1914-07-06aab

As 1914 began, Hamilton Mayor Allan and the aldermen had been pressuring the Hamilton Street Railway company to fix a problem that was only too obvious to all users of the street cars running along the York Street line.

          It was hoped that the whole York street line would be upgraded and the city politicians pressed hard to have the whole done. However the executives argued that the company was facing heavy expenditures repairing the King street east roadbed, extending service to new sections of the city to the east, and the receipts had plummeted since the previous fall due to the general economic downturn:

          “The company frankly admits that the York street roadbed has been long in need of repairing.”¹

               ¹ “Crowded Car Jumped York Street Rails : Hurdled Sidewalk and Crashed Into Building”

          Hamilton Spectator. July 6, 1914

          The inevitable happened on Sunday July 5, 1914. :

          “The York street cars were crowded from early morning yesterday with people who thronged to Dundurn park to enjoy the refreshing breeze off the bay.

          “The night cars were all loaded. One of them, speeding down York street, shortly after 10 o’clock, jumped the track near the corner of Hess street and crashed into the barber shop occupied by J. L. Anderson, barber.”¹

               There were about 75 passengers on board, and, remarkably no one on board was injured or even overly alarmed. However, there were quite a number of people walking on the sidewalks, most returning from Dundurn Park. Many were badly frightened by the sight of the big street car running off the tracks, several people had to move quickly to avoid being struck.

          When approached by reporters the morning after the accident, Hamilton Street Railway company officials refused comment, merely saying that the accident was under investigation.