Tram accident on Summer Street Bridge

In the tram accident on Summer Street Bridge in Boston , Massachusetts , on November 7, 1916, a busy tram crashed into the Fort Point Channel , killing around 50 passengers - the figures vary between 47 and 52 deaths, depending on the source. This was one of the worst tram accidents in the world.

Starting position

There were no uniform rules for signaling trams crossing drawbridges . At Summer Street Bridge, there was a barricade about 8.5 meters from where the bridge opened. 60 meters in front of the barricade there was a board that asked for a stop. There the driver had to stop and check the situation.

The brakes on the vehicle involved in the accident, railcar number 393, were only adjusted in the afternoon and the vehicle had been in the inspection a week earlier. No technical defects were found. The brakes also worked perfectly before.

the accident

The accident happened in the dark and at a speed of 15 to 20 km / h. In violation of the regulations, the driver did not stop at the stop sign, but braked the vehicle so that a passenger could jump up. The driver then obviously noticed very late that the barriers were closed and the drawbridge was open. He said afterwards that he braked immediately and let the engine run backwards. But that was no longer enough to stop the vehicle. It broke through the barriers and fell into the canal.

consequences

Only seven passengers survived the accident, as did the driver and the conductor . The driver was criminally not be prosecuted because the installation of the unlit stop sign and the small distance between the safety gate to the danger point subsequently were assessed as deficient. On the other hand, the accident was obviously caused by the fact that the driver was inattentive to the technical safety devices.

As early as November 21, 1916, the supervisory authority issued - initially provisional - uniform rules for signage, lighting, braking and the distance between the barriers and the danger point on drawbridges and swing bridges .

See also

• List of rail accidents in the United States

Web links

• NN: Summer Street Bridge Disaster .
• Brief description of the accident on the Boston Fire Department homepage (with sketch) .

Coordinates: 42 ° 21 '3.9 "  N , 71 ° 3' 7.5"  W.