September 27, 1903 –
The Southern Railway freight train, known as the Fast Mail (or “Old 97”), jumped the tracks and crashed at the Stillhouse Trestle outside Danville, Virginia, killing eleven people, on this date.
The accident became a public sensation, drawing thousands of spectators to the scene and inspiring a series of musical ballads. The most popular version of the ballad became a hit on the country music charts in 1924.
The Haus of Dcaligari 