On Monday 10th June 1895 a railway accident occurred at Montgomerie Pier Station, Ardrossan.
The 9.07am Belfast Express from Glasgow, consisting of 7 carriages and carrying 200 people, failed to break on its final approach and violently collided with the buffer stops.
This caused the train to mount the end of the No. 2 platform and the force of the collision caused one of the buffers to be catapulted through the glass roof of the station, resulting in broken glass raining down on the people standing on the platform. Both the buffer stops, and the end of the platform were destroyed and 46 people were injured.
Medical aid was swiftly summoned, and Dr MacDonald was at the scene within a few minutes of the crash. He was aided by Dr Hogg who had recently boarded the Belfast ferry. Around 12 of the injured were taken onboard the ferry and placed in a cabin where they continued to be looked after by Dr Hogg throughout the journey. A few of these passengers became so ill, that Dr Hogg requested additional medical assistance once they reached Belfast.
All but 3 of the people on the train were able to continue with their journey to Belfast onboard Messrs. G. & J. Burns’ steamer “Adder”, which left Ardrossan Harbour half-an-hour late. Several of the passengers who had felt well enough to board, gradually fell ill as the journey progressed, the majority suffering from contusions and shock and were also looked after by Dr Hogg. Of the 3 people taken to the Eglinton Hotel, Mr Bowie had badly twisted his back and was in severe pain; Thomas Higginbottom had suffered a blow to the nose and was in shock and Alice Blower, a frail young woman, suffered severe shock.