge. The engineer was charged with gross negligence and held primarily responsible for the disaster.
A similar accident occurred eleven years later in Canada with even greater loss of life, See St-Hilaire train disaster
.
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and was the first major U.S. railroad bridge disaster; 48 were killed when a train travelling at 50 mph plunged into the Norwalk Harbor
Norwalk Harbor
Norwalk Harbor is a recreational and commercial harbor and seaportat the estuary of the Norwalk River where it flows into Long Island Soundin Norwalk, Connecticut, United States.The last portion of the Norwalk River from the head of navigation...
off of an open draw (swing) bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
.
The accident occurred on the New York and New Haven Railroad
New York and New Haven Railroad
The New York and New Haven Railroad was a railroad connecting New York City to New Haven, Connecticut along the shore of the Long Island Sound. It opened in 1849, and in 1872 it merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad...
where it crosses a small inlet of Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
via a swing bridge. The approach from New York is around a sharp curve, the signal that the bridge is passable by trains was by way of a red ball mounted upon a tall pole.
At 08:00 that morning the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
express left New York with 200 passengers driven by a substitute driver for whom this was the third transit of the route. The train comprised two baggage and five passenger cars. On approaching the bridge he neglected to check the signal and only became aware that the bridge was open when within 400 feet of it. The bridge had been opened for the passage of the steamship Pacific which had just passed through. The driver applied the brakes and reversed the engine but was unable to stop in time. He and the fireman leapt clear before the bridge and escaped serious injury. The engine itself flew across the 60 foot gap, striking the opposite abutment some 8 feet below the level of the track and sinking into 12 feet of water. The baggage cars came to rest atop the locomotive; the front of the first passenger car was crushed against the baggage cars and then submerged as the second passenger car came to rest on top of it. The third passenger car broke in two; the front half hanging down over the edge of the abutment; the rear remaining on the track. Most of the 48 dead and 30 injured were in the first passenger car. A further 8 people were reported missing.
Many doctors were travelling on the train, returning from the Sixth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
in New York; seven of them were killed. Amongst the unhurt was Dr. Gurdon Wadsworth Russell who wrote an account of the accident for the Hartford Courant in which he says that the dead "presented all the symptoms of asphyxia from drowning, and were probably drowned at once, being confined and pressed by broken cars. Oh, what a melancholy scene that!".
As a result of the public panic and indignation caused by the accident the Connecticut Legislature enforced a law compelling every train in the state to come to a dead halt before crossing any opening bridge. The engineer was charged with gross negligence and held primarily responsible for the disaster.
A similar accident occurred eleven years later in Canada with even greater loss of life, See St-Hilaire train disaster
St-Hilaire train disaster
The St-Hilaire train disaster was a railroad disaster that occurred on June 29, 1864 near the present day town of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec. The train, which had been carrying many German and Polish immigrants, failed to acknowledge a stop light and fell through an open swing bridge into the...
.