Desjardins Canal disaster
The Desjardins Canal disaster was a train accident that killed 59 people and occurred near Hamilton, Canada West, British North America. The train wreck occurred at 6:15 p.m. on March 12, 1857 when a train on the Great Western Railway crashed through a bridge over the Desjardins Canal, causing the train and its passengers to fall 60 feet into the ice below.[1]
| Desjardins Canal disaster | |
|---|---|
 A sketch of the Desjardins Canal disaster. | |
| Details | |
| Date | March 12, 1857 |
| Location | Hamilton, Canada West, British North America |
| Incident type | Train wreck |
| Cause | Bridge collapse |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 90 |
| Deaths | 59[1] |
Recovery and rescue
The train had ninety passengers. Most in the last train car survived but others on the train either drowned or succumbed to injury.[1] Locomotive lamps and fires were built to illuminate the scene to aid in rescue efforts. Ropes and ladders were lowered to bring the dead and wounded out of the train cars. One car, partially submerged, was accessed with axes by rescuers.[1]
References
- "Desjardins Canal Disaster". Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. 1857-04-04.
Further reading
- Freeman, Bill (14 October 2006). "Chapter 3: The Railroad Town (1840 – 1865)". Hamilton: A People's History. James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 9781550289367.
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