1925 – March 22, Trains Collide head-on in dense fog, Ricohoc, LA — 11
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-23-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 11 U.S. ICC. Summary of Accident Investigation Reports No. 23, January-March 1925, p. 48.
Narrative Information
U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission:
Morgan’s Louisiana & Texas Railway & Steamship Co., Southern Pacific Lines.
“Head-end collision between two passenger trains at Ricohoc, La., on March 22, 1925, resulting in the death of 6 passengers, 3 employees, and 2 other persons and the injury of 3 passengers, 6 employees, and 4 other persons.
“This accident was caused by the failure of one of the trains to approach the home signals at Ricohoc under control as required by the rules, failure to wait at Ricohoc as directed by train order, and failure to stop before passing the block signal at the east end of Ricohoc passing track, which was in stop position, for all of which the engineman of train No. 12 is primarily responsible.
“This accident occurred on a single-track line over which trains are operated by time-table, train orders, and an automatic block- signal system; eastbound trains are superior by direction. The accident occurred at a point 887 feet east of the east passing-track switch. At Ricohoc; in the vicinity of the point of accident the grade is practically level; approaching from the west the track is tangent for several miles while approaching from the east the track is tangent for a distance of 1,322 feet; then there is a 1° 40’ curve to the right 1,500 feet in length, followed by tangent for 152 feet to the point of accident. The passing track at Ricohoc is located on the south side of the main track and is slightly less than 1 mile in length. There is a water tank located on the north side of the main track .3,939 feet west of the east passing-track switch. The station sign board is located 2,511 feet west of the east passing-track switch and there are two road crossings located 2,473 feet and 1,062 feet, respectively, west of the east passing-track switch….
“The accident occurred at about 3 a. m., at which time there was a dense fog.
“Eastbound passenger train No. 12 consisted of 1 combination baggage and mail car, 1 baggage car, 2 coaches, 1 chair car, 1 tourist car, and 3 sleeping cars, all of steel construction, hauled by engine 601. This train left Lafayette at 1.20 a. m., on time, the train crew having received at that point an order requiring them to wait until 3.05 a. m. at Ricohoc for train No. 109. The train passed Bayou Sale, which is the end of double track and the last open telegraph office, 3.9 miles west of Ricohoc, at 2.54 a. m., according to the train sheet 7 minutes late, passed Ricohoc prior to the time specified in the wait order and had nearly come to a stop east of the east passing-track switch at Ricohoc when it collided with train No. 109.
“Westbound passenger train No. 109 consisted of 1 combination baggage and mail car, 1 baggage car, 2 coaches, 1 chair car, 1 tourist car, and 4 sleeping cars, all of steel construction, hauled by engine 615. It left Morgan City, approximately 11 miles east of Ricohoc, at 2.33 a. m., nine minutes late, having received at that point a copy of the order requiring train No. 12 to wait at Ricohoc until 3.05 a. m.; it departed from Paterson, the last open telegraph office, 5.1 miles east of Ricohoc, at 2.52 a. m., according to the train sheet, and collided with train No. 12 while running at a speed variously estimated to have been between 20 and 35 miles an hour.
“Both engines were derailed and badly damaged. The engine tender of train No. 109 telescoped the mail end of the combination car for a distance of about 20 feet and the baggage car of train No. 12 telescoped the coach in the rear of it for about two-thirds of its length. The employees killed were the engineman of train No. 109 and the train porter of train No. 12.
“The engineman of train No. 12 said his train was running at a speed of 45 or 50 miles an hour as it approached the station mile board west of Ricohoc, at which time he sounded the station whistle signal and answered the conductor’s meeting-point signal given with the communicating signal. The weather was very foggy and he could not see signals until he nearly reached them, but he observed that the distant and home signals just west of Ricohoc were clear. The siding at Ricohoc being long, he made a light service application of the brakes when near the west switch and partially closed the throttle; the safety valve popped off and he moved his head. Inside the cab to indicate his disapproval to the fireman for letting the valve pop and on account of the escaping steam he missed the sound of passing the water tank. He did not know exactly how long he had his head inside of the cab, but during this time he evidently lost his bearings, as later, while looking for land marks he suddenly observed the block signal at the east end of Ricohoc showing red and at the same time the fireman called a warning and jumped from the engine. A conductor who was a passenger on train No. 12 stated that a short time after the accident he met the engineman of train No. 12, who told him that he passed the two road crossings between the switches at Ricohoc without noticing them and that he lost his bearings in the fog.” (ICC. Summary of Accident Investigation Reports No. 23, January-March 1925, pp. 48-50.)
Newspaper
March 22, Lowell Courier-Citizen, MA: “New Orleans, La., March 22, – Thirteen persons were killed in a wreck early today when two fast mail trains of the Southern Pacific railroad collided during a fog at Ricohoc, La., between Franklin and Patterson…..
“According to an official report, No. 12, eastbound, ran by a signal in a fog and crashed into No. 109, west-bound, at about 3 a.m.
“The dead are:
Frank Stafford, of Port Arthur, Tex., newsboy.
- E. Conery, of New Orleans, veteran engineer on No. 109.
Frank Nebily, fireman on No. 109.
August Aupast, baggagemaster of No. 12.
Nine Negro passengers have not been identified….”
(Lowell Courier-Citizen, MA. “Southern R.R. Train Runs Past Switch – 13 Killed.” 3-23-1925, p. 1.)
Sources
Lowell Courier-Citizen, MA. “Southern R.R. Train Runs Past Switch – 13 Killed.” 3-23-1925, p. 1. Accessed 3-23-2025: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-courier-citizen-mar-23-1925-p-1/
United States Interstate Commerce Commission. Summary of Accident Investigation Reports No. 23, January, February, and March 1925. Washington, DC: GPO, 1925. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=c3zNAAAAMAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0