Volland railway accident
In the Volland railroad accident on January 2, 1907, 31 people died in the collision of two trains on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in Volland , Kansas , USA .
Starting position
The local operator from Volland was only 18 years old, had only been on duty there for three days, had hardly any experience and the position was stolen by false information in his résumé regarding age and professional experience.
The “ California Fast Mail ” was traveling westward on the single-track route . He was stopped in Volland for the crossing with an oncoming train and drove to a dead end. After the train from the opposite direction had driven through the station Velland informed a parent dispatcher ( " dispatcher ") to the local dispatcher of Velland that the " California Fast Mail " remain in Volland and still leave a second train from the opposite direction past should . The local dispatcher wrote down the instruction on a board.
the accident
During this time, the “ California Fast Mail ” started moving backwards and drove back into the track. The dispatcher initially assumed that the engine driver wanted to refill his locomotive with water. When the train started moving again in the direction of travel, the dispatcher only held the board up to the locomotive driver without giving a "stop" signal. The oncoming train was only traveling at around 15 km / h due to an incline when the collision occurred. But that was enough for the baggage car running directly behind the locomotive of the “ California Fast Mail ” to dig into the next passenger car .
consequences
30 people, mostly Mexican workers, died in the passenger car, as well as another, a tramp , who drove black on the roof of one of the cars .
See also
literature
- Peter WB Semmens: Disasters on the rails. A worldwide documentation. Transpress, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-344-71030-3 .