John Hartnett

- 1856

• Name	John Hartnett
  Gender	Male
  Misfortune	1856	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	killed in train accident
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-204054
  Died	7 Jul 1856	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I204054	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

• Notes

  LACY, SAXTON, HARTNETT (Galt) - It becomes our melancholy duty to record the most frightful railway accident which ever happened in this vicinity. On Monday last, about three o'clock, as the gravel train employed on the Galt branch was passing over the bridge by the old sawmill in this town, the bridge gave way, precipitating twelve heavily loaded cars into the stream beneath, a distance of nearly twenty feet. When the locomotive (Huron) got about half-way across the bridge, the engineer felt it giving way. With great presence of mind, he instantly put on steam, and although the tender had partially fallen, succeeded in dragging it and one car to the other side. The coupling broke between the first and second cars, and before those on the engine could look around, the cars were plunged into the gulf beneath, burying three of the brakemen among the crashing ruins. When we reached the spot, a considerable number of townsmen had already congregated, but the scene which met their eyes was so dreadful that some time elapsed ere united exertions were put forth to clear away the remaining portion of the bridge and the huge wreck of cars which covered the unfortunate sufferers. It was plainly to be seen, however, that no hopes of the lives of any of the three men could be entertained, as even the wheels of many of the cars were broken, the heavy wood work smashed into innumerable splinters, and the whole mass so jammed together that it seemed impossible to clear it away. A large crowd of people had by this time arrived who immediately set to work, but it was nearly six o'clock ere the shattered remains of the unfortunate men were extricated. Dr. Carrier was in attendance by request of the officers of the Great Western Railway, but life had been extinct long ere the bodies were recovered. The names of the killed are: Thomas Lacy, Conrad Saxton, and John Hartnett. There were three other brakeman on the train, two of whom miraculously escaped with slight bruises, while the third had fortunately passed over to the locomotive to procure his coat. The conductor, engineer, and fireman were also on the locomotive and escaped. It is impossible to describe the position in which the deceased were found, but they presented a touching scene, rendered awful by the cries of relatives, and one which we trust it may never be our lot to witness again. All of the killed could be seen long before the efforts of our townsmen could clear off the broken cars to get them out. Thomas Lacy, who was last extricated, was horribly mutilated, having a frightful gash above the left breast, one leg broken, three fingers off his right hand, and fearfully crushed and bruised. He was in the second car, and on seeing his danger, made a bold attempt to escape by jumping, but fell back into the crashing mass, and met a most fearful fate. Saxton was found embedded in gravel, both legs being crushed below the knees. John Hartnett, who was married only about five weeks ago, although first taken out, was furthest underneath, having been caught between the wood of some of the cars when within about two feet of the water which is at this point about eighteen inches deep. He had evidently died from suffocation as a heavy portion of a car was tightly pressed against his breast, and he appeared to have suffered but little other injury. He alone was visible when the catastrophe happened, and for some time after showed signs of life. Dr. Carrier in his evidence before the jury stated that the immediate cause of the death of all the deceased had been suffocation. The two brakemen are not seriously wounded but they both narrowly escaped, one of them particularly so. As his car was nearing the broken bridge, he made ready to jump, and caught one of the iron bars, and thus saved himself. The shock was so great, and this man so terrified, that it was some hours after ere he was perfectly sensible. The bodies, having been conveyed to the Railway Station, Dr. Kerr, coroner, proceeded to hold an inquest upon them... Hamilton Spectator 4 Jul 1856

  
  

• Event Map

  Misfortune - killed in train accident - 1856 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 7 Jul 1856 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth