The Day the Whistles Cried: The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman's Curve: The Story of America's Deadliest Train Wreck

by Betsy Thorpe

Two steam locomotives collide head-on in a cornfield at the edge of Nashville on July 9, 1918, taking the lives of more than a hundred people and injuring at least 300 others. This tragic tale, set against a backdrop of wartime urgency and human error, unfolds in the midst of the racial and societal divisions of the early twentieth a riveting story of decided historical impact.

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2014

Reviews

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dutchman's Curve: I grew up just a few miles from this site and had never heard of it or the enormous tragedy surrounding it. The train wreck occurred near what is now called White Bridge Road - a busy intersection in West Nashville - but in 1918, this was the far outskirts of Nashville, in Davidson County, and just open cornfields. On a sultry summer morning, a "local" train sets out from downtown Nashville's Union Station with a bunch of stops scheduled before reaching Hickman, Ky. It is to watch for an on-coming train from Memphis and, if that train does not pass it on the double tracks, pull over until it goes by. A series of events come together and tragically result in a horrible head-on collision with the worst loss of life in US history. Many of the dead are never known - they are African-American laborers bound for a munitions plant in Nashville. They were packed in the "Jim Crow" cars, substandard segregated wooden cars at the front of the trains, just behind the engines and baggage cars. The story also looks at the trial, 2 years later, as the conductor's widow attempts to recover some damages from the railroad and clear her husband's name. I enjoyed this - the story brings in a lot of aspects: trains, WWI, segregation, workers' rights, even ageism. There is a lot to think about. I just find it amazing that in my years of growing up here that I never heard of this huge wreck. Just amazing...

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good to see a book on the collision at Dutchman's Curve in Nashville in 1918 - the deadliest train crash in US history. Thorpe's book is very readable and clocks in at 208 pages before appendices. Thorpe says this book falls into the genre of creative nonfiction, meaning she has chosen to add dialogue and everyday events she created to help bring the historical events to life. The book is structured around the actual crash and the lawsuit that sought to attribute responsibility for the crash.
It's nice to see a book on its topic. The book's best attribute in my view is its readability. There is some discussion of the factors that helped to create the situation - WW1 induced labor shortages, Jim Crow practices, and wartime production needs - but does not have in depth analysis of any of these.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. What I didn't like was the focus on the trial held 2 yrs after the crash. I would have liked more of the history which the author did address at the very end. But there was too much attention to the trial in 1920 that really didn't add to the interest of the book - for me.

[Mark Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Ms. Thorpe does a great job researching and using dramatic artistic license to tell a tragic tale. Like so many other historic tragedies, the 1918 NC& StL train crash was the result of multiple errors. Had just one not occurred the disaster may have well been avoided. A good read.

[Marlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love trains

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** and 1/2 is my actual rating! Well researched piece of Nashville history about the biggest train wreck in American history. It occurred in Nashville just beyond St Mary's on White Bridge Rd. on what was called Dutchman's Curve in 1918. So, a woman from Oregon researches it, writes about it, and in 2008, has a marker placed that remembers this tragic event! Way to go Betsy Thorpe!