Ephesus railway accident

The Ephesus railway accident occurred on October 22, 1912 and is still one of the most momentous railway accidents worldwide. In relation to this, it is extremely poorly documented. There are several versions of the accident. More than 200 people were killed in the accident.

Starting position

It is undisputed that the train that crashed was on the İzmir – Eğirdir railway to Smyrna and that it was used to transport troops. About 800 soldiers , it is said to have been a battalion , are said to have been transported by train. It is also undisputed that the accident occurred in or near Ephesus ( Selçuk ) and that the Ottoman Railway Company , a British company, was the operator of the railway at that time.

the accident

According to one representation, it was a head-on collision between the military transport train and a freight train .

According to another illustration, the military transport train derailed and fell down a high embankment.

According to a third depiction, a coupling of the military transport train broke on a slope inside a tunnel . The engine driver is said to have driven to Smyrna station at the highest possible speed to warn the railway workers there. The detached wagons ran after the train on the slope and hit the freight train on the through track of the station , which was traveling in the opposite direction and could no longer be shunted away in time . This representation seems highly improbable in terms of the process.

consequences

More than 200 people were killed, including all railway staff, and 250 others were injured.

Web links

• NN: Accident at Ephesus - Turkish Soldiers killed in Railway Collision . In: Ashburton Guardian , vol. 33, issue 8393 B.C. October 23, 1912, p. 5.
• NN: A crashed Turkish military train . In: Die Neue Zeitung (Vienna) v. October 23, 1912 citing the Frankfurter Zeitung .
• NN: Soldiers killed in train smash . In: The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser v. November 21, 1912, p. 323.

Remarks

1. ↑ The line was then in operation between İzmir and Aydin (NN: a crashed Turkish military train ).
2. ↑ NN: A crashed Turkish military train reports that "almost" all of the railway personnel were killed.

Individual evidence

1. ^ NN: Accident at Ephesus .
2. ^ NN: Soldiers killed .
3. ^ NN: Accident at Ephesus .
4. ↑ NN: A failed Turkish military train .
5. ^ Neil Robinson: World Rail Atlas . Vol. 8: The Middle East and Caucasus . 2006, p. 47, plates 7 + 9.
6. ^ NN: Accident at Ephesus .
7. ↑ NN: A failed Turkish military train .
8. ^ NN: Soldiers killed .
9. ^ NN: Soldiers killed .

Coordinates: 37 ° 57 ′ 3.6 ″  N , 27 ° 22 ′ 22.7 ″  E