Wreck of the Old 97
The Wreck of the Old 97 was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail (train number 97), while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Travelling at an excessive speed in an attempt to maintain schedule, the train derailed at the Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia, where it careened off the side of the bridge, killing 11 on-board personnel and injuring seven others. The wreck inspired a famous railroad ballad, which was the focus of a copyright lawsuit and became seminal in the genre of country music.
| Wreck of the Old 97 | |
|---|---|
The Wreck of Old 97 at Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia, 1903. The photograph is believed to have been taken a few days after the occurrence of the wreck as the locomotive, Southern Railway 1102, which had overturned, has been righted. | |
| Details | |
| Date | September 27, 1903 |
| Location | Stillhouse Trestle, Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Southern Railway |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Excessive speed |
| Statistics | |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Injured | 7 |
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