1947 Cumberland River Bridge Wreck

Overview

Louisville & Nashville engine No. 1208 and two freight cars plunged from the partially opened draw span of Clarksville’s Cumberland River bridge after a switching movement failed to stop at a signal protecting the bridge. Engineer John Black of Paris, Tennessee, and fireman M.E. “Red” Carter of Mansfield, Tennessee, were killed when the locomotive fell approximately 66 feet into the river below. The Interstate Commerce Commission determined that the bridge’s signals and interlocking system were functioning properly and attributed the accident to failure to properly control the movement approaching the drawbridge. Rail traffic resumed within days after repairs to Bridge 19.

Quick Facts

Date

10:50 a.m., June 13, 1947