MKT 100 years ago

r_i_straw · Feb 8, 2011

Explosion rocked Smithville, Texas
Ceremony to commemorate dark day in history from 1911

Like tracks weaving through a rail yard, Smithville's history is
intertwined with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, affectionately
dubbed the Katy. On Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., at the Gazebo, a
ceremony will be held to commemorate a dark day in that history known
as "The Terrible Explosion at Smithville."
The ceremony will take place 100 years to the day and almost to the
minute that the disaster took place.

The tragic event occurred when a boiler on one of the huge switch
engines exploded from massive steam pressure at the large MK&T
Railroad roundhouse facility on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1911 at about 2:10
p.m.

"I am unaware of any greater tragedy that has befallen this city,"
said Bruce Blalock, railroad historian and a member of the James. H.
Long Railroad Park and Museum board.

The commemorative ceremony will be simple, according to Blalock, with
a recap of the event, a reading of the names of those railroad workers
who were killed, a moment of silence and the ringing of the train bell.

The tragic story starts with switch engine No. 233, which had just
been turned out from the maintenance shop after overhauling. Mechanics
were making adjustments to the safety valve, or pop-off valve, on the
huge steam engine when the explosion occurred.

It is suspected that a defective steam line to the pressure gauge
prevented the workmen from knowing the actual pressure in the engine
and they tightened the pop off valves until an estimated pressure of
800 pounds per square inch was hit, rupturing the boiler, blowing the
engine forward 75 feet and sending the engine's tender backward into
the turntable pit.

Ten men were killed outright by the powerful event, two died later and
several had serious injuries. Killed instantly were H. E. O'Rourke,
Charles Gray, Thurston McNeill, Harry Clark, Will Phelps, F. Barino,
Aaron Harless, Phil Hubbard, Albine Mitchell and Henry Stoglin.

O'Rourke's body was identified by his foot, which had one toe
amputated. The bodies of Charles Gray and four others were found under
Engine No. 550, which stood on one side of the switch engine. One body
was found under Engine No. 327, which was on the other side. One body
landed on a house more than 300 yards from the explosion.

The Katy's division surgeons in Smithville, Dr. J. H. E. Powell and P.
Chapman (who had offices over the Hill and Trousdale buildings,
respectively) were overwhelmed giving proper care to such extensive
injuries so a special train was arranged to bring physicians from La
Grange. Then at 6:30 p.m. on the day of the accident, a special train
took six of the most seriously injured to Waco to the Katy hospital
facility there.

According to a Houston Chronicle story published on Feb. 9, 1911, part
of the engine's firebox flew through the air and landed in town
alongside Mohler's grocery store, (105 W. Second St.) breaking the leg
of his delivery horse. The story said most of the glass in adjacent
buildings was shattered, as were fixtures in buildings along Second
Street. The explosion caused a shock wave that "set the entire people
wild with excitement."
Pieces of the engine were also thrown six blocks from the rail yard.
Smithville resident Johnny Stalmach picked up one of those pieces and
put it in his yard. The twisted steel sat for 98 years, until,
realizing the historical nature of the wreckage, Ruth Stalmach
Whitehead and the Stalmach family got the idea to create something
from it that would commemorate the accident.

The Railroad Museum, through the help of historical author David
Herrington and art promoter Richard Latham, is working with local
artist Russell Smith to create a memorial sculpture that will be
dedicated the first week in May during the annual Katy Railroad
employee reunion.

Blalock said the public is encouraged to attend the commemorative
event and visit the museum to learn more about the history of the
accident and the Katy Railroad in Smithville. The museum houses
documents, photos and memorabilia of the MK&T Railroad�s long history
in Smithville.
Click to expand...

Remembering the past.

BoxcabE50 · Feb 8, 2011

From back in those days when shops had a large population of laborers, buzzing around like bees. If the suspected cause is true, one can only wonder how such a small error was made. A tiny bit of carelessness and....

Boxcab E50

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MKT 100 years ago

r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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