What caused the wreck of the old 97?
The wreck inspired a famous railroad ballad, which was the focus of a convoluted copyright lawsuit but became seminal in the genre of country music….
| Wreck of the Old 97 | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Line | Southern Railway |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Excessive speed |
Is The Wreck of Old 97 a true story?
The wreck of the Old 97 occurred on September 27, 1903, when the Southern Railway freight train called the Fast Mail (or “Old 97”) left the tracks and crashed at the Stillhouse Trestle outside Danville, Virginia, killing eleven people.
When did the Old 97 wreck?
September 27, 1903
Image from Encyclopedia Virginia. On September 27, 1903, arguably the most famous train wreck in U.S. history, the wreck of the old 97, occurred in Danville, Va. The mail train was in route to Spencer in Rowan County.
What kind of train was the Old 97?
The Fast Mail
The Fast Mail was a Southern Railway mail and express train that operated between Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, Louisiana. The southbound Fast Mail carried the train number of 97, and was later known by the nickname of “Old 97”.
What is the story of Casey Jones?
Casey Jones was a locomotive engineer who became a folk hero after his death in a train crash in 1900 was commemorated in a number of songs. As the train rounded a curve near Vaughan, Mississippi, it collided with another train on the tracks, but not before Jones told his fireman to jump to safety.
Who wrote the song The Wreck of Old 97?
Henry Whitter
The Wreck of the Old ’97/Composers
Is Casey Jones a true story?
Born John Luther Jones on March 14, 1864, in Missouri, Casey Jones is an American folk hero who was an engineer during the heyday of the American railroad. A ballad written by Wallace Saunders entitled “The Ballad of Casey Jones” made Jones a permanent figure in American folklore.
Where is Casey Jones buried?
Mount Calvary Cemetery
Casey Jones’s body was sent back to Jackson, Tennessee. A funeral mass was held on May 1, 1900, at St. Mary’s Church, where, fourteen years earlier, Casey had married Janie Brady. He is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery.