Onawa train wreck
Encyclopedia
The Onawa train wreck was a fatal railroad accident that happened two miles west of Onawa, Maine
on December 20, 1919, and killed 23 people.
The line concerned was constructed and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway
, known as the International Railway of Maine it crossed the state and provided a shortcut between the Canadian cities of Montreal
and Saint John, New Brunswick
. On the morning of 20 December 1919, Train No. 39, an eleven-car immigrant special bound for Montreal, was moving west in four sections. Third 39 carried steerage
passengers from the liner Empress of France
which had docked in Saint John the previous day; a few Canadian soldiers and 300 immigrants, mostly English and Scottish. By the time Third 39 departed Brownville Junction at 6:25 a.m. it was running over five hours late.
Freight train No.78 had departed Megantic
at 6 p.m. the previous evening. It consisted of 26 cars and had been waiting on a siding at Moosehead
where it had allowed the first two sections of No.39 to pass. It had received orders it was five hours ahead of Third 39; giving it plenty of time to reach Morkill, it left Greenville
at 6:40 a.m. and arrived in a siding at Morkill at 6:57 a.m. At Morkill further orders were received to the effect that Third 39 was late, and Fourth 39 was eight hours late. This order was misread and the freight train mistakenly believed that Third 39 was now running eight hours late, giving them time to reach Brownville Junction before the end of their 16 hour shift.
At 7:14 a.m. as dawn approached the trains collided head-on just west of Onawa station on a curve beside Little Greenwood Pond at a combined speed of 50 mph. The baggage car next to the engine was 'entirely demolished'. The next passenger car telescoped
the one behind it for two-thirds of its length. The wreckage then caught fire, adding to the horror. Seventeen people were killed outright, including six children, and the enginemen and firemen of both trains, with six more dying after being freed from the wreckage. Fifty people were injured, many seriously, and were taken by special train to hospitals in Brownville Junction and Bangor
.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
on December 20, 1919, and killed 23 people.
The line concerned was constructed and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, known as the International Railway of Maine it crossed the state and provided a shortcut between the Canadian cities of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
. On the morning of 20 December 1919, Train No. 39, an eleven-car immigrant special bound for Montreal, was moving west in four sections. Third 39 carried steerage
Steerage
Steerage is the act of steering a ship. "Steerage" also refers to the lowest decks of a ship.-Steerage and steerage way:The rudder of a vessel can only steer the ship when water is passing over it...
passengers from the liner Empress of France
RMS Empress of France (1914)
RMS Empress of France, formerly the SS Alsatian was an ocean liner built in 1913-1914 by William Beardmore and Company at Glasgow in Scotland for Allan Line....
which had docked in Saint John the previous day; a few Canadian soldiers and 300 immigrants, mostly English and Scottish. By the time Third 39 departed Brownville Junction at 6:25 a.m. it was running over five hours late.
Freight train No.78 had departed Megantic
Mégantic
Mégantic can refer to:* Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, a municipality in southeastern Quebec* Lac Mégantic, a lake in southeastern Quebec* Mont Mégantic, a mountain in southeastern Quebec* Mont Mégantic Observatory, an observatory located at Mont Megantic, Quebec...
at 6 p.m. the previous evening. It consisted of 26 cars and had been waiting on a siding at Moosehead
Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, the lake is the source of the Kennebec River. Towns that border the lake include Greenville to the south and...
where it had allowed the first two sections of No.39 to pass. It had received orders it was five hours ahead of Third 39; giving it plenty of time to reach Morkill, it left Greenville
Greenville, Maine
Greenville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. The town is centered around the lower end of Moosehead Lake, the largest body of fresh water in the state. Greenville is the historic gateway to the north country and a center for...
at 6:40 a.m. and arrived in a siding at Morkill at 6:57 a.m. At Morkill further orders were received to the effect that Third 39 was late, and Fourth 39 was eight hours late. This order was misread and the freight train mistakenly believed that Third 39 was now running eight hours late, giving them time to reach Brownville Junction before the end of their 16 hour shift.
At 7:14 a.m. as dawn approached the trains collided head-on just west of Onawa station on a curve beside Little Greenwood Pond at a combined speed of 50 mph. The baggage car next to the engine was 'entirely demolished'. The next passenger car telescoped
Telescoping (railway)
In a railway accident, telescoping occurs when the underframe of one vehicle overrides that of another, and smashes through the second vehicle's body...
the one behind it for two-thirds of its length. The wreckage then caught fire, adding to the horror. Seventeen people were killed outright, including six children, and the enginemen and firemen of both trains, with six more dying after being freed from the wreckage. Fifty people were injured, many seriously, and were taken by special train to hospitals in Brownville Junction and Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
.