The Great Train Wreck of 1918

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The collision of two passenger trains in Nashville killed 101 people.

The Great Train Wreck of 1918 occurred on July 9, 1918, in Nashville, Tennessee when two passenger trains collided head-on. The collision killed 101 people and injured 171, making it one of the deadliest rail accidents in United States history.

The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis train No. 4 pulled by locomotive No. 282, left Union Station in downtown Nashville at 7:07 a.m. bound for Memphis. At the same time, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis train No. 1, pulled by locomotive No. 281 was heading into Nashville from Memphis, running thirty-five minutes late.

The No. 1 had the right of way so the trainmen of No. 4 were supposed to watch for the No. 1 running past them on the double tracks heading out of Union Station. If they didn't see the No. 1 before hitting a 10-mile stretch of single track west of downtown, they were supposed to stop and wait. The practice at that time was that the outbound crews would be informed which locomotive number was arriving with the opposing train. Thus the onus was placed on the train and enginemen to visually identify each train that was met. On July 9th, the engineman of No. 4 failed to do this. Additionally, the conductor of No. 4 chose to busy himself with the collection of passenger's transportation instead of insuring that No. 1-engine No. 281 was properly identified and met. He delegated the responsibility of identifying opposing No. 1 to a greenhorn flagman. The flagman mistook a switcher hauling a cut of empty passenger coaches as being No. 1.

As the No. 4 approached the interlocking tower at Shops Junction, tower operator J. S. Johnson showed a clear signal from the tower's train order signals, indicating all was clear. As he stopped to record the train in his logs, he noticed that there was no entry showing that the No. 1 had passed. Johnson reported to the dispatcher who telegraphed back, "He meets No. 1 there, can you stop him?" Johnson sounded the emergency whistle, but there was no one at the rear of the No. 4 to hear it. The train passed on the assumption that the clear train order board indicated that the line ahead was clear. Also, the engineman and conductor failed to visually inspect the train register at Shops Junction to ascertain as to whether No. 1 had yet arrived. That was required by operating instructions issued by the railroad's management prior to the wreck.

Shortly after 7:15 a.m. the two trains collided at Dutchman's Grade near White Bridge Road. It is estimated they were both traveling at about 60 miles per hour. Many of the wooden cars were crushed or hurled sideways. The sound of the collision could be heard two miles away.

Although the final death toll is disputed, the Interstate Commerce Commission listed the dead at 101. At least 171 people were injured. Many of the victims were African American laborers from Arkansas and Memphis who were coming to work at the gunpowder plant in Old Hickory outside of Nashville. As many as 50,000 people came to the track that day to help rescue survivors, search for loved ones, or simply witness the tragic scene.

In its official report, the Interstate Commerce Commission was very harsh on the railroad. A combination of sloppy operating practices, human error and lax enforcement of operating rules led to this worst passenger train wreck in U.S. history. Had the towerman properly left his signal at danger, the conductor monitored his train's progress rather than entrusting it to a subordinate, and had the crew inspected the train register at Shops Junction as required, the accident would not have happened

[edit] References

Kilen, Mike. "That Mournful Sound", The Tennessean, July 5, 1998.
"N. & C. Wreck Near Nashville Takes Toll of Dead and Hurt", Nashville Banner, July 9, 1918.