Spanish River derailment

The Spanish River derailment is a rail transport accident that occurred on January 21, 1910, on the CPR line where the railway crosses the Spanish River near the settlement of Nairn in Northern Ontario, Canada.

During the early afternoon on January 21, 1910, Canadian Pacific Railway's westbound Soo Express derailed as it crossed the bridge over the Spanish River. 44 people died as a result of the accident and many more were injured.

Conductor Thomas Reynolds of North Bay made a daring escape from the submerged dining car into the freezing water. After surfacing, he hauled out several passengers through the roof hatch. Some construction workers who were working nearby also assisted saving some passengers.

References

• History Bites, Awful Wreck. Retrieved January 13, 2006.