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John Luther "Casey" Jones ( March 14 , 1864 - April 30 , 1900 ) was a railroad engineer who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1900 he was killed when his locomotive collided with another train. His climactic death made him a Folksong hero beginning with a song written by Wallace Sanders who was an engine wiper for the IC. BEGINNINGS As a boy growing up in Cayce, Kentucky (which is pronounced "Casey"), Johnathan Luther "Casey" Jones had an obsession with trains. In 1878, at the age of 15, he went to work for the Mobile And Ohio Railroad as an apprentice telegrapher. By 1890, "Casey" had reached the pinnacle of the railroad profession as a crack locomotive engineer on the Illinois Central line. The railroad sent him to Jackson, Tenn., where he met and married Janie Brady, bought a house, and set about raising a family. Railroading was a natural talent, and Casey Jones was recognized by his peers as one of the best in the business. DEATH In nearly 100 miles away. By Durant , 55 miles farther down, they were almost on time. At Durant, Jones received orders to "saw by" two freights that had taken the siding in Vaughan . The two freights were too large to fit into the siding, leaving one end on the main line. If the "sawing" maneuver had been done correctly, the freights would have allowed the approaching train to pass the first switch, and then the trains on the siding would moved past the other switch. However, an air hose on one of the freight trains burst, applying the brakes on the Freight Car s behind the break, and left them immobile on the main line. Meanwhile, Jones was travelling excessively fast, possibly up to 70 miles per hour, and did not have enough time to brake. When death seemed imminent, his fireman, Simm Webb, jumped, but Jones rode the engine into the cars and was killed. It is believed that because Jones stayed to slow the train, he saved the passengers from injury and possible death. Popular legend holds that when Jones' body was pulled from the wreckage of his train his hands were still firmly latched onto the throttle and brake. JONES AS FOLK HERO IN ART
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