Casey Jones - Injuries and Losses From The Wreck

Injuries and Losses From The Wreck

The personal injury and physical damage costs of the wreck were initially estimated as follows:

• Simeon T. Webb, Fireman Train No. 1, body bruises from jumping off Engine 382 – $5.00
• Mrs. W. E. Breaux, passenger, 1472 Rocheblave Street, New Orleans, slight bruises – Not settled
• Mrs. Wm. Deto, passenger, No 25 East 33rd Street, Chicago, slight bruises left knee and left hand – Not settled
• Wm. Miller, Express Messenger, injuries to back and left side, apparently slight – $25.00
• W. L. Whiteside, Postal Clerk, jarred – $1.00
• R. A. Ford, Postal Clerk, jarred – $1.00

• Engine No. 382 – $1,396.25
• Mail car No. 51 – $610.00
• Baggage car No. 217 – $105.00
• Caboose No. 98119 – $430.00
• I.C. box car 11380 – $400.00
• I.C. box car 24116 – $55.00
• Total (property damage only) – $2,996.25

An update indicated an additional $327.50 in property damage ($102.50 in track damage, $100.00 for freight, and $125.00 in wrecking expense) plus a settlement of $1.00 to Mrs. Breaux for her injuries. Mrs. Deto was identified as the spouse of an Illinois Central engineer, and in the update her claim for injuries was still unsettled.

Surprisingly, there are no clearly authentic photographs of the famous wreck in existence.

There has been some controversy about exactly how Jones died. Massena Jones (former postmaster of Vaughan and director of the now-closed museum there), said "When they found Jones, according to Uncle Will Madison (a section hand who helped remove Jones' body from the wreckage), he had a splinter of wood driven through his head. Now this is contrary to most of the stories, some of which say he had a bolt through his neck, some say he was crushed, some say he was scalded to death. But we have to go along with Uncle Will Madison. He was there, we were not."