St-Hilaire train disaster
| St-Hilaire train disaster | |
|---|---|
Aftermath of the disaster | |
| Details | |
| Time | 1:20 am |
| Location | Otterburn Park, near Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec |
| Country | Province of Canada |
| Rail line | Grand Trunk Railway |
| Type of incident | Swing bridge open |
| Cause | Ignored stop signal |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 99 |
| Injuries | 100 |
The St-Hilaire train disaster happened on June 29, 1864 in the town of Otterburn Park, near Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, at approximately 01:20 am EST.[1] It happened after the crew of a train ignored a stop signal and ended up falling through an open bridge.
In the disaster, 99 people are believed to have died and 100 injured.[2] The St-Hilaire train disaster remains the deadliest rail disaster in Canadian history.[3]
During an investigation into the incident, the engineer William Burnie and the conductor Thomas Finn had ignored a stop signal and proceeded to cross the bridge anyway despite the country's safety laws. The train went through the open bridge and aink 10 feet into the river below. Burnie escaped, but 99 others died, including Finn.[4]
On July 16, 1864, Burnie was convicted of negligence, and a jury sentenced him to 10 years in prison.[1] Full responsibility was placed on the Grand Trunk Railway by a grand jury on October 5, 1864. The company was only be given a reprimand as punishment.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "From the archives: A tale of two train wrecks; One engineer was hailed a hero, another was jailed". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ↑ "Grand Trunk Railway of Canada". Historica Canada. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ↑ "From 99 dead when train plunged through swing bridge to Lac-Mégantic: Canada's most deadly rail accidents". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ↑ "Fearful Railroad Accident" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2024.