Only 4 days later, on Saturday, 10th November 1810, disaster struck on Martinmas Fair Day holiday. That fateful day being a holiday, a large number of families decided to take a trip on the newly opened canal. As the Countess of Eglinton barge returned from Johnstone to the Paisley canal basin with a full complement of passengers, large numbers attempted to board before the passengers from Johnstone had a chance to disembark. This led the boat to become top-heavy and it capsized, throwing the passengers into the water.
In those days very few people could swim, and along with their heavy winter clothes and the cold of November many quickly succumbed to the conditions and drowned. Others struggled to get out of the water due to the steep smooth sides of the canal. In all 85 men woman and children died that day, many of them related, as it was a family day out. The Countess of Eglinton continued to transport passengers along the canal for many years after without mishap.
Eventually with the rise of the railway the canal was forced to close in 1881 and the canal was filled in and became the Canal Street Railway Line, running from Glasgow to Addrossan. However, in the early eighties this line was closed but re-opened later as the Glasgow to Canal Street line which stops just short of the original Canal Basin. Much of the route of the canal can still be seen today although most of it is now a cycle path.
Two hundred years after the disaster a Plaque was unveiled by the then Provost of Paisley, Celia Lawson, to commemorate the 85 who drowned in the Canal.