Eastern Cape, BATHURST district, Blaauwkransvlakte, Blaauwkrantz Railway disaster, Memorial Plaque
Memorial information:- The Blaauwkrantz Bridge disaster occurred on 22 April 1911. A mixed train from Port Alfred travelling to Grahamstown, made up of six goods trucks, three passenger carriages and a guard's van, came to grief when one of the goods trucks derailed on the Blaauwkrantz Bridge over the Blaauwkrantz Pass and, with the three carriages and the guard's van, plunged into the ravine 200 feet (61 metres) below. Of the 55 passengers, 28 were killed and 22 seriously injured. Some 200 metres (660 ft) before reaching the bridge a truck left the rails, near the centre of the bridge the truck, which was carrying stone to build the Grahamstown Cathedral, turned over and broke the necks of the buffers which detached it from the front of the train. The sudden impact of the rear coaches against the overturned truck caused them to topple over the side of the bridge and turn somersault before being dashed to pieces on the rocks below. A carriage roof, a door and a lampholder were detached in the fall and were found hanging on the side of the bridge. The locomotive had made it to the other side of the bridge without damage, and so the engine driver raced the locomotive to Grahamstown to get help. The following persons were killed in the disaster: Mr. J Lewis-Smith, an attendant at Fort England Asylum Mrs. J. Lewis-Smith and baby, wife of the above Mrs. Smith’s son Willie, aged 3 Mrs. H.J. Moolman, widow of Dr. Moolman, Commadagga Miss Mary Moolman Mr. Adolphus H. Wright Mr. James Forsyth Mr. Clifford W. Dold Mrs. Clifford Dold, Grahamstown and her three children, May, Cyril and Vincent Mr. C.E. Dell of Kei Road Mrs. Edward Dell of Kei Road. Mr. J. Grant Mr. Arnold, Bathurst Mrs. Cyril Bishop and baby, Umtata Miss Mildred Sherwood Miss Kathleen Hope Brereton Mr. David Hulley Mr. Charlton Richardson Mr. Paul Tarr Mrs. Cooper Miss Maggie Arnold Mrs C.W. Dold’s nurse Mobald (Source: Wikipedia) Album complete. eGGSA captions by: Fern Swales The GGSA Cemetery DVD/ Cemetery Transcript Project only has information on the cemetery location. Cemetery ID: 7324 Google Earth Cemetery Initiative Information:- GPSID: 8818 GPS: -33 21.512, 26 43.129
1. Google Earth image
Memorial of the Blaauwkrantz Bridge Railway Disaster -1911