Crush, Texas
The railway accident Crush ( Texas ) was a staged on September 15, 1896 by the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad event in which two trains were brought to a large crowd of spectators intentionally in a head-on collision to collision. Three deaths were the result.
Preparation
The idea for the show came from William George Crush, which at the Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad for passenger total charge. The business idea behind this was that as many onlookers with the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad arrived to the event and the railway company as the ticket sales made . Entrance fee was not charged, the tickets cost uniformly from all over Texas two dollars.
For the event of the place West in McLennan County was a temporary tent city on a railroad track in the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad, Crush, about 5 km south erected. These included two wells that have been specially created tent of the Ringling Brothers and a whistle. Next, a second for the event was built parallel to the existing railway line, so that the traffic on the main line was not disturbed by.
The two American 2-B -0 locomotives used bore the number 999 (bright green painted) and 1001 ( bright red ). Both took months before the event throughout Texas to promote it.
30,000-40,000 spectators traveled to the event. The crowd was so large that the start was delayed by an hour until the police managed, people push back so far that it was believed that no one could come to harm.
Collision
At 17 clock the two trains were moved to the opposite ends of the 6.5 km long route. They consisted of two locomotives and old wagons loaded with railway sleepers. The engine-driver put the machine in motion, had been previously determined exactly how much steam was given so that the trains also centrally clashed on the track in front of the grandstand. Once that was done, jumped from the train drivers. When the two met trains, each drove at about 70 km / h
What the organizers had not expected: The collision resulted in two locomotives boiler explosion. Wreckage of the vehicles of some of considerable size were several hundred yards thrown. Three spectators were fatally wounded, even more injured. The official photographer of the event, Jarvis "Joe" Deane, lost an eye by a bolt that struck him. The energy released in the collision kinetic energy corresponded to an equivalent of 50 kg of TNT.
Aftermath
William George Crush was released by the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad immediately. Since, however, failed to a negative public reaction to the event, he was reinstated the next day.
Scott Joplin, who was in the area, of which, however, is not sure if he saw the event, wrote The Great Crush Collision March, the less than a month after the event appeared. The song contains game instructions to the musicians, such as the collision sound is to be imitated.