Charles F. Elliott

Biography

Charles F. Elliott (c. 1840s–March 30, 1898) was a locomotive engineer on the Western & Atlantic Railroad and a longtime resident of Atlanta. On March 30, 1898, Elliott was operating northbound freight train No. 18 when it collided head-on with southbound freight train No. 17 about a mile south of Adairsville, Georgia. Contemporary newspaper accounts reported that Elliott was killed instantly when the collision demolished both locomotives and several freight cars. His son, Charles Elliott Jr., served as fireman on the same engine and escaped with minor injuries. Railroad officials attributed the accident to a violation of train orders and timetable rules.