Railway accident on the Desjardins canal bridge
In the railway accident on the Desjardins Canal Bridge on March 12, 1857, a derailed passenger train near Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , damaged a bridge , which then collapsed. 59 deaths were to be mourned.
requirements
The Great Western Railway's train was traveling from Toronto to Hamilton with around 100 passengers on board . It consisted of the " Oxford " locomotive with the following tender , a baggage car and two first class passenger cars . The “ Oxford ” locomotive had only undergone a general overhaul six days before and was inspected again immediately before the start of the accident.
The route led shortly before Hamilton with a swing bridge over the Desjardins Canal. The bridge was a wooden structure.
the accident
When crossing the bridge or shortly before, the foremost axle of the locomotive broke. The locomotive derailed , overturned against the load-bearing elements of the bridge structure and destroyed it. The bridge gave way and the train fell into the canal, which was still under an ice sheet. The locomotive broke through the ice and sank completely below the surface of the water. Many people drowned or died from hypothermia . There were also a number of people injured.
examination
The cause of the accident was examined from March 13 to April 8 by the coroner and a jury in numerous meetings. They came to the conclusion that the derailing locomotive had damaged supporting structures of the bridge so much that it collapsed. The cause of the triggering axle break could not be clarified. The construction of the bridge was considered sufficient for normal rail traffic. However, it was not designed for the event of a derailment. The jury recommended the construction of a stronger bridge at this point and a legal regulation that trains must first stop before entering movable bridges.
See also
literature
- William A. Shepard (Ed.): Full Details of the Railway Disaster of the 12th of March, 1857, at the Desjardin Canal on the Line of the Great Western Railway . Shepard & Co., Hamilton 1857.
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 43 ° 16 ′ 46.6 " N , 79 ° 53 ′ 27.3" W.