The Baptiste Creek train wreck was a fatal railroad accident that occurred on October 27, 1854 at Baptiste Creek near present-day Jeannette's Creek in Ontario. It was Canada's first major train wreck leaving 52 people dead and indeed the worst rail disaster in North America at that time.
The train involved left the previous afternoon; it comprised eight cars altogether. Four first-class, two second-class and two baggage cars. As was commonplace during that early time of rail travel it was subject to several delays. These were caused by dense fog, a derailed gravel-train, a burst cylinder head and Niagra Falls slow freight train ahead of it. By the time it left London at 1 a.m. bound for Windsor it was at least four hours late.
At Baptiste Creek a gravel train consisting of fifteen cars loaded with wet gravel was on a siding employed in repairing the track bed. Its engineer had been told by the night watchman at Baptiste Creek station that it was safe to venture onto the main line as the passenger train had already passed; at 5 a.m. as the train backed along the main railway line at between ten and twelve mph the passenger train emerged from the fog at a speed of twenty mph.
The collision was described as "absolutely dreadful", the second-class cars were described as being "smashed into bits and pieces".
The final totals for this train wreck resulted in 52 persons deaths and for many years it ranked as Canada's worst train wreck. Even today where tragic accidents seem to occur quite regularly, this 1854 train wreck near Jeannette's Creek is still considered one of Canada's worst disasters.