CASEY JONES

The only known authentic photograph of Casey in the cab of an engine. This is a detail from the photo of the 638 on the Illinois Central Rail Road.

CASEY  JONES

Come all you rounders if you want to hear

a story about a brave Engineer;

Casey Jones was the Rounder's name,

On an six-eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.

Caller called Casey at a half-past four,

He kissed his wife at the station door,

Mounted to the cabin with his orders in his hand

And he took his farewell trip to the promised land.

 

Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,

Casey Jones, with his orders in his hand!

Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,

And took his farewell trip into the promised land.

 

Put in your water and shovel in your coal,

Put your head out the window, watch them drivers roll,

I'll run her till she leaves the rail,

'Cause we're eight hours late with the western mail!

He looked at his watch and his watch was slow,

Looked at the water and the water was low,

Turned to his Fireman and then he said,

"We're going to reach 'Frisco, but we'll all be dead"

 

Casey Jones! going to reach Frisco,

Casey Jones, but we'll all be dead!

Casey Jones, going to reach Frisco,

we're going to reach Frisco but we'll all be dead!

 

Casey pulled up that Reno Hill,

Tooted for the crossing with a awful shrill,

The switchman knew by the engine's moan

That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

He pulled up short two miles of the place,

Number four stared him right in the face,

Turned to his Fireman, said, "you'd better jump,

'Cause there's two Locomotives thats a going to bump!"

 

Casey Jones! two locomotives,

Casey Jones, thats a going to bump!

Casey Jones, two locomotives,

There's two locomotives thats a going to bump!

 

Casey said, just before he died,

"There's two more roads that I'd like to ride."

Fireman said, "what could they be?"

"The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe"

Mrs. Jones sat on her bed a-sighin',

Got a message that Casey was dyin',

Said, "go to bed children and hush your cryin',

'Cause you got another papa on the Salt Lake line."

 

Casey Jones! got another papa,

 Casey Jones, on the Salt Lake Line,

Casey Jones, got another papa,

You got another Papa on the Salt Lake Line!

 

NOTES

On the night of April 29 1900,Casey and engine 382 with Sim Webb firing were listed out of Memphis on train #1 with six cars southbound for Canton. Conductor was J. C. Turner. The scheduled departure time was 11:15. Records indicate he left at 12:50; one hour and thirty-five minutes late. A good engine, a good fireman, a light train and away late; the perfect setting for a record run. He made that record run too, if the oft quoted departure time of 12:50 is correct, for Casey went to Goodman on time for a meet with #2. While Casey was rolling south, the stage was being set for his tragic wreck. Freights #72 and #83 were both in the passing track at Vaughan and there were more cars than the track would hold. It was necessary for these trains to move north or south to clear the main line switches in order to allow other trains to pass; this is known as a saw- by. Meanwhile, northbound local passenger #26 arrived from Canton and had to be sawed in on the house track west of the main line. As #83 and #72 sawed back south to clear the north passing track switch, an air house broke on #72 and he couldn't move. Several cars of #83's train were still out on the main line above the north switch. Engine 382 crashed through the caboose and several cars and came to rest on the right side pointing back north. Casey was fatally wounded in the throat. He was carried one-half mile to the depot were he died lying on a baggage wagon. The railroad's formal investigation concluded that "Engineer Jones was solely responsible for the accident as consequence of not having properly responded to flag signals."