New Market Train Wreck - September 24, 1904
Posted by: 
vhasler
N 36° 05.595 W 083° 36.043
17S E 265855 N 3997423
Quick Description: Head-on collosion of local Train No. 15 out of Bristol and the Carolina Special No. 12 out of Chattanooga killed 64-113 people.
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 3/29/2009 4:58:24 AM
Waymark Code: WM63X6
Views: 5
Long Description:The Jefferson County Schools (link below) has a good write-up of
the wreck. Change in plans were not followed, thus allowing two
trains to be on the same track in the days before constant
communications.
There is a TN Historical Marker for the event, which I could not
find after searching for half hour. Text: "One of the worst head-on
collisions in the history of Southern Railroad occurred 1/4 of a
mile north of this point. Sixty-four people were killed including
engineers William Kane on westbound #15 and G.M. "Dick" Parrott, on
eastbound train #12. Also killed were James Mills and William
Cunningham, the two firemen." The TN marker guide states the
location as "US 11E at Whitaker Road". The above coordinates are
0.25 miles north of the intersection of Highway 11E at Whitaker
Road. They appear to match the pictures given on the school
webpage.