Blaauwkrantz Bridge Disaster

[Steve Appleton]

The Blaauwkrantz Bridge Disaster by Bev Young. Posted at The Heritage Portal at: http://www.theheritageportal.co.za/arti ... e-disaster

An account of the railway disaster that took place on the Blaaukrantz Bridge between Port Alfred and Grahamstown on Saturday, April 22, 1911. In this derailment and the consequent accident the train's coaches fell from the bridge into the gorge below. 29 passengers died and 23 were injured.

"Mr. Robinson, driver of the 11.10 on Saturday April 22 1911, was aware of potential passengers as he steamed along. By the time he reached Martindale, he had 52 on board. ... Two-thirds of the way across [the bridge] there was a sudden lifting and lightening of the load. The sound of metal, the flump of steel on steel, smoke and dust rising. The fourth truck had uncoupled. One can only guess at Robinson’s (the train driver) horror at the moment of turning his head and seeing the fourth truck rail-jump, fall on its side, the grind of steel as the passenger carriages and guard's van plummeted into space, the roof of one detaching, the last coach in which the black passengers were travelling, somersaulting once before it hit the rocks more than 60m below."