October 11, 1861. Theodore Judah and his colleagues set off from San Francisco for Washington, DC to persuade the President and Congress to authorize the Central Pacific Railroad but build east from San Francisco. The following July 1 President Abraham Lincoln signed the first Pacific Railroad Act and said "We have drawn the elephant. Now let us see if we can harness him up."
On October 12, 2010, a collision between a train and a bus in central Ukraine, killed at least 40 people and injured a dozen others.
October 14 1980. The Staggers Act is signed into law. This act generally took control of railroad management away from the Interstate Commerce Commission and gave it back to the railroads. Under the ICC the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad, the two largest businesses in the country at one time, had first been forced to merge and then to go bankrupt. The railroad system was so close to collapse that the Federal Government had to shore up many rail lines. Under the Staggers Act freight railroads have again become profitable.
October 18:
In 1893, hundreds of unemployed men from California moved east through Arizona along the railroad tracks. Tucson police patrolled the tracks, giving each man a loaf of bread and ordering him to move on.
A fascinating historical fact, CA.. Was this caused by the overbuilding of western railroads when they collapsed because competition forced rates so low they went bankrupt?
In 1904, the first rapid transit subway system in America opened in New York City.
October 30, 1970. President Richard M. Nixon signs the National Rail Passenger Services Act creating Amtrak. Here is the news release (but you have to scroll down a little):
http://www.amtrakhistoricalsociety.org/bah.htm
November 11th, 1926: An attempt by train robbers to cause a head-on collision between the Golden State Limited and the Sunset Express on the Southern Pacific line near Gila Bend, Arizona was foiled by an alert engineer.
November 26 -- In 1926, Southern Pacific trains from Tucson, Arizona through Yaquai country in Mexico began operating on daylight schedules only, and with Mexican military guards to protect them against Indian attack.
Also in 2009, a terrorist bomb planted on train tracks between Moscow and St. Petersburg derailed Russia's high-speed Nevsky Express, killing at least 27 people and injuring close to 100.
John WR September 26, 1903. Wreck of the Old 97. Southern Railroad Engineer Steve Broady was ordered to get his train, the Fast Mail, into Spencer, Virginia "on time." That meant he had to make up an hour. Engineers were required to be on time because the United States Government imposed a penalty on the railroad for every minute the mail was late. Outside of Danville was a downgrade on a curve that ended in a trestle across a ravine. Carrying out his orders Broady descended the downgrade at about 50 mph and the train jumped the tracks and fell off the trestle into the ravine below. Of 18 people on the train 11 were killed and the rest were injured. This tragedy inspired a song, "The Wreck of the Old 97."
September 26, 1903. Wreck of the Old 97. Southern Railroad Engineer Steve Broady was ordered to get his train, the Fast Mail, into Spencer, Virginia "on time." That meant he had to make up an hour. Engineers were required to be on time because the United States Government imposed a penalty on the railroad for every minute the mail was late. Outside of Danville was a downgrade on a curve that ended in a trestle across a ravine. Carrying out his orders Broady descended the downgrade at about 50 mph and the train jumped the tracks and fell off the trestle into the ravine below. Of 18 people on the train 11 were killed and the rest were injured. This tragedy inspired a song, "The Wreck of the Old 97."
I have heard (several years ago), an ignorant person's version of the song which had Steve taking the train into Atlanta--more than 470 miles! Apparently the revisionist had no idea as to where Spencer is, and thought that Monroe (did he know where Monroe is; did he think it was Monroe, N. C.?) to Atlanta was a reasonable run for an engineer in 1903.
Johnny
Johnny,
I relied on Wikipedia. It says Virginia several times. But when it comes to Spencer it just says Spencer and gives no state. So I said Virginia. And you caught my mistake. All I can say is that It's a mighty confusing road from Monroe to Spencer.
John
Arizona, December 10th:
In 1880, the first railway mail service in the territory was established between Tucson and Los Angeles.
In 1899, Fritzie Scheff, famous light opera star, was annoyed when the water in her bathtub aboard her special Southern Pacific train splashed over the tub walls. She ordered the train stopped in Stein's Pass until she could finish bathing.
In 1915, 150 striking miners held up a freight and passenger train three miles from Clifton in search of strike breakers.
December 20, 1918. The Canadian National Railroad is established by the government of Canada. All government roads are incorporated into CNR.
In 1994, more than 40 people were injured when an incendiary device exploded on a crowded subway in New York's lower Manhattan. Police arrested one of the burn victims who reportedly was carrying a firebomb that went off.
In 1995, a commuter train rammed the rear of a passenger train in heavy fog near Cairo, Egypt, killing 75 people.
Here is another story about the 1994 New York subway bombing. It includes a reference to Denfield Otto, the New York Police Officer who managed to save some people:
http://gothamist.com/2006/02/13/subway_bombing.php
Arizona, December 22nd, 1929:
Several boys, all under 13 years of age, broke into a railroad car belonging to the Arizona Packing Company in the Southern Pacific yards in Tucson and stole several whole hogs and assorted packages of pork. For most of the night, the Tucson Police Station resembled a packing house storage room as officers recovered and brought in loads of meat.
In 1984, subway vigilante Bernard Goetz shot four would-be hold-up men on a New York City subway. He ended up serving eight months in prison for carrying an illegal weapon but was cleared of assault and attempted murder charges.
Arizona, December 24th:
In 1926, the U.S. Government paid the Southern Pacific Railroad $1 million to move 15 miles of track between Bowie and Globe to clear the way for construction of Coolidge Dam.
December 26, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson announced the Federal Government was seizing the railroads as part of the effort to fight World War I. The railroads had tried to organize themselves to support the war effort but the government ruled that was a violation of the Sherman Anti Trust Act and refused to allow it. As a result of this decision the railroads were unorganized and were unable to support the war. After the government seized the roads it purchased new locomotives and box cars but failed to maintain anything; as a result when the railroads were returned to their owners they were run down and required substantial repair work. Wilson put William McAdoo in charge of the railroads. McAdoo was his son in law.
December 30, 1853. Mexican President D. Antonio Lopez de Santa-Anna and U. S. MInister James Gadsden sign a treaty for the Gadsden purchase. Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, had a rail route surveyed through the land and believed this would be the be best route for a transcontinental railroad. Franklin Pierce, a northern man with southern sympathies, was President.
This route was opposed by Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas who wanted any transcontinental railroad to begin at Chicago. Douglas had the Illinois Junior Senator, James Shields, introduce a bill that no land could be granted in any existing state to build a railroad. Since much of the railroad would have been in Texas the bill made the route Davis favored impossible. Davis became a bitter enemy of of Douglas.
John WR December 26, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson announced the Federal Government was seizing the railroads as part of the effort to fight World War I. The railroads had tried to organize themselves to support the war effort but the government ruled that was a violation of the Sherman Anti Trust Act and refused to allow it. As a result of this decision the railroads were unorganized and were unable to support the war. After the government seized the roads it purchased new locomotives and box cars but failed to maintain anything; as a result when the railroads were returned to their owners they were run down and required substantial repair work. Wilson put William McAdoo in charge of the railroads. McAdoo was his son in law.
The government authorized itself to sieze the railroads in 1916. After that, all it needed was an excuse to do so and it gave itself such an excuse with the US entry into WWI. (Does anyone know of a good reason for the US entering that God Awful war?)
It didn't stop, or start, with the railroads. The US Government also siezed the telephone system (AT&T) and all operating radio stations. They already had the post office and they used that fact to inhibit delivery of publications that opposed government policies.
All pretty scary stuff. And none of it taught as history today.
greyhounds It didn't stop, or start, with the railroads. The US Government also siezed the telephone system (AT&T) and all operating radio stations. They already had the post office and they used that fact to inhibit delivery of publications that opposed government policies. All pretty scary stuff. And none of it taught as history today.
I have had arguments with others who do not believe this item. What is a acceptable source for information on these seizures ?? another item was the jailing of some in congress for speaking out about problems especially the " spanish flu outbreak "
A good read on the "Spanish Flu" outbreak is "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barrie. Note that during the severest part of the outbreak (late fall 1918), riding with a large group of people greatly increased the chance of contracting the flu, encouraging people to ride in private auto's and discouraging riding public transit about the same time that public transit was being hit with rapidly rising costs and stagnant fares.
blue streak 1What is a acceptable source for information on these seizures ??
]http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-government-takes-over-control-of-nations-railroads
This link is from the History Chanel. Wilson's seizure of the railroads during World War I is very well know. It should be in book about the US during that time. Your friends who dispute it must not know much about WWI.
blue streak 1 greyhounds It didn't stop, or start, with the railroads. The US Government also siezed the telephone system (AT&T) and all operating radio stations. They already had the post office and they used that fact to inhibit delivery of publications that opposed government policies. All pretty scary stuff. And none of it taught as history today. I have had arguments with others who do not believe this item. What is a acceptable source for information on these seizures ?? another item was the jailing of some in congress for speaking out about problems especially the " spanish flu outbreak "
The take over of the telepone and tellegraph systems were by:
[1] Presidential Proclamation, 40 Stat. 1807, July 22, 1918, effective Aug. 1, 1918, reprinted in U.S. Post Office (1921) pp. 45-7.
The railroads were siezed by:
[2] The order taking over the railroads was Presidential Proclamation, 40 Stat. 1733, Dec. 26., 1917, effective Dec. 28, 1917.
It should be noted that the costs of using the rail system and the phone system went up substantially as soon as the government grabbed control.
Pages 123 through 125 of "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry go in to the Post Office censorship of anything anti-government and other efforts by the Wislon Administration to destroy freedom of speach. (It's a book about a pandemic, but the autor is quite blunt about the government's actions.) IIRC, Erickm put me on to the book.
Here's information on government siezure of the infant radio industry:
http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec013.htm#part010
It's been said that "War is the State's friend." In these cases the so-called "Progressives" used a war as a means to increase their control of the population and restrict freedom. Kind of the dark side of "Progressiveism."
Think of it, the government gove itself control over virtually all communication and movement. And it freely used that control to shut down any opposition to the Wilson Administration.
Is this railroad related? By all means, yes. The Federal siezure of the railroads is relatively well known and often justified as a war time necessity. In fact, it was part of a much broader effort to give the government greater control by limiting freedom. The nationalization of the railroads needs to be looked at in the context of what was going on during that era, not as an isolated event.
Quoting Greyhounds: "Does anyone know of a good reason for our entering the Great War being fought in Europe?"
What do you do when a belligerent navy begins sinking ships bearing the flag of your country, as the German navy began doing on 3/16/17? Smile, and say, "Please don't?" It is true that ships under the American flag were carrying war supplies to England and France.
The following information comes from high school history textbook, A History of Our Country, by David Muzzey, published by Ginn & Company, in 1942.
On 9/8/16, the Adamson Act was passed by Congress, stipulating that freight trainmen [I do not doubt that the author also meant freight enginemen] be paid, for eight hours' work, what they had been paid for ten hours' work, and they were to be paid "time and a half" for hours worked in excess of eight hours. This, of course, increased the cost of the labor to run the trains. This act also provided that the President could take control of the railroads and operate them if he found it necessary to do so for military purposes. (pp. 654-655)
After we entered the war, the railroads formed a voluntary association to improve efficiency in transporting materials. But, because of the increased cost of labor and the need to buy materials, they were unable to furnish the equipment necessary. Therefore Woodrow Wilson took control of the railroads on 12/26/17, and appointed the Secretary of the Treasury as the Director-General of the railroads. Once the railroads were under the control of the Federal Government, money was made available for the purchase of necessary equipment, and employees were given an increase in wages--to be paid for by an increase in freight and passenger rates. (pp.699-700)
Not mentioned in the above history is the account of how the Colorado Midland Railway fell upon hard times--to the extent that it failed--because of the decision to route all traffic between Colorado Springs and Grand Junction over it because it was the shorter route. Because it did not have the motive power to move all of the traffic thus routed and it became clogged, all through traffic was taken from it, leaving only local traffic.
Deggesty Quoting Greyhounds: "Does anyone know of a good reason for our entering the Great War being fought in Europe?" What do you do when a belligerent navy begins sinking ships bearing the flag of your country, as the German navy began doing on 3/16/17? Smile, and say, "Please don't?" It is true that ships under the American flag were carrying war supplies to England and France. The following information comes from high school history textbook, A History of Our Country, by David Muzzey, published by Ginn & Company, in 1942.
Note that the US was at war with Germany when the book was published and likely was written in a way not to undermine the war effort, especially considering that in the fall of 1941, the majority of the US was opposed to getting involved with the war in Europe.
Greyhounds:
You are correct in that I suggested Barrie's book to you.
- Erik
Remember that we did not declare war on either Japan or Germany until each country had declared war on our country in December, 1941. The Germans and Japanese had an agreement that if Japan declared war on the United States, Germany would also declare war on the United States.
The textbook was first published in 1936, and was revised almost annually.
Once war was declared against our country, many, such as Charles Lindbergh, who had opposed our involvement in the war changed from opposing our entering the war to volunteering their services in defense of our country.
greyhoundsThe government authorized itself to sieze the railroads in 1916. After that, all it needed was an excuse to do so and it gave itself such an excuse with the US entry into WWI.
The point is that the government did seize the railroads whether or not they or we agree with it. During the Civil War President Lincoln had the authority to seize the railroads although he never choose to do so. He believe the railroads themselves were better able to provide for their own efficient operation.
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