Post by Rick (Admin) on Jul 20, 2013 18:01:00 GMT -5
A look back in history
Sudbury, Ontario Train Plunges Into River, Jan 1910
On January 21st of 1910, Canadian Pacific Railway train #7 was running on time enroute from Montreal to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It had just departed Sudbury with at least 100 passengers around noon and consisted of the engine, mail and baggage car, express package car, colonist car, second class coach, first class coach, dining car and Pullman sleeping car.
At about 1:15 pm, the train approached the railway bridge crossing at the Spanish River, and was about 80 meters wide and 10 meters deep. Without warning, the train began to rumble and then jerk as the second class coach separated from the car in front and turned sideways as it slammed into the girder work of the massive steel bridge.
Terror struck throughout the train as the car broke in half and became engulfed in flames as the other half plunged over the edge, slicing through the one half meter thick ice below. The first class coach followed, as it cut like a knife through the ice as it disappeared from view.
The dining car followed and was over half submerged as the Pullman rolled over and fell down the embankment, landing on its side. Each of the cars constituted a chamber of horrors as people screamed for help while others set to, trying to come to their aid.
Inside the partly submerged dining car, the injured conductor, Tom Reynolds groped around in the frigid waters trying to help others.
Bruised, battered and with a severe cut to his head, he broke a window and climbed atop the dining car. Through the ventilator, he pulled young Alfonso Rouiel from Sault Ste. Marie and then, a Sudbury man by the name of D. M. Brodie. Together they broke a large hole in the roof and rescued several more passengers who had survived the ordeal.
A mail clerk by the name of Dundas emerged from the mail car, which had made it's way safely on to the bridge, and ran back to aid those in what remained of the second class burning coach. He and others pulled five screaming and terrified immigrants to safety. After assisting in the sewing of a women's badly lacerated leg, which was cut to the bone, he fumbled his way over the broken ice to pull a man's body from under the other half of the burning second class coach, when he heard a voice. "For God's sake, come and help me."
"That man is past help and I am still alive."
He was in the dining car with his face pushed up to the ventilator and was hanging by his hands at the opening. With great difficulty, Mister Dundas managed to scramble up the edge of the car and grab the man's hand to draw him through the opening. His body was very stiff and almost lifeless.
A spare telegraph key was located and spliced on to the broken telegraph wires as a plea for help was sent out to Nairn. Sudbury's Doctor Arthur was on business in Nairn and preceded a team of five doctors, which were urgently rushed to the catastrophic scene aboard a special emergency train from Sudbury.
As soon as Helen Lynall, from Winnipeg assured herself that her young son was safe, she commenced caring for the wounded in the overturned Pullman car, which was now being used as a makeshift hospital for the severely injured.
With a tin of whiskey and strips from her own clothing, she moved skillfully about cleansing and bandaging wounds, oblivious to the blood which flowed from a gash on the back of her own head. Men who worked desperately to help others attested to the fact that Mrs. Lynall's efforts had eclipsed their own.
A man was brought in with a scalp wound, which would have sickened a surgeon. She cleaned the scalp before replacing it and wrapping it with clean linen. After hours of heroic efforts in helping others, she was persuaded to retire to a caboose brought to the scene to serve as a hospital for the injured.
After seeing those still suffering, she again ignored her own situation and heroically plunged once again into the chamber of horrors, shaking her head and muttering, "Oh I can't go away, as there is work to be done here."
John Reasbeck, the Canadian Pacific Railway fireman, was dead an hour and fifteen minutes after his life insurance policy went into effect. Dr. Allan McLellan from Sudbury died just one day after celebrating his wedding anniversary.
Thomas Hayes, a CPR claims agent was in his 45th year of railroading when he was pulled from the dining car. He suffered a large gash to the head and succumbed to his wounds a few days later. Mrs. Ernestine Steinke from Ladysmith, Quebec perished in this tragedy, as well as Lome' Therrien from Nairn.
This was the third worst train accident in the history of Canada with the loss of 43 lives. It was eclipsed only by a train accident March 12th, 1885 which took 70 lives at Desjardins Canal Bridge, between Toronto and Hamilton. The worst train accident occurred June 29th, 1864 at Beloeil. Quebec, which took 99 lives when a passenger train failed to stop at an open swing bridge.
Acting on instructions from the Attorney General, a 14-man coroner's jury was set up to probe the tragic mishap and after two weeks of deliberation, could not find a single cause to this tragedy. Damage and loss of life claims, cost the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) over $1-million dollars. Thomas Reynolds, the railway conductor, was awarded the "Albert Medal of the First Class" for bravery, upon the request of CPR officials to Lord Strathcona, High Commissioner for Canada.
Today, there is a roadside picnic area set up along Highway 17, just across from where this human tragedy occurred 100 years ago and most people are oblivious to the significance of it as they enjoy the serene beauty around them.
Sudbury, Ontario Train Plunges Into River, Jan 1910
On January 21st of 1910, Canadian Pacific Railway train #7 was running on time enroute from Montreal to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It had just departed Sudbury with at least 100 passengers around noon and consisted of the engine, mail and baggage car, express package car, colonist car, second class coach, first class coach, dining car and Pullman sleeping car.
At about 1:15 pm, the train approached the railway bridge crossing at the Spanish River, and was about 80 meters wide and 10 meters deep. Without warning, the train began to rumble and then jerk as the second class coach separated from the car in front and turned sideways as it slammed into the girder work of the massive steel bridge.
Terror struck throughout the train as the car broke in half and became engulfed in flames as the other half plunged over the edge, slicing through the one half meter thick ice below. The first class coach followed, as it cut like a knife through the ice as it disappeared from view.
The dining car followed and was over half submerged as the Pullman rolled over and fell down the embankment, landing on its side. Each of the cars constituted a chamber of horrors as people screamed for help while others set to, trying to come to their aid.
Inside the partly submerged dining car, the injured conductor, Tom Reynolds groped around in the frigid waters trying to help others.
Bruised, battered and with a severe cut to his head, he broke a window and climbed atop the dining car. Through the ventilator, he pulled young Alfonso Rouiel from Sault Ste. Marie and then, a Sudbury man by the name of D. M. Brodie. Together they broke a large hole in the roof and rescued several more passengers who had survived the ordeal.
A mail clerk by the name of Dundas emerged from the mail car, which had made it's way safely on to the bridge, and ran back to aid those in what remained of the second class burning coach. He and others pulled five screaming and terrified immigrants to safety. After assisting in the sewing of a women's badly lacerated leg, which was cut to the bone, he fumbled his way over the broken ice to pull a man's body from under the other half of the burning second class coach, when he heard a voice. "For God's sake, come and help me."
"That man is past help and I am still alive."
He was in the dining car with his face pushed up to the ventilator and was hanging by his hands at the opening. With great difficulty, Mister Dundas managed to scramble up the edge of the car and grab the man's hand to draw him through the opening. His body was very stiff and almost lifeless.
A spare telegraph key was located and spliced on to the broken telegraph wires as a plea for help was sent out to Nairn. Sudbury's Doctor Arthur was on business in Nairn and preceded a team of five doctors, which were urgently rushed to the catastrophic scene aboard a special emergency train from Sudbury.
As soon as Helen Lynall, from Winnipeg assured herself that her young son was safe, she commenced caring for the wounded in the overturned Pullman car, which was now being used as a makeshift hospital for the severely injured.
With a tin of whiskey and strips from her own clothing, she moved skillfully about cleansing and bandaging wounds, oblivious to the blood which flowed from a gash on the back of her own head. Men who worked desperately to help others attested to the fact that Mrs. Lynall's efforts had eclipsed their own.
A man was brought in with a scalp wound, which would have sickened a surgeon. She cleaned the scalp before replacing it and wrapping it with clean linen. After hours of heroic efforts in helping others, she was persuaded to retire to a caboose brought to the scene to serve as a hospital for the injured.
After seeing those still suffering, she again ignored her own situation and heroically plunged once again into the chamber of horrors, shaking her head and muttering, "Oh I can't go away, as there is work to be done here."
John Reasbeck, the Canadian Pacific Railway fireman, was dead an hour and fifteen minutes after his life insurance policy went into effect. Dr. Allan McLellan from Sudbury died just one day after celebrating his wedding anniversary.
Thomas Hayes, a CPR claims agent was in his 45th year of railroading when he was pulled from the dining car. He suffered a large gash to the head and succumbed to his wounds a few days later. Mrs. Ernestine Steinke from Ladysmith, Quebec perished in this tragedy, as well as Lome' Therrien from Nairn.
This was the third worst train accident in the history of Canada with the loss of 43 lives. It was eclipsed only by a train accident March 12th, 1885 which took 70 lives at Desjardins Canal Bridge, between Toronto and Hamilton. The worst train accident occurred June 29th, 1864 at Beloeil. Quebec, which took 99 lives when a passenger train failed to stop at an open swing bridge.
Acting on instructions from the Attorney General, a 14-man coroner's jury was set up to probe the tragic mishap and after two weeks of deliberation, could not find a single cause to this tragedy. Damage and loss of life claims, cost the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) over $1-million dollars. Thomas Reynolds, the railway conductor, was awarded the "Albert Medal of the First Class" for bravery, upon the request of CPR officials to Lord Strathcona, High Commissioner for Canada.
Today, there is a roadside picnic area set up along Highway 17, just across from where this human tragedy occurred 100 years ago and most people are oblivious to the significance of it as they enjoy the serene beauty around them.