St-Hilaire train disaster
Encyclopedia
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 Richelieu River
. Though uncertain, the widely accepted death toll is 99 persons.
The disaster remains the worst railway accident in Canadian history.
and Montreal
. Tourism also developed in the area greatly due to the steamboats that travelled up and down the river. The Belœil bridge was built as a swing bridge so that the railway would not interrupt the shipping lanes.
to Montreal
.
At around 1:20 a.m. local time the train was approaching a swing bridge known as the Belœil Bridge on the River Richelieu. The swing bridge had been opened to allow the passage of five barges and a steamer ship. A red light a mile ahead of the bridge signalled to the train that the crossing was open and it needed to slow. However the light was not acknowledged by the conductor, Thomas Finn, or the engineer, William Burnie, and the train continued towards the bridge.
At 1:20 a.m. the train came onto the bridge and fell through an open gap. The engine and eleven coaches fell through the gap one after another on top of each other crushing a passing barge. The train sank into an area of the river with a depth of 10 feet. 99 people aboard the train were killed and 100 more were injured. Among the dead was Thomas Finn and the fireman aboard the train. The engineer was hurt slightly in the accident but was able to escape the wreck. The disaster was blamed on the conductor and engineer for failing to obey the standing order to stop before crossing the bridge. The engineer, who had only recently been hired, claimed that he was not familiar with the route and that he did not see the signal.
Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec
Mont-Saint-Hilaire is an off-island suburb of Montréal in southeastern Québec, Canada on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La Vallée-du-Richelieu...
. The train, which had been carrying many German and Polish immigrants, failed to acknowledge a stop light and fell through an open 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...
into the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
. Though uncertain, the widely accepted death toll is 99 persons.
The disaster remains the worst railway accident in Canadian history.
Background
During the 19th century the River Richelieu served as an important waterway for trade between New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and 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...
. Tourism also developed in the area greatly due to the steamboats that travelled up and down the river. The Belœil bridge was built as a swing bridge so that the railway would not interrupt the shipping lanes.
Disaster
On June 29, 1864 a Grand Trunk train carrying between 354 and 475 passengers, many of them German and Polish immigrants, was travelling from Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
to 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...
.
At around 1:20 a.m. local time the train was approaching a swing bridge known as the Belœil Bridge on the River Richelieu. The swing bridge had been opened to allow the passage of five barges and a steamer ship. A red light a mile ahead of the bridge signalled to the train that the crossing was open and it needed to slow. However the light was not acknowledged by the conductor, Thomas Finn, or the engineer, William Burnie, and the train continued towards the bridge.
At 1:20 a.m. the train came onto the bridge and fell through an open gap. The engine and eleven coaches fell through the gap one after another on top of each other crushing a passing barge. The train sank into an area of the river with a depth of 10 feet. 99 people aboard the train were killed and 100 more were injured. Among the dead was Thomas Finn and the fireman aboard the train. The engineer was hurt slightly in the accident but was able to escape the wreck. The disaster was blamed on the conductor and engineer for failing to obey the standing order to stop before crossing the bridge. The engineer, who had only recently been hired, claimed that he was not familiar with the route and that he did not see the signal.