On May 22, 1878, the Empress of India, which had been launched in 1877 and was meant to be a pleasure steamboat on the Grand River, went over the dam at Blain's, resulting in eight fatalities. The accident was attributed to a combination of factors including a problem with the rudder, an increasingly swollen river, and overconfidence.
On May 22, 1878, the Empress of India, which had been launched in 1877 and was meant to be a pleasure steamboat on the Grand River, went over the dam at Blain's, resulting in eight fatalities. The accident was attributed to a combination of factors including a problem with the rudder, an increasingly swollen river, and overconfidence.