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June 15, 1854

Ten thousand emigrants arrived at Quebec in one week! The fact almost startles us, until we have gleaned the additional intelligence, that large numbers of them are bound to the Western States of the neighbouring Union; and that the German and other immigrants who seek a home among their country men in the West, pay at once a tribute to our honesty as a people, and a tribute to our steamboats and railways, in seeking their way through Canada, as a means of avoiding the land-sharks of enlightened country men around us. We shall have our emigration too – unquestionably so.

June 15, 1854

Some idea may be formed of the rapid increase of travel in the Upper Province of Canada, by reading the following remarks of the

Rev. Dr. Duff, in a late address at Toronto: ” I had an exemplification furnished me the other day of what this Railway which has been opened westward from Niagra Falls to

Detroit, is likely to do for this region. A respected friend, a brother mentioned to me at London that the person who managed the stage line between Niagra Falls and Detroit  told him that the average number of passengers conveyed in a whole twelve months used to vary somewhat between 1500 and 2000. ” The other evening it so happened there was an accident. The engine took it into its head to run off the line, but happily it was noticed in time to prevent the passengers cars from being overturned. In this train there were between six and seven hundred passengers, and while they were detained another train came up with three hundred more.  ” The Eastern train next came up with 600 passengers, so that it really happened that at the station in the neighborhood  of Paris there were congregated at one and the same moment that evening, not fewer than 1500 passengers, nearly as many as used to be conveyed by the stage in  twelve months. That was in one day, and that not in the travelling season of the year. By and by you will have floods of travellers from across Niagra Falls, to see what is going on in Canada.

June 8, 1854

Northern, Great Western And Grand

Trunk Railroads
Rumor has for some time past been particularly busy with the

railroads. The old dame – it is to be feared she is fast becoming a

bold dame – has several times put a stop to nearly all the railroads

from Sarnia to Trois Pistoles. She has effected innumerable

amalgamations, erected gigantic monoplies, and done the most frightful

things imaginable. But in sober truth, the amalgamation projects have

not exactly ended in rumor. We were amused the other day to see a

formal proposalput to a public meeting at London. C.W., for an

amalmagation between the Great Western and the Grand Trunk Railroad

Companies.Any one who could bring himself to believe that this

proposal was made under any sufficienr authority, must have looked

upon the project as fully ripe; as all agreed upon, arranged and

settled between the two Companies,who had come to ask the sanction of

the town of London as Great Western stockholders. We understand,

however, that the proposal submitted to that meeting seems to have had

a shrewd suspision of this; for it adjourned without taking any

action. The rumors of stoppages on the Grand Trunk; of the abandonment

of this and that section of the road are merely revivals of an old and

almost forgotten romance. Indeen these rumors take a milder form than

they were several months ago, when it was stated by certain journals

with great positiveness that one-half of the line was to be abandoned.

This was declared a settled fact. Since then rumor has abandoned the

wholesale principle of dealing with the Grand Trunk and essayed to

kill it bit by bit. The surprising part of the affair is that none of

the directors either here or in England know anything about these

abandonment resolves. The knowledge of this business seems to be

exclusively confined to a certain class of Canadian journalists, from

whom the palm of prolific invention cannot be withheld. The

Corporation of Toronto however is inclined to be credulous on the

subject. It accepts as gospel truth the gossip of Dame Rumor about the

abandonment by the Grand Trunk Company of this and that section of

their line. Nay, it talks about proceedings in Chancery to compel the

performance of a work, which no sensible man ever looked upon as in

the remotest degree likely to be abandoned. It fights in the shadow

and asks the world to admire it’s valor! It is known to our readers

that a proposal for an amalgamation between the Grand Trunk and Great

Western Railroad Companies was made some months ago. We have reason to

believe that the negotiations have been barren of results; and it may

now be regarded as certain the amalgmation will n ot take place. This

result was probably un-looked for by most of those who were cognizant

of the existance of the negotiation. We do not pretend to be familiar

with the causes that led to the rejection of the proposal; but there

are some obvious difficulties in the way of such an arrangement which

must strike everybody. The line of the Northern Railroad by no means

takes the direction best calculated to secure the largest amount of

frieght. It scarcely touches upon the great northwest country which is

capable of increasing the annual productions of the country to an

extent that few have any adequate idea of. The Northern Railroad will

now be required to go alone; and if it can do so successfully non will

rejoice more sincerely than we. In any event, we do not apprehend any

possible danger to the public interests from the fact of the

government guarantee having been extended to this line. The prospects

of the line will soon become a patent fact; and in any case the lein

held by the government on the road is ample security for it’s

investment. But what revenue the road will yield is a question to be

determined only by actual experience after the work has been completed

and in operation a sufficient length of time to show the amount of

business it will attract. – Leader.

June 8, 1854

We regret to have to announce to our readers the occurrence of a

seroius accident on the line of the Great Western Railway, which has

resulted in the loss of 7 lives, 3 fatally wounded and a number of

others more or less injured. The accident occured to the Day Express

train, from Detroit, on its way to the Suspension bridge, about two

o’clock yesterday afternoon. The train had just left the Lobo station,

about nine miles west of London, when the engineer discovering a cow

on the side of the track, a short distance ahead, slackened his speed.

while the train was passing the animal, she attempted to run under the

third car, which, singular to say, threw it off the track, and

precipitated the fourth and fifth cars down the embankment of 70 feet,

carrying death and distruction to the passengers. the fourth car was

first class and was not much injured. two passengers in this car were

killed, one instantly, and the other surviving but a few hours. The

fifth was a second-class car, and was principally occupied by

emigrants, who had, through some unaccountable mistake, taken this

train supposing it was going west. This car was literally smashed to

pieces and five persons instantly killed, besides injuring a number of

others, two or three fatally.
Our informant, the Rev. G.P. Harris, who was in the first car that

went down the embankment, and who fortunately escaped unhurt,

describes the scene of the disaster as heart-rending in the extreme;

the groans of the wounded and wail of the dying could not but excite

sympathy from the most callous.
The Conductor and other officers of the Company rendered every

possible assistance to the unfortunate sufferers, and no blame can be

attached to the employees for the occurence of this sac calamity. the

train arrived in this city this morning about one o’clock. This is the

first serious accident that has occurred on the Great Western

Railroad, and we hope it may be a long time ere we are called upon to

record another – Christian Advocate.

June 8, 1854

Fateful Accident
An accident of a very distressing nature occured yesterday on the

Great Western Railway, by which the Conductor of the day Express Train

going West a worthy young man by the name of William D. Worthington,

aged 24, was instantly killed. Upon arrival of the train at London, he

found that one of the Cars from some cause was unfit to proceed any

further, and changed it for another which was attached to the train.

This occasioned some considerable delay more than usual, which brought

them behind time, at which the deceased seemed disappointed, and was

hastening the speed of the train to make up for the dentention. It

appears he was apprehensive that the journals of the substituted Car

might heat, and when the train was a short distance above Thamesville,

he was observed standing in front of the car on the lower step,

holding on to the handrail and leaning over so as to see the front

journals. From this he passed through the Car, and out upon the

platform in the rear of the new Car, when it is supposed he must have

taken the same position to observe the hind journals and while leaning

over, his head came in contact with a post standing at one of the

cattle guards near the track, and as the train proceeded at the rate

of forty or forty five miles an hour it must have killed him

instantly. He was not missed until the train had proceeded some four

or five miles, and upon going back they found his body in such a

position as to indicate that he came to his death as we have narrated.
The deceased was very much respected upon the line, and was the second

son of Thomas Worthington, Esquire, Inspector, for Ports for Upper

Canada. His father was sitting in the Car, as his son passed through,

and they spoke to each other, alas! how little did either of them

think for the last time! And how little did that father think, as the

fair form of his son passed from his sight, that his eyes should soon

rest only on his mangled corpse! — Kent Advertiser.