TRAIN WRECK!
The story of 19 historic
rail disasters: 1833-1958
by
WESLEY S. GRISWOLD
Illustrated with Contemporary engravings
and photographs
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Hardcover with dust jacket; 150 pages; Size Approx. 5 3/4 X 8 3/4.
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Published by The Stephen Greene Press; copyright 1969, First Edition.
Details: "Train Wreck! by Wesley S. Griswold tells in siteen vivid narratives the story of nineteen appallingly destructive wrecks that spurred the invention or adoption and enforcement of railway safety devices and rules.
First is an 1833 derailment causing the first passenger fatalities on the railroad record. John Quincy Adams was aboard, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was so seriously hurt that he bore a traumatic grudge against railroads for 30 years thereafter!
The author goes on to describe what happened in other historic instances of trains out of control, of open draws and buckling spans, of signals unseen or mistaken, of human error and mechanical failure through 125 years of railroad passenger service in America, concluding with a 1958 mystery-- the as yet baffling plunge of a Jersey Central commuter train through an open drawbridge into Newark Bay on a bright September morning.
The book divides about equally between the 19th and 20th centuries, reminding us that even with dependable and seemingly foolproof safety systems on guard, the horrifying cry of 'train wreck' may still stop our hearts and rivet our attention." (from the dust jacket flap)
The book has a black cloth binding with red metallic lettering on the front cover and spine; red endpapers; many illustrations in black and white.
A fine addition for your bookshelf!
Condition: The book is in very good condition with a firm binding and clean pages. The dust jacket is showing edge wear; there is a large chip at the lower edge of the back cover; there are some small chips at the spine ends; a few short edge tears; lightly soiled; otherwise the dust jacket is in good condition.
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Note: The letter/number at the end of the title line
for this listing is just an inventory code
for locating the book.
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