John Luther " Casey " Jones (March 14, 1863 – April 30, 1900) was an American railroader who was killed when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train in Vaughan, Mississippi .
88-514: Jones was a locomotive engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad , based in Memphis, Tennessee , and Jackson, Mississippi. He was noted for his exceptionally punctual schedules, which sometimes required a degree of risk, though this was not a factor on his fatal last journey. However, there is some disagreement about the sequence of events on that night, April 29–30, 1900. He was due to run
176-522: A caboose , two separate flat cars , one full of hay and the other for corn , and halfway through a flatcar of lumber . Jones was the only fatality from that accident. After the Vaughan Wreck, No. 382 was moved to Water Valley, Mississippi for repairs, returning to service that summer. However, the engine had a string of other accidents throughout the rest of her career, resulting in six deaths, including Casey Jones. In 1903, criminals sabotaged
264-414: A saw-by maneuver to get to the house track west of the main line. The saw-by maneuver required No. 83 to back up onto the main line, to allow No. 72 to move northward and pull its overlapping cars off the main line and onto the east side track from the south switch. This allowed the two sections of No. 26 to gain access to the house track. The saw-by, however, left the rear cars of No. 83 overlapping above
352-460: A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) left-hand curve that blocked Jones' view from the engine's right side. Webb's view from the left side was better, and he was first to see the red lights of the caboose on the main line. He alerted Jones, who ordered him to jump from the train. Webb leapt out about 300 feet (90 m) before impact, and was knocked unconscious. The last thing he heard as he jumped was the long, piercing whistle used by Jones to warn anyone still in
440-524: A Local Freight Partly on the Siding – Several Cars Demolished." A Jackson, Mississippi , newspaper report described the accident: The south-bound passenger train No. 1 was running under a full head of steam when it crashed into the rear end of a caboose and three freight cars which were standing on the main track, the other portion of the train being on a sidetrack. The caboose and two of the cars were smashed to pieces,
528-474: A New York newspaper to describe Erwin Baker and his now infamous "Cannonball Run". Approaching Vaughan at high speed, he was unaware that three trains were occupying the station, one of which was broken down and directly on his line. Some claim that he ignored a flagman signaling to him, though this person may have been out of sight on a tight bend or obscured by fog. All are agreed, however, that Jones managed to avert
616-409: A fellow engineer Bob Stevenson, who had reduced speed sufficiently for Jones to walk safely out on the running board to oil the relief valves. He advanced from the running board to the steam chest and then to the pilot beam to adjust the spark screen. He had finished well before they arrived at the station, as planned, and was returning to the cab when he noticed a group of small children dart in front of
704-575: A house at West Chester Street in Jackson, Tennessee, where they raised their three children. By all accounts he was a devoted family man and teetotaler . Jones went to work for the Mobile & Ohio Railroad as a telegraph operator, performed well, and was promoted to brakeman on the Columbus, Kentucky , to Jackson, Tennessee route, and then to fireman on the Jackson, Tennessee to Mobile, Alabama , route. In
792-431: A new section of light and shaky rails at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). By the time Jones arrived at Grenada for another water stop, he had made up 55 minutes of the 75-minute delay. Jones made up another 15 minutes in the 25-mile (40 km) stretch from Grenada to Winona, Mississippi . By the time he got to Durant, Mississippi , Jones was almost on time. He was quite happy, saying at one point, "Sim,
880-413: A potentially disastrous crash through his exceptional skill at slowing the engine and saving the lives of the passengers at the cost of his own. For this, he was immortalized in a traditional song, " The Ballad of Casey Jones ". Jones was born in rural southeastern Missouri. The Jones family moved to Cayce, Kentucky after his mother Ann Nolan Jones and his father Frank Jones, a schoolteacher, decided that
968-425: A risk-taker. Unofficially though, the penalties were far more severe for running behind than breaking the rules. He was by all accounts an ambitious engineer, eager to move up the seniority ranks and serve on the better-paying, more prestigious passenger trains. In February 1900, Jones was transferred from Jackson, Tennessee to Memphis, Tennessee , for the passenger run between Memphis and Canton, Mississippi . This
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#17328701074801056-417: A run out of Water Valley, thus opening up trains No. 2 (north) and No. 3 (south) to another engineer. Jones had to move his family to Memphis and give up working with his close friend John Wesley McKinnie on No. 638, but he thought the change was worth it. Jones would drive Hatfield's Engine No. 382 until his death in 1900. There is disagreement over the circumstances prior to Casey Jones's fatal last run. In
1144-520: A settlement of $ 1.00 to Mrs. Breaux for her injuries. Mrs. Deto was identified as the spouse of an IC engineer, and in the update her claim for injuries was still unsettled. There are no clearly authentic photographs of the famous wreck in existence. There has been some controversy about exactly how Jones died. Massena Jones, (former postmaster of Vaughan and director of the now-closed museum there), said "When they found Jones, according to Uncle Will Madison (a section hand who helped remove Jones's body from
1232-654: Is a 4-6-0 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1905 as South & Western Railway Company No. 1. In 1908, the South & Western became the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railway. In 1924, the road was incorporated with the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio of South Carolina and the Clinchfield & Northern Railway of Kentucky into the new Clinchfield Railroad, and the engine was renumbered to No. 99. In 1953, No. 99
1320-564: Is where the marker was located. The imprint of the headlight, boiler, and the spokes of the wheels could be seen and people would ride up on handcars to view the traces of the famous wreck. Corn that was scattered by the wreck grew for years afterward in the surrounding fields. The wrecked 382 was brought to the Water Valley shop and rebuilt "just as it had come from the Rogers Locomotive Works in 1898," according to Bruce Gurner. It
1408-555: The City of New Orleans and the Illini and Saluki between Chicago and Carbondale. Another Illinois corridor service is planned for the former Black Hawk route between Chicago, Rockford and Dubuque. Amtrak, at the state of Illinois' request, did a feasibility study to reinstate the Black Hawk route to Rockford and Dubuque. Initial capital costs range from $ 32 million to $ 55 million, depending on
1496-556: The Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico . Another line connected Chicago west to Sioux City, Iowa (1870), while smaller branches reached Omaha, Nebraska (1899) from Fort Dodge, Iowa , and Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1877), from Cherokee, Iowa . The IC also ran service to Miami , Florida, on trackage owned by other railroads. The IC, founded in 1851, pioneered the financing later used by several long distance U.S. railroads whose construction
1584-582: The Illinois Central between Chicago , Illinois , and New Orleans , Louisiana . There are many accounts of Casey Jones' final journey that led up to his accident in Vaughan, Mississippi. But the agreed upon set of facts state that Jones had taken up a double shift to clear up a sick engineer named Sam Tate on April 29. Jones and his fireman, Simeon Webb, had already traveled from Canton, Mississippi northbound to Memphis, Tennessee for their shift, taking
1672-618: The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad ( reporting mark ICG ). October 30 of that year saw the Illinois Central Gulf commuter rail crash , the company's deadliest. At the end of 1980, ICG operated 8,366 miles of railroad on 13,532 miles of track; that year it reported 33,276 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 323 million passenger-miles. Later in that decade, the railroad spun off most of its east–west lines and many of its redundant north–south lines, including much of
1760-481: The Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Grand Junction, Tennessee and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Jackson, Tennessee. The Mississippi Central was the scene of several military actions from 1862 to 1863 and was severely damaged during the fighting. Company president, Absolom M. West succeeded in repairing the damage and returning it to operating condition soon after the end of the War. By 1874, interchange traffic with
1848-670: The Panama Limited, the Electric District appears as "Panama Orange" on Metra system maps and timetables. Additionally, the IC operated a second commuter line out of Chicago (the West Line ) which served Chicago's western suburbs. Unlike the electrified commuter service, the West Line did not generate much traffic and was eliminated in 1931. Amtrak presently runs three trains daily over this route,
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#17328701074801936-551: The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois , in 1893, IC was charged with providing commuter service for the thousands of visitors to the fairground. A call was sent out for trainmen who wanted to work there. Jones answered it, spending the summer there with his wife. He shuttled many people from Van Buren Street to Jackson Park during the exposition. It was his first experience as an engineer in passenger service and he enjoyed it. At
2024-489: The " New Orleans Special " with a sister locomotive of No. 382, No. 384. When Tate called in sick, Jones and Webb agreed to take Tate's "New Orleans Special" from Memphis, Tennessee to Canton, Mississippi. When they departed with their southbound "New Orleans Special" passenger train , it was an hour and a half behind schedule, with No. 382 being the engine hauling the five car train since its departure in Chicago. At 12:30 AM on
2112-588: The "Pearl and Leaf Rivers Railroad" was built by the J.J. Newman Lumber Company from Hattiesburg , to Sumrall . In 1904 the name was changed to the Mississippi Central Railroad ( reporting mark MSC ). In 1906 the Natchez and Eastern Railway was formed to build a rail line from Natchez to Brookhaven . In 1909 this line was absorbed by the Mississippi Central. For a short time during the 1920s,
2200-444: The 1880s, northern lines were built to Dodgeville, Wisconsin ; Sioux Falls, South Dakota ; and Omaha, Nebraska . Further expansion continued into the early twentieth century. The Illinois Central, and the other "Harriman lines" owned by E.H. Harriman by the twentieth century, became the target of the Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911 . Although marked by violence and sabotage in the southern, midwestern, and western states,
2288-539: The Exposition, he became acquainted with No. 638, a new freight engine IC had on display as the latest and greatest technological advancement in locomotives. It had eight drive wheels and two pilot wheels, a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type. At the closing of the fair, No. 638 was due to be sent to Water Valley for service in the Jackson District. Jones asked for permission to drive the engine back to Water Valley. His request
2376-622: The Illinois Central Railroad was important enough that the IC installed a Nutter hoist at Cairo, Illinois to interchange between its standard gauge equipment broad gauge used by the Mississippi Central. This allowed the trucks to be exchanged on 16-18 freight cars per hour; a Pullman car could be changed in 15 minutes. The original Mississippi Central line was merged into the Illinois Central Railroad subsidiary Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad in several transactions finally completed in 1878. A line started in 1897 as
2464-557: The Illinois Central, but many other roads in Mississippi and Louisiana. A conductor's report filed five hours after the accident stated, "Engineer on No.1 failed to answer flagman who was out proper distance. It is supposed he did not see the flag." This was the position the IC held in its official reports. The final IC accident report was released July 13, 1900, by A.S. Sullivan, general superintendent of IC. It stated, "Engineer Jones
2552-590: The United States. The original Mississippi Central line was chartered in 1852. Construction of the 255 miles (410 km) 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge line began in 1853 and was completed in 1860, just prior to the Civil War , from Canton, Mississippi to Jackson, Tennessee . The southern terminus of the line connected to the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad at Canton. It also connected to
2640-401: The Water Valley shop team was scheduled to play the Jackson shop team and Jones got to haul the team to Jackson for the game. Jones was issued nine citations for rules infractions in his career, with a total of 145 days suspended. But in the year prior to his death, Jones had not been cited for any rules infractions. Railroaders who worked with Jones liked him but admitted that he was a bit of
2728-447: The account given in the book Railroad Avenue by Freeman H. Hubbard, which was based on an interview with fireman Sim Webb, he and Casey had been used extra on trains 3 and 2 to cover for engineer Sam Tate, who had marked off ill. They returned to Memphis at 6:25 a.m. on April 29. This gave them adequate time to be rested for No. 1 that night, which was their regular assigned run. The Fred J. Lee biography Casey Jones contended that
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2816-399: The article was Adam Hauser, formerly a member of The Times-Democrat telegraph staff. He was in a sleeper on Jones's southbound fast mail and said after the wreck: The passengers did not suffer, and there was no panic. I was jarred a little in my bunk, but when fairly awake the train was stopped and everything was still. Engineer Jones did a wonderful as well as a heroic piece of work, at
2904-685: The company to construct a line from the mouth of the Ohio River to Chicago and on to Galena . Federal support, however, was not approved until 1850, when U.S. President Millard Fillmore signed a land grant for the construction of the railroad. The Illinois Central was the first land-grant railroad in the United States. The Illinois Central was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly on February 10, 1851. Senator Stephen A. Douglas and later President Abraham Lincoln were both Illinois Central men who lobbied for it. Douglas owned land near
2992-422: The cost of his life. The marvel and mystery is how Engineer Jones stopped that train. The railroad men themselves wondered at it and of course the uninitiated could not do less. But stop it he did. In a way that showed his complete mastery of his engine, as well as his sublime heroism. I imagine that the Vaughan wreck will be talked about in roundhouses, lunchrooms and cabooses for the next six months, not alone on
3080-433: The end of 1970, IC operated 6,761 miles of road and 11,159 of track. In 1960, the railroad retired its last steam locomotive, 2-8-2 Mikado #1518. On August 31, 1962, the railroad was incorporated as Illinois Central Industries, Inc. ICI acquired Abex Corporation (formerly American Brake Shoe and Foundry Co.) in 1968. On August 10, 1972, the Illinois Central Railroad merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form
3168-408: The engine left the rails and plowed into an embankment, where it overturned and was completely wrecked, the baggage and mail coaches also being thrown from the track and badly damaged. The engineer was killed outright by the concussion. His body was found lying under the cab, with his skull crushed and right arm torn from its socket. The fireman jumped just in time to save his life. The express messenger
3256-502: The engine that became most closely associated with him one time. That was Engine No. 382 , known affectionately as "Ole 382 .", or "Cannonball". It was a steam-driven Rogers 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" with six drivers, each approximately six feet (1.8 m) high. Bought new in 1898 from the Rogers Locomotive Works , it was a very powerful engine for the time. His regular fireman on No. 638 was his close friend John Wesley McKinnie, with whom he worked exclusively from about 1897 until he switched to
3344-528: The fatal run at 12:50 a.m., 75 minutes behind schedule owing to No. 1's late arrival. The crew felt the conditions of the run, including a fast engine, a good fireman, a light train, and rainy or damp weather, were ideal for a record-setting run. The weather was foggy, reducing visibility, and the run was well known for its tricky curves. In the first section of the run, Jones drove from Memphis 100 miles (160 km) south to Grenada, Mississippi , with an intermediate water stop at Sardis, Mississippi , over
3432-426: The flagman if the flagman had been positioned 500–800 feet (150–240 m) before the torpedoes, as the report says he was. In any event, some railroad historians have disputed the official account over the years, finding it difficult if not impossible to believe that an engineer of Jones's experience would have ignored a flagman and fusees (flares) and torpedoes exploded on the rail to alert him to danger. Contrary to what
3520-425: The former GM&O. Most of these lines were bought by other railroads, including entirely new railroads such as the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway ; Paducah and Louisville Railway ; Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad ; and MidSouth Rail Corporation . In 1988, the railroad's parent company, IC Industries, spun off its remaining rail assets and changed its name to Whitman Corporation. On February 29, 1988,
3608-425: The freight train looming ahead. At that point, Jones was only two minutes behind schedule. Jones reversed the throttle and slammed the airbrakes into emergency stop, but the engine quickly plowed through several loaded train cars before derailing. He had been able to reduce his speed to about 40 miles per hour (60 km/h) before impact. It's believed Jones' actions prevented any other serious injury and death; Jones
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3696-471: The frightened but unharmed girl from the rails. The event was partially spoofed in The Brave Engineer , in which the hero rescued a damsel from a cliché bandit. Jones was an avid baseball fan and watched or participated in the game whenever his schedule allowed. During the 1880s, he had played in Columbus, Kentucky , while he was a club operator on the M & O. One Sunday during the summer of 1898,
3784-517: The line operated a service named "The Natchez Route", running trains from Natchez to Mobile, Alabama through trackage agreements with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad . At Natchez, freight cars were ferried across the Mississippi River to connect with the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway to institute through traffic into Shreveport, Louisiana . In 1967 the property of the Mississippi Central
3872-628: The main route including The Creole and The Louisiane . The Green Diamond was the Illinois Central's premier train between Chicago, Springfield and St. Louis. Other important trains included the Hawkeye which ran daily between Chicago and Sioux City and the City of Miami eventually running every other day between Chicago and Miami via the Atlantic Coast Line , the Central of Georgia Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway . The Illinois Central
3960-578: The men arrived in Memphis on No. 4 at 9 p.m. April 29. They were asked to turn around and take No. 1 back to Canton to fill in for Sam Tate, who had marked off. This would have given them little time to rest, as No. 1 was due out at 11:35 p.m. In both accounts, Jones's regular run included trains 1 and 4. In a third account, trains 3 and 2 were Jones and Webb's regular run, and they were asked to fill in for Sam Tate that night on No. 1, having arrived that morning on No. 2. In any event, they departed Memphis on
4048-466: The newly separated ICG dropped the "Gulf" from its name and again became the Illinois Central Railroad. On February 11, 1998, the IC was purchased for about $ 2.4 billion in cash and shares by Canadian National Railway (CN). Integration of operations began July 1, 1999. Illinois Central was the major carrier of passengers on its Chicago-to-New Orleans mainline and between Chicago and St. Louis. IC also ran passengers on its Chicago-to-Omaha line, though it
4136-569: The night of April 30, 1900, engineer Casey Jones and fireman Simeon "Sim" Webb were traveling with the engine from Memphis, Tennessee to Canton, Mississippi . The train collided into the rear of a freight train stuck on the mainline, killing Jones, and injuries dozens more in Vaughan, Mississippi , the last station before Canton. After the accident, the locomotive was rebuilt in Water Valley, Mississippi , and returned to service. The locomotive
4224-460: The night of April 30, the train left Memphis and started their near non-stop journey to Canton, with the only stop being in Goodman, Mississippi to let another train pass. As Jones drove No. 382 down toward Canton , the station and sidings in Vaughan, Mississippi were filled with three trains all at the same time. The crucial train was a doubleheader going southbound, as its train was too long for
4312-422: The north and headed south), which had been delayed, and the No. 72, a long freight train (located to the south and headed north), were both on the passing track to the east of the main line. The combined length of the two trains was ten cars longer than the length of the east passing track, causing some of the cars to be stopped on the main line. The two sections of No. 26 had arrived from Canton earlier, and required
4400-464: The north switch and on the main line, directly in Jones' path. As workers prepared a second saw-by to let Jones pass, an air hose broke on No. 72, locking its brakes and leaving the last four cars of No. 83 on the main line. At the same time, Jones, who was almost back on schedule, was running at about 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) toward Vaughan. As Jones and Webb approached the station, they went through
4488-468: The old girl's got her dancing slippers on tonight!" as he leaned on the Johnson bar . At Durant, he received new orders to take to the siding at Goodman, Mississippi (8 miles (13 km) south of Durant), wait for the No. 2 passenger train to pass, and then continue on to Vaughan. Furthermore, he was informed he would meet local No. 26 passenger train at Vaughan (15 miles (24 km) south of Goodman). He
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#17328701074804576-563: The operation of the train, the Illinois Central combined the Panama Limited with a coach-only train called the Magnolia Star . On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over intercity rail service. It retained service over the IC mainline, but dropped the Panama Limited in favor of the City of New Orleans. However, since it did not connect with any other trains in either New Orleans or Chicago, Amtrak moved
4664-468: The passenger run out of Memphis. There he worked with his next and last fireman, Simeon T. "Sim" Webb in 1900. A little-known example of Jones's heroic instincts in action is described by his biographer and friend Fred J. Lee in his book Casey Jones: Epic of the American Railroad (1939). He recounts an incident in 1895 as Jones's train approached Michigan City, Mississippi . He had left the cab with
4752-479: The passing of the "magic carpet" ride of passenger rail service in the United States, which once dominated travel. The IC was one of the oldest Class I railroads in the United States. The company was incorporated by the Illinois General Assembly on January 16, 1836. Within a few months Rep. Zadok Casey (D-Illinois) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives authorizing a land grant to
4840-660: The pinnacle of the railroad profession as an expert locomotive engineer for IC. Railroading was a talent, and Jones was recognized by his peers as one of the best engineers in the business. He was known for his insistence that he "get her there on the advertised [time]" and that he never "fall down", meaning he never arrived at his destination behind schedule. He was so punctual, it was said that people set their watches by him. His work in Jackson primarily involved freight service between Jackson and Water Valley, Mississippi. Both locations were busy and important stops for IC, and he developed close ties with them between 1890 and 1900. During
4928-452: The present-day shore to the east. Track from Centralia north to Freeport would be abandoned in the 1980s, as traffic to Galena was routed via Chicago. In 1867, the Illinois Central extended its track into Iowa . During the 1870s and 1880s, the IC acquired and expanded railroads in the southern United States. IC lines crisscrossed the state of Mississippi and went as far south as New Orleans, Louisiana , and east to Louisville, Kentucky . In
5016-406: The press had questions about the official findings. In the report, Fireman Sim Webb states that he heard the torpedo explode before going to the gangway on the engineer's side and seeing the flagman with the red and white lights standing alongside the tracks. Going to the fireman's side, he saw the markers of No. 83's caboose and yelled to Jones. But it would have been impossible for him to have seen
5104-506: The recently completed Illinois and Michigan Canal . Upon its completion in 1856, the IC was the longest railroad in the world. Its main line went from Cairo, Illinois , at the southern tip of the state, to Galena , in the northwest corner. A branch line went from Centralia (named for the railroad), to the rapidly growing city of Chicago . In Chicago, its tracks were laid along the shore of Lake Michigan and on an offshore causeway downtown, but land-filling and natural deposition have moved
5192-432: The report claimed, shortly after the accident and until his death Webb maintained, "We saw no flagman or fusees, we heard no torpedoes. Without any warning we plowed into that caboose." The personal injury and physical damage costs of the wreck were initially estimated as follows: An update indicated an additional $ 327.50 in property damage ($ 102.50 in track damage, $ 100.00 for freight, and $ 125.00 in wrecking expense) plus
5280-501: The route to an overnight schedule and brought back the Panama Limited name. However, it restored the City of New Orleans name in 1981, while retaining the overnight schedule. This was to capitalize on the popularity of a song about the train written by Steve Goodman and performed by Arlo Guthrie . Willie Nelson 's recording of the song was #1 on the Hot Country Charts in 1984. Illinois Central ran several other trains along
5368-460: The route. Once in operation, the service would require roughly $ 5 million a year in subsidies from the state. On December 10, 2010, IDOT announced the route choice for the resumption of service to begin in 2014 going over mostly CN railway. Presidents of the Illinois Central Railroad have included: Several locomotives and rolling stock formerly owned and used by Illinois Central are preserved, and many of them reside in parks and museums across
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#17328701074805456-648: The rural areas of Missouri offered few opportunities for their family. It was there that he acquired the nickname of "Cayce", which he chose to spell as "Casey". Jones met his wife Mary Joanna "Janie" Brady through her father, who owned the boarding house where Jones was staying. Since she was Catholic , he decided to convert and was baptized on November 11, 1886, at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Whistler, Alabama to please her. They were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Jackson, Tennessee , on November 25, 1886. They bought
5544-404: The siding. As the "New Orleans Special" rounded an S-Curve , fireman Simeon Webb spotted the doubleheader stuck on the tracks. After yelling at Jones about the train, he applied the emergency brakes and threw No. 382 into reverse at the same time. Jones told Webb to jump out, and so Webb did, getting knocked unconscious as he hit the ground. Jones' train crashed at 3:52 AM and smashed through
5632-415: The southbound passenger service from Memphis to Canton, Mississippi , departing 11:35 p.m. Owing to the absence of another engineer, he had to take over another service through the day, which may have deprived him of sleep. He eventually departed 75 minutes late, but was confident of making up the time with the powerful ten-wheeler Engine No. 382 , known as "Cannonball". This was then later referenced in
5720-563: The strike was effectively over in a few months. The railroads simply hired replacements, among them African-American strikebreakers, and withstood diminishing union pressure. The strike was eventually called off in 1915. The totals above do not include the Waterloo RR, Batesville Southwestern, Peabody Short Line or CofG and its subsidiaries. On December 31, 1925, IC/Y&MV/G&SI operated 6,562 route-miles on 11,030 miles of track; A&V and VS&P added 330 route-miles and 491 track-miles. At
5808-418: The summer of 1887, a yellow fever epidemic struck many train crews on the neighboring Illinois Central Railroad (IC), providing an unexpected opportunity for faster promotion of firemen on that line. On March 1, 1888, Jones switched to IC, firing a freight locomotive between Jackson, Tennessee and Water Valley, Mississippi . He was promoted to engineer, his lifelong goal, on February 23, 1891. Jones reached
5896-628: The terminal in Chicago. Lincoln was a lawyer for the railroad. Illinois legislators appointed Samuel D. Lockwood , recently retired from the Illinois Supreme Court (who may have given both lawyers the oral examination before admitting them to the Illinois bar), as a trustee on the new railroad's board to guard the public's interest. Lockwood, who would serve more than two decades until his death, had overseen federal land monies shortly after Illinois' statehood, then helped oversee early construction of
5984-574: The tracks and caused 382 to flip on its side. Engineer Harry A. Norton lost both of his legs and received third degree burns . His fireman, however, died in that accident three days later, after being scalded to death. In 1905, the engine ran over a set of points, derailed, and flipped down an embankment in the Memphis South Yards in Tennessee. Norton was the driver for No. 382 that day as well, but he survived that accident as well. The locomotive
6072-437: The train some 60 yards (55 m) ahead. All cleared the rails easily except for a little girl who suddenly froze in fear at the sight of the oncoming locomotive. Jones shouted to Stevenson to reverse the train and yelled to the girl to get off the tracks in almost the same breath. Realizing that she was still immobile, he raced to the tip of the pilot ( cowcatcher ) and braced himself on it, reaching out as far as he could to pull
6160-421: The wreckage), he had a splinter of wood driven through his head. Now this is contrary to most of the stories, some of which say he had a bolt through his neck, some say he was crushed, some say he was scalded to death." For at least ten years after the wreck, the imprint of Jones's engine was clearly visible in the embankment on the east side of the tracks about two-tenths of a mile north of Tucker's Creek , which
6248-514: Was also a major operator of commuter trains in the Chicago area, operating what eventually became the "IC Electric" line from Randolph Street Terminal in downtown Chicago to the southeast suburbs. In 1987, IC sold this line to Metra , who operates it as the Metra Electric District . It still operates out of what is now Millennium Station , which is still called "Randolph Street Terminal" by many longtime Chicago-area residents. In honor of
6336-465: Was approved, and No. 638 ran its first 589 miles (948 km) with Jones at the throttle to Water Valley. Jones liked No. 638 and liked working in the Jackson District because his family was there. They had once moved to Water Valley, but returned to Jackson, which they felt was home. Jones drove the engine until he transferred to Memphis in February 1900. No. 638 stayed in Water Valley. That year, he drove
6424-631: Was badly scalded. His fireman died three days later. In September 1905, Norton and the 382 turned over in the Memphis South Yards. This time, however, the train was moving slowly and Norton was uninjured. Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad ( reporting mark IC ), sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America , was a railroad in the Central United States . Its primary routes connected Chicago , Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana , and Mobile, Alabama , and thus,
6512-636: Was believed to be cursed after Jones' death as it would suffer three more accidents in its career before being retired in July 1935, and scrapped. Today, a stand in for No. 382, former Clinchfield Railroad No. 99, is now on display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, in Jackson, Tennessee , painted up as Illinois Central No. 382. No. 382 was bought new from the Rogers Locomotive Works of Patterson, New Jersey . The new 300 series of 4-6-0 locomotives were designed for fast passenger service on
6600-596: Was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery. A record 15 enginemen rode 118 miles (190 km) from Water Valley to pay their last respects. The headlines in The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee) read: "FATAL WRECK – Engineer Casey Jones, of This City, Killed Near Canton, Miss. – DENSE FOG THE DIRECT CAUSE – Of a Rear End Collision on the Illinois Central. – Fireman and Messenger Injured – Passenger Train Crashed Into
6688-617: Was cosmetically restored as Illinois Central No. 382 and was put on display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, later opening that same year. In 1980, the Casey Jones Village was established, and Jones' home and No. 382 were moved to the new plaza, with the museum reopening a year later in 1981. No. 99, repainted as IC No. 382, is now on static display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum in Jackson, Tennessee. No. 382 has been featured and mentioned in several songs in addition with Casey Jones. No. 382 even served as
6776-595: Was never among the top performers on this route. Illinois Central's largest passenger terminal, Central Station , stood at 12th Street east of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Due to the railroad's north–south route from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, Illinois Central passenger trains were one means of transport during the African American Great Migration of the 1920s. Illinois Central's most famous train
6864-500: Was one link of a four-train run between Chicago, Illinois , and New Orleans, Louisiana , the so-called "cannonball" passenger run. "Cannonball" was a contemporary term applied to fast mail and fast passenger trains of those days, but it was a generic term for speed service. This run offered the fastest schedules in the history of American railroading. Some veteran engineers doubted the times could be met and some quit. Engineer Willard W. "Bill" Hatfield had transferred from Memphis back to
6952-438: Was partially financed through a federal land grant . The Canadian National Railway , via Grand Trunk Corporation , acquired control of the IC in 1998, and absorbed its operations the following year. The Illinois Central Railroad maintains its corporate existence as a non-operating subsidiary. In 1971, Steve Goodman released a folk anthem, " City of New Orleans " about riding on Illinois Central's "Monday-morning rail" train and
7040-576: Was renumbered 212 in July 1900, then 2012 in July/August 1907, then 5012 in 1922. On January 22, 1912, No. 2012 crashed into the rear of a passenger train in Kinmundy, Illinois , resulting in four deaths, including the former president of the Illinois Central. This also ended up being the engine's deadliest accident. In July 1935, No. 2012 was removed from service and scrapped. Carolina, Clinchfield, & Ohio Railroad , or Clinchfield for short, No. 99
7128-725: Was sold to the Black Mountain Railway in Burnsville, North Carolina , where it was renumbered to No. 3. The company was bought by the Yancey Railroad in 1955. The following year, the engine was retired on the Yancey Railroad in 1956 and was sold to the City of Jackson, Tennessee . They purchased No. 99 for the purpose of putting it on display on a new museum dedicated to Casey Jones' life near his and Jeanie Brady's home. The engine
7216-526: Was sold to the Illinois Central Railroad. Notes Bibliography Further reading Illinois Central 382 Illinois Central No. 382 , also known as " Ole' 382 " or " The Cannonball ", was a 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" bought new from the Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson, New Jersey for the Illinois Central Railroad . Constructed in 1898, the locomotive was used for fast passenger service between Chicago , Illinois and New Orleans , Louisiana . On
7304-432: Was solely responsible having disregarded the signals given by Flagman Newberry." John M. Newberry was the flagman on the southbound No. 83 that Jones hit. According to the report, he had gone out a distance of 3,000 feet (910 m), where he had placed warning torpedoes on the rail. He continued north a further distance of 500 to 800 feet (150 to 240 m), where he stood and gave signals to Jones's train No. 1. Historians and
7392-441: Was soon back in service on the same run with Engineer Harry A. "Dad" Norton in charge—but bad luck seemed to follow it. During its 37 years of service, "Ole 382" was involved in accidents that took six lives before it was retired in July 1935. During its career, the 382 was renumbered 212, 2012, and 5012. In January 1903, criminal train wreckers caused 382 to wreck, nearly demolishing the locomotive. Norton's legs were broken and he
7480-454: Was the Panama Limited , a premier all-Pullman car service between Chicago and New Orleans, with a section breaking off at Carbondale to serve St. Louis. In 1949, it added a daytime all-coach companion, the City of New Orleans , which operated with a St. Louis section breaking off at Carbondale and a Louisville section breaking off at Fulton, Kentucky . In 1967, due to losses incurred by
7568-433: Was the only fatality of the collision. His watch stopped at the time of impact, 3:52 a.m. Popular legend holds his hands still clutched the whistle cord and brake when his body was pulled from the wreckage. The next morning, Jones's body was transported to Jackson, Tennessee by the No. 26 passenger train. A funeral service was held May 2, 1900, at St. Mary's Church, where he and Janie Brady had married 14 years before. He
7656-547: Was thrown against the side of the car, having two of his ribs broken by the blow, but his condition is not considered dangerous. Jones's legend was quickly fueled by headlines such as "DEAD UNDER HIS CAB: THE SAD END OF ENGINEER CASEY JONES," The Commercial Appeal , Memphis, Tennessee; and "HEROIC ENGINEER – Sticks to his post at cost of life. Railroad Wreck at Vaughan's on Illinois Central Railroad – Terrible Fatality Prevented by Engineer's Loyalty to Duty – A passenger's Story," The Times-Democrat , New Orleans. The passenger in
7744-433: Was told No. 26 was in two sections and would be on the siding, so he would take priority over it. Jones pulled out of Goodman only five minutes behind schedule. With 25 miles (40 km) of fast track ahead, Jones likely felt he had a good chance to make it to Canton by 4:05 am "on the advertised". Unbeknownst to Jones, three separate trains were in the station at Vaughan. The No. 83, a double-header freight train (located to
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