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History
15 facts
| Date | Statement | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1893-01 | Recalled in 1931: in a January 1893 snowstorm the Canada Atlantic passenger train for Rouse's Point, leaving "the old stone station (now Central Station)" behind two engines, had "at the Laurier avenue bridge a mishap": "A casting on the front engine broke and she had to be taken off. This damaged engine was the best on the road. It was the 'Schenectady,' an engine which had been secured from the New York Central." Superintendent Morley Donaldson ordered the train on with one engine, Phil Roy at the throttle. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). The rest of the item, the drifts at Douglas Cut and Buffalo Cut, is held for a place entity; see held/1931.json. | Ottawa Citizen 1931-01-31(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1901-07-04 | Maria Street Bridge will be thrown open for traffic today. Iron work has been supplied by Dominion Bridge Company of Lachine and is painted black. | Ottawa Citizen 1901-07-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1928-10-19≥ | By 19 October 1928 (the issue date), the paper reported: Sam Gallo, a former employee of the railway, was charged over a large rock wrapped in paper "thrown from the Laurier avenue bridge" on 17 October that "landed near" John J. Burke, a Canadian National switchman operating a switch for outgoing passenger trains; a similar stone had been thrown on 3 October. The C.N. special agent found that "several switches had been opened"; Gallo had a switch key when arrested. The charges included attempted murder. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge because the Citizen of 1930-10-11 says the bridge was renamed Laurier in 1901. | Ottawa Citizen 1928-10-19(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1928-10-30≥ | By 30 October 1928 (the issue date), the paper reported: Sam Gallo "was committed for trial by Magistrate William Joynt on a charge of attempted murder. The case arises out of a large pavement block thrown from the Laurier avenue bridge on October 17. The stone landed near John James Burke, a Canadian National Railway switchman who was turning a switch." The stone weighed 8 1/2 pounds. Follows the 19 October 1928 charge. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier). | Ottawa Citizen 1928-10-30(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1929-11-26 | "Laurier Avenue bridge will necessarily have to be lengthened when the Canadian National Railways finishes the work of widening its yards, according to opinion expressed in reliable quarters today. The Canadian National at present is cutting away the high embankment on the east side of its yards south of the bridge in order to provide more track space". Canadian National counsel told the Board of Railway Commissioners that the bridge was unsafe and in danger of falling unless repaired; the cost of repairs was to be apportioned between the C.N.R. and the Ottawa Electric. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901, per the Citizen of 1930-10-11). | Ottawa Citizen 1929-11-26(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1930-04-03 | "The O.E.R. is in no way responsible for the condition of the Laurier avenue bridge, the cost of repairing or reconstructing which must therefore be borne by the city, and the Public Works Department." A report by the Inspecting and Testing Company of Montreal, made for the Railway Commission, found that the Ottawa Electric Railway "has in no way disturbed the water proofing of the bridge", and that the concrete roadway the O.E.R. built when it laid its tracks in 1924 was still in good condition. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). | Ottawa Citizen 1930-04-03(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1930-04-04≥ | By 4 April 1930 (the issue date), the paper reported: Bridge engineer Ernest E. Gagnon told the Board of Railway Commissioners' chief engineer that "the east end of the bridge is in a very precarious state and should be rebuilt at once". The bridge "was built in 1900"; the concrete arches were "seriously affected by steam and acids from the heavy exhaust of engines", the reinforcing rods were "very badly eaten away" with their section reduced some 70 per cent, and the bridge had been improperly maintained, especially the painting. Chief engineer T. L. Simmons agreed and recommended that the parties proceed with repairs or reconstruction "forthwith"; he said the O.E.R. was in no way responsible. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). | Ottawa Citizen 1930-04-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1930-10-11 | Mrs. Charles H. Thorburn is quoted that the Maria Street Bridge of 1889 was "a wooden, circular bridge with high arches on either side" and that an elephant refused to cross it, hastening the new steel bridge. The Citizen of 20 April 1901 is quoted: the new bridge was built "without a straight grade, in a parabolic curve", with 400 tons of steel, 24 columns, abutments by John Burns and steel work by the Dominion Bridge Co.; "The new bridge was opened on July 4th, 1901"; "Upon completion the bridge was renamed Laurier, after the Prime Minister at that time." A retrospective; the opening date, 4 July 1901, is given in the quoted 1901 article. | Ottawa Citizen 1930-10-11(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1936-02-25 | Roland Durocher, 19, of Montreal, "was fatally injured when he jumped off the tender and slipped and fell under the wheels of the second last coach of the CPR Montreal-Ottawa train as it was pulling into the yards here shortly before one o'clock this morning." The scene was "just 150 yards south of the Laurier avenue bridge where the train would be slowing down to come into the station"; Durocher and his chum, 15, were beating their way to Timmins. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901) as the nearest entity. The train was a C.P.R. train entering the shared terminal approach. | Ottawa Citizen 1936-02-25(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1936-02-28≥ | By 28 February 1936 (the issue date), the paper reported: At the inquest into the death of Roland Desrochers, 19, of Montreal, killed "while riding 'blind baggage' on the Imperial limited early Tuesday morning", the coroner's jury "decided Desrochers met his death while trespassing and that it was accidental." Constable Arthur Rondeau described commandeering a locomotive to search for the body, which was found "about 150 yards south of the Laurier avenue Bridge". Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). Follows the death reported on 25 February 1936. | Ottawa Journal 1936-02-28(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1938-07-23≥ | By 23 July 1938 (the issue date), the paper reported: James A. Dean, 48, Canadian National Railways engineer, "died early last evening in the ambulance while being rushed to the Civic Hospital a few minutes after he had been run over by a yard train in the yards beneath Laurier avenue bridge." The accident happened about 7.15 as the yard train was backing south out of a siding; Dean had left the engine in charge of the fireman, W. L. Thurlow, while he went to eat, and "it is believed that Dean returned and started to get on board his engine just as it began to move out of the siding with six freight cars, and slipped as he climbed up the steps". He had 33 years with the railway and had been an engineer for 20. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). | Ottawa Citizen 1938-07-23(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1938-07-28≥ | By 28 July 1938 (the issue date), the paper reported: "A coroner's jury under Dr. Harry Dover last night found that James A. Dean, 48, Canadian National Railways engineer, met an accidental death on Friday, July 22nd. No blame was attached to anyone." He was "run over by an eight-car train in the yards beneath Laurier avenue bridge"; the fireman W. L. Thurlow said Dean had asked him to take charge of the train while he had his supper. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). Follows the death of 22 July 1938; the 23 July items say six cars and this one eight. | Ottawa Citizen 1938-07-28(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1938-07-29≥ | By 29 July 1938 (the issue date), the paper reported: "Five minutes before the eight o'clock train was due to arrive from Montreal last evening, a large dapple gray colt, dragging a two-wheeled braking cart behind it, appeared racing down the tracks under the Laurier bridge, headed for the Union station." Edward Bowen, a postal employee, caught the animal, which was unhurt; the owner, M. J. Gorman, had bolted from Hurdman road, and the Montreal train "thundered into the station, down the same track" minutes later. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). | Ottawa Citizen 1938-07-29(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1944-01-10 | The Laurier avenue bridge, "closed since the weekend of August 7, was reopened to traffic at 8 o'clock this morning. The eastern approach of the span has been reconstructed, the floor slabs have been replaced and the steel pillars encased in cement. Cost of the repairs, borne by the C.N.R. was reported to be $60,000." Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901). | Ottawa Journal 1944-01-10(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) | |
| 1956-10-10≥ | By 10 October 1956 (the issue date), the paper reported: Four cars of the Super Continental "jumped the tracks while pulling into Union Station" at 6 p.m. "early last evening", just north of the Laurier Avenue bridge, as the train was slowing for the station; the first wheels left the rails at a "double slip switch". Passengers for the west were delayed five and a half hours (the Journal says eight hours, the train leaving at 2.15 a.m.), and the cars were lifted back on by yard cranes. No one was injured. Filed on the Maria Street Bridge (renamed Laurier in 1901) as the nearest entity to the point north of the Laurier Avenue bridge. | Ottawa Citizen 1956-10-10(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Journal 1956-10-10(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...) |