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On June 29, 1864, Belœil was the theater of the most murderous railway accident of
the history of Canada.
Ninety-nine persons died there among which ninety-seven immigrants and two employees of
the company of railway
the Big Trunk. In the annals of the company, one mentions it under the title of Disaster
of Belœil's bridge.
On June 28, 1864, in a vast hangar, not far from Lévis's station, 467 immigrants wait for
the hour of the departure of
a special train which should lead them to Montreal. In period of intense immigration of
the Europeans towards
America, Quebec was one of the main ports of entrance as well for Canada as for the United
States. The Big Trunk transports inside the continent of thousands of immigrants and it
lack of personnel and
rolling stock. The company of railway would have should make the decision to fit out
freight cars in cars for
passengers.
Left Pointe-Lévis the train goes to Richmond, centre of railway importing Eastern
Townships. Richmond was the
place where one changed and locomotive and staff. The engineer who leads the machine to
Montreal had
been promoted regular engineer the week previously. It is with the certain anxiety that it
takes the
commands of its locomotive, especially that for first time it pulled a passenger train and
not of
goods.
Once arrived at Acton, the convoy stops to fill up water and wood. Arrived at Saint
Hyacinthe, one asks to
the driver of the train to stand still on the way of évitement to allow to pass other one
of it. The next stop :
Saint-Hilaire. Every experimented engineer knows that once depiction in this place, one
should pay attention
because, beyond the station, the way contains several peculiarities. Before stepping over
Richelieu, the railroad turns
to the right at the same time as it goes down towards the bridge. The regulation of the
railway stipulates that trains should make a complete stop before undertaking on the
bridge.
At night of June 29 1864, while the bascule bridge was opened to allow to pass a convoy
of barges, the new driver who ignores the order of the compulsory stop does not take into
account the red lamp and undertakes on
the bridge. There is an infernal crash: the train rushes into the space. The piled cars
some on the others pile up in the
bed of the river. Witness of what has just arrived, the assistant informs his superior,
the stationmaster and the guard
of the bridge. At once, one mande of the help of Montreal. A rescue team is sent on the
scene. For all
night and the next day, a part of the local population helps the victims to go out of
their annoying position. The
short story of the disaster spreads as a powder trail. Informed by newspapers, a crowd of
curious
comes along on the scene of the accident. A drama of a dimension so considerable was rare
thing in the
time.
After the tragedy opens the inquiry of the coroner. This last one assisted by the members
of the jury
goes to Belœil. After a while, the members of the jury are made a rather precise idea
of the accident. At
the same moment, several survivors return on the scene to identify their deaths. This
delicate task sets a lot of time
under the circumstances and the lack of coffin on the spot.
On July 12, 1864, the jury returned its verdict : The victims died further to the fact
that they were precipitated with
the locomotive and the convoy of cars into the river Richelieu towards the bascule bridge
near Belœil's station. The
mechanic who led the locomotive is considered responsible for the accident. The lack of
experience and
knowledge of the railroad and its road marking is recorded in the judgment. One blames the
guards of
the bridge for not having indicated to the company the disregard of the article 24 of the
regulation which
stipulates that any train is anxious to stand still completely, before beginning the
bridge. As soon as the verdict was
made public, a violent controversy burst against the decision of the jury. The press
seized the affair which
made flow a lot of ink. The controversy lasted for a long time and left bitter
recollections. The mechanic was
condemned in a punishment of ten years by prison. The punishment was reduced after the
peace had
returned around the affair of Beloeil's bridge.
Return
A funeral ceremony took place in the cemetery Mount Royal, in Montreal, for about fifty
victims of Protestant
religion whereas the cemetery of Côte-des-Neiges was the place of burial of the forty
five catholic victims.
Much later, the German Charity set up a commemorative monument on which it is still
possible to read : To the
memory of 52 German immigrants buried here and 45 others buried in the catholic cemetery
which
were killed on June 29, 1864 when a train with 500 German immigrants in its edge fell in
waters of the river
Richelieu.
Only photography known for the accident taken about 48 hours later. The barge which passed under the bridge was crushed by the convoy. (Archives of the Canadian Association of Railway History - ACHF) |
Mise à jour: 12/10/2000
Par: Jocelyn Vachet
Membre de l' Association Canadienne d' histoire ferroviare