Everything about Wreck Of The Old 97 totally explained
The
"Old 97", a
Southern Railway train officially known as the
Fast Mail, was en route from
Monroe, Virginia to
Spencer, North Carolina when it
left the track at Stillhouse Trestle near
Danville, Virginia on
September 27,
1903. The
wreck inspired a famous
railroad ballad, which was the focus of a convoluted
copyright lawsuit.
The wreck
The wreck of Old 97 occurred when the
engineer (driver), Joseph A. ("Steve") Broadey, at the controls of engine number 1102 (a
ten wheeler built by
Baldwin), was operating the train at high speed in order to stay on schedule and arrive at Spencer on time (Old 97 had a reputation for never being late).
Engineer Broadey and two
firemen boarded the train at Washington, farther up the line from Spencer, the second fireman being assigned to assist in maintaining the
steam pressure at its maximum so the train wouldn't lose too much speed on ascending
grades. The train was substantially behind schedule upon leaving Washington and was one hour late upon arriving at Monroe.
At Monroe, Broadey was instructed to get the
Fast Mail to Spencer, 166 miles distant, on time. The scheduled running time from Monroe to Spencer was four hours, fifteen minutes, an average speed of approximately 39
mph (62.4
km/h). In order to make up the one hour delay, the train's average speed would have to be at least 51 mph (82 km/h). Broadey was ordered to maintain speed through Franklin Junction, an intermediate stop normally made during the run.
The route between Monroe and Spencer was rolling terrain and there were numerous danger points due to the combination of
grades and tight
radius curves. Signs were posted to warn engineers to watch their speed. However, in his quest to stay on time, engineer Broadey rapidly descended a heavy grade that ended at the 75-foot high Stillhouse Trestle, which spanned Dan River. He was unable to sufficiently reduce speed as he approached the curve leading into the trestle, causing the entire train to
derail and plunge into the ravine below. Nine people were killed, including the
locomotive crew and a number of clerks in the
mail car coupled between the
tender and the rest of the train.
The Southern Railway placed blame for the wreck on engineer Broadey, disavowing that he'd been ordered run as fast as possible to maintain the schedule. The railroad also claimed he descended the grade leading to Stillhouse Trestle at a speed of more than 70 mph (112 km/h). Several eyewitnesses to the wreck, however, stated that the speed was probably around 50 mph (80 km/h). In all likelihood, the railroad was at least partially to blame, as they'd a lucrative contract with the
U.S. Post Office to haul
mail (hence the train's name), the contract including a penalty clause for each minute the train was late into Spencer. It is probably safe to conclude that the engineers piloting the
Fast Mail were always under pressure to stay on time so the railroad wouldn't be penalized for late mail delivery.
The ballad
The
wreck of the Old 97 served as inspiration for
balladeers, the most famous
ballad being one first recorded in 1924 by
Vernon Dalhart (Victor Record no. 19427, sometimes cited as the first million-selling country music release in the American record industry
(External Link
)). Since then, "Wreck of the Old 97" has been recorded by numerous artists, including
David Holt,
Flatt and Scruggs,
Woody Guthrie,
Johnny Cash,
Hank Williams III,
Patrick Sky,
Nine Pound Hammer,
Boxcar Willie,
The Seekers,
Bert Southwood, and
Hank Snow. The
Texas alt-country band
Old 97's took their name from this song.
Originally, the ballad was attributed to
Fred Jackson Lewey and co-author
Charles Noell. Lewey claimed to have written the song the day after the accident, in which his cousin
Albion Clapp was one of the two fireman aboard the ill-fated train. Lewey worked in a cotton mill that was at the base of the trestle, and also claimed to be on the scene of the accident pulling the victims from the wreckage.
Musician Henry Whitter subsequently polished the original, altering the
lyrics, resulting in the version performed by
Dalhart.
(External Link)
In
1927 it was claimed that the actual
author of "Wreck of the Old 97" was David Graves George, a local resident who was also one of the first on the scene. George apparently did write a ballad about the wreck, but his claim of authorship wasn't upheld by the
United States Supreme Court, nor did the Court invalidate the 1924 copyright claimed by F. Wallace Rega, in part due to the testimony of folklore expert
Robert Winslow Gordon. Subsequent research by others, notably
Alfred P. Scott, determined that Charles Noell was most likely the originator of the famous ballad, and that George's and Lewey's claims were spurious.
(External Link)
It is 777 in the
Roud Folk Song Index.
The Wreck of the Old 97 was referenced in the song "Blood On The Coal", a folk parody song from "
A Mighty Wind", the mockumentary film from
Christopher Guest. The reference seems to be a
tribute to the ballad, although the wreck described in "Blood On The Coal" is different from the actual one.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wreck Of The Old 97'.
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