The Paris Independent
13
January 20, 2024
PA R I S PA S T Wreck on Grand Valley Railway near Paris, Ontario
January 16, 1908 - The lives of twelve passengers, a motorman, and a conductor were perilously endangered in a wreck that occurred last night on the Grand Valley radial road between Brantford and Paris, at the trestle bridge over the precipitous ravine near Armstrong's switch, about one mile from Paris on the road to In the image above, we see the exterior view of the Grand Valley car that met with a Brantford. The accident happened disaster by plunging over a bridge on the Brantford-Paris line on the night of January at approximately 15 minutes to 10 15. This photo, captured on the day after the accident, depicts the car lying on its side in the exact position where it came to rest. The extensive damage to the car is o'clock in the evening and resulted evident, with severe wreckage visible. Notably, one of the trucks is still observed in one of the large radial cars standing on the rails of the bridge. Photo: Paris Museum & Historical Society toppling over the bridge, making a complete turn, and striking the S. Buckwell of Boston, who was through a telephone call. Their ground below. The car came to rest sitting in the smoking presence of mind greatly on its side, with a distance ranging compartment, sustained three or contributed to the excellent and from 10 to 20 feet from end to end. four broken ribs. Others were quick relief that was obtained. The incident was caused by the rear injured but not seriously. Among truck of the car leaving the track, the passengers were two ladies and One peculiar aspect of the accident 60 feet from the end of the bridge. two children, whose escape from is the fact that the rear truck of the Although the circumstances serious consequences is one of the car was off the track for 60 feet indicate that the car was not more fortunate incidents of the before striking the bridge. It is traveling at a very rapid rate, when episode that could have resulted in strange that the condition of the it struck the bridge, it became much greater harm to those truck did not stop the car within overbalanced on the west side, involved. Every window in the car that distance before reaching the lurched, creaked, then lifted in the was shattered during the crash, and bridge. Nevertheless, the car was front and crashed down below with the scene among the terror-stricken moving very slowly over the bridge its fourteen occupants. It is a passengers and crew must have when the accident occurred. It is miracle that only two of the been tumultuous. Two unidentified believed that the snow, which had fourteen occupants were seriously commercial travelers were the first drifted to a depth of several inches injured. Conductor Beacom, who to extricate themselves from the in that area, was initially was acting as the motorman at the debris and hurried to the farm of responsible for the derailment. time, suffered a broken right leg Mr. Samuel Foulds, where and a fractured skull, while Mr. J. assistance from Paris was requested Continued on page 14
