1914 Jan 3 - GTR Fatality

“The first fatality of 1914 in Hamilton occurred shortly before midnight yesterday, when Louis Williams, 49 Ferrie street west, was so badly mangled in the Grand Trunk yards on Stuart street that he died at the city hospital at 3 o’clock this morning.”¹  

Hamilton Spectator. January 3, 1914¹

Workplace accidents were not uncommon in the Hamilton of January, 1914.  

One of the most dangerous areas in the city for serious injury was the area, often referred to as “the dark and bloody ground.”

From the Grand Trunk railway marshalling yards beside the bay to where the G.T.R. tracks crossed the Desjardins canal, many people had lost their lives working with, or riding on trains.

Louis Williams was a car inspector at the G.T.R. yards, where a freight train was being assembled just before midnight.

Whether the absence of proper lighting was a factor was not known, but what was known was that Williams was standing between tracks with his hand on the coupling pin of a freight car. A shunting engine, attached to three box cars was backing into place, when somehow Williams got pinned between the car to be attached and those already coupled to the shunting engine.

Before the engineer of the shunting engine could be made aware of what had happened, the four wheels of engineer passed over Williams.

A call was made for an ambulance, and Williams was rushed to the city hospital where he was immediately rushed into an operating room :

“After a cursory examination, the doctors in attendance decided that amputation was imperative to save Williams’ life, and his right leg and left arm were taken off. The leg was amputated at the thigh and the arm at the elbow.

“Williams was very weak from loss of blood, but he rallied after the operation for a short time, and then suffered a relapse and passed away.”¹

“Car Inspector Mangled Under Freight Train : Louis Williams Fatally Hurt in G. T. R. Yards : Doctors Amputated Right Leg and Arm : Victim Died at the Hospital Early This Morning.”

Hamilton Spectator.  January 3, 1914.

Louis Williams had been a long-term employee at the G. T. R. yards and was said to be very popular with his co-workers.

When Mrs. Williams was informed of her husband’s death, she could not be comforted and was taken to her sister’s home to recover as best she could.