Prompt Cast
The Rise and Fall of Train Crash Spectacles in the United States
TLDR William George Crush's idea of a head-on collision between two steam engines drew massive crowds and made him the second largest city in Texas for a day, but the event ended in tragedy with deaths and injuries. Despite the negative outcome, train crash spectacles became popular in the US for the next 30 years before eventually fading out due to cost and safety concerns.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
William George Crush came up with the idea of a crash event that drew enough people to create the second largest city in Texas for a single day, but ultimately got him fired.
01:40
William George Crush, a passenger agent for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, came up with the idea of a head-on collision between two steam engines as a way to attract more passengers during a time of economic downturn.
02:51
Crush wanted to replicate the success of a previous train collision event at an amusement park, so he pitched the idea to his superiors and they agreed to crash two trains together, creating a carnival-like atmosphere with food, souvenirs, and entertainment.
03:56
Two steam engines were selected for the collision, each pulling six cars filled with wooden railway ties, and a special four-mile track was laid alongside the main track to avoid damaging it.
05:02
Between 40,000 and 60,000 people attended the event, making Crush the second largest city in Texas for a day, and when the trains collided, it did not go as planned.
06:44
The collision resulted in the immediate explosion of the boilers, causing deaths, injuries, and widespread debris, but surprisingly, there was little negative publicity and the railroad settled with the affected families and rehired George Crush.
07:54
Staging train crashes became a trend in the United States for the next 30 years, with one man destroying 146 trains between 1896 and 1932, but interest eventually waned due to cost and the last public stage train crash occurred in 1935.
