John Luther Jones, conhecido como Casey Jones (14 de março de 1864 - 30 de abril de 1900[1]) foi um maquinista norte-americano de Jackson, Tennessee, que trabalhava para a ferrovia Central de Illinois (IC). Em 30 de abril de 1900, ele foi morto quando seu comboio de passageiros, o "Cannonball Express", colidiu com um trem de carga parado em Vaughan, Mississippi,[2] numa noite de nevoeiro e chuva.
Jones já era famoso entre seus colegas por seu profissionalismo e dedicação, mas depois do acidente virou um mito não só entre os ferroviários. Ele poderia ter pulado do trem e se salvado, mas preferiu conduzir até o fim e evitar que o trem descarrilasse, o que teria sido uma grande tragédia, pois o trem era de passageiros. Casey Jones foi a única pessoa a morrer naquela noite.
Jones was a locomotive engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad, based in Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi. He was noted for his exceptionally punctual schedules, which sometimes required a degree of risk, though this was not a factor on his fatal last journey. However, there is some disagreement about the sequence of events on that night, 29-30 April 1900.
He was due to run the southbound passenger service from Memphis to Canton, Mississippi, departing 11.35pm. Owing to engineer absence, he had to take over another service through the day, which may have deprived him of sleep. He eventually departed 75 minutes late, but was confident of making up the time, with the powerful ten-wheeler Engine No. 382, known as "Cannonball".
Approaching Vaughan at high speed, he was unaware that three trains were occupying the station, one of them broken down and directly on his line. Some claim that he ignored a flagman signalling to him, though this person may have been out of sight on a tight bend, or obscured by fog. All are agreed, however, that Jones managed to avert a potentially disastrous crash through his exceptional skill at slowing the engine and saving the lives of the passengers at the cost of his own. For this, he was immortalized in a traditional song, "The Ballad of Casey Jones".
8 сен 2024
