Researching 100-yr-old Frisco Wreck

Hi all,

My name is Alyssa Ford, and I'm a freelance journalist, and a native of Lebanon, Missouri. I'm working on a detailed article for the Missouri Historical Review about the 1914 Goodwin Hollow wreck in Laclede County, Missouri that killed 27 on September 15, 1914. I'm searching for images of engine 1040, as well as chair car 757, I'm looking for photos of various Frisco officials and employees including E.D. Levy, conductor James A. Laughlin, engineer James O'Brien, engineer Charles L. Rhodes, section foreman Joe White, roadmaster F.A. Denton. I'm also curious to read detailed descriptions of what is was like to be a passenger on the Frisco in the 1910s, if anyone knows of anything like that. I've been researching this particular wreck for a number of months now, so if anyone has any questions about it, I think I might be able to help you out, just don't ask me about anything else Frisco-related, because I will give you a big, blank grin.

Thanks so much for your advice, in advance!!!

Alyssa Ford

 

The Springfield - Greene Library has digital employee records on-line: http://thelibrary.org/lochist/frisco/employee_cards/cards.cfm

Coach 757 was built in 1912 by AC&F; it was rebuilt during during 1938, and streamlined during 1940; it was used in Trains 117 and 118, the Firefly. I have a diagram of the car if interested. Unfortunately, the diagram shows it rebuilt appearance.

You may be aware of the ICC Historical Records that are available on line. No pictures, but it is the official ICC Report of the accident. The accident report is copied here:

October 26, 1940

IN RE INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON THE
ST. LOUIS & SAN FRANCISCO RAILROAD NEAR LEBANON, NO.,
ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1914.

On September 15, 1914, there was a derailment on the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad near Lebanon, Mo., which resulted in the death of 27 passengers and 1 employee, and the injury of 25 passengers, 1 employee and 1 mail clerk. After investigation of this accident the Chief of the Division of Safety reports as follows:

The train involved in the derailment was westbound passenger train No. 5, known as the "Texas Limited," and at the time of the accident it consisted of 2 mail cars, 1 baggage car, 1 combination car, 1 chair car and 4 Pullman sleeping cars, all of all-steel construction, hauled by locomotive No. 1050 and was in charge of Conductor Laughlin and Engineman O'Brien. Train No. 5 left Lebanon at 2:48 a.m., 1 hour and 4 minutes late, and at 2.57 a.m. was derailed at a washout at a point about 2 miles west of Lebanon. It is probable that the train had been brought to a stop before it tuned over on its side.

The locomotive and the first five says were derailed, the locomotive turning over to the left into the creek which parallels the track at this point for a distance of about 600 feet. The forward end of the first mail car went into the creek while the rear and remained on the fill. The second mail car did not turn over and remained on the side of the fill. The baggage and combination cars turned over partly to the left while the chair car came to rest on its left side, in the bottom of the creek, the large number of fatalities being due to the fact that it was entirely submerged and many of its 52 occupants downed.

This part of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad is a single track line, train movements being protected by the automatic block signal system. The track is laid with 75 pound rails, 33 feet in length, with about 21 ties under each rail. The ballast consists of 6 inches of that underneath which there is about 6 inches of crashed stone. The track at the point of accident is straight and perfectly level, and is laid on a fill of about 5 feet, although on the creek side it is 13 feet from the top of the rails to the bed of the creek.

The track formerly crossed the creek at two different point in this vicinity, trestles being used for this purpose. In 1904, however, on account of danger from fire, these trestles were filled in and a water way out parallel with the track on the south side. This resulted in the water in the crack striking the fill almost at a right angle, and 180 feet at rip-rap were therefore put in for the purpose of protecting the fill. This water way is 25 feet in width and excepting after rains, has but very little water in it and is entirely dry several months of the year. The washout occurred beyond the rip-rap, the unprotected part of the fill being the part carried away.

From the statements of persons living in the vicinity of the point of accident, it appeared that starting at about 11:00 p.m. there had been unusually heavy showers. The operator on duty at Lebanon during the night testified that there was a heavy shower about midnight which lasted three-quarters of an hour. The rain then nearly stopped, and later on there was another heavy shower. The section foreman in charge of the section in which the accident occurred stated that on account of the heavy rain fall he started from the section house, which is 5 1/2 miles west of Lebanon, at about 1:00 to inspect the track in order to see if any damage had been done. He had never had any trouble in the vicinity of the point of derailment, which is located east of the section house and not thinking there would be any danger at that point did not go there until after the accident had occurred. The testimony of employees who had had many years' experience on this division of this railroad indicated that there had never been any trouble at the point where the accident occurred since 1876, at which time the two trestles were in place, while the engine crew of eastbound train No. 5, which passed the point of derailment about 1 hour and 45 minutes prior to the occurrence of the accident, testified that at that time there was no unusual condition existing, there being but very little water in the creek.

Engineman O'Brien, of train No. 5, stated that the speed of his train when approaching the point of derailment was about forty-five miles per hour. He saw an excessive amount of water on both sides of the track and, although the rails and ties were not submerged, the considered it to be such and unusual occurrence that he at once applied the emergency air brakes. When he first saw this water, the locomotive was about 700 feet distant. Engineman O'Brien further stated that the train had been brought to a stop before the cars were turned over. Approaching the point where the derailment occurred, all block signals were clear, indicating that the track itself was intact prior to the derailment.

This accident was caused by the track sliding into the water, under the weight of the train, it evidently having been undermined by high water resulting from heavy rains.

The cars in the train were not greatly damaged, and had the water not been high enough entirely to submerge one of the cars, it is very doubtful whether there would have been any fatalities among the passengers.

 

Hello Ms. Ford,

Sorry for the late inquiry but I just saw your article over the weekend. Are your still reaching this accident and are planning on doing a book about it? My great grandfather was the engineer. I would love to know what other research you were able to find about the accident. Plus I have some other details.

Thank you,

Janet O'Brien

 

Quick question I notice this report was dated in October 1940 25 years after the accident. Have any insight to why the report was done so late? Just curious.