Wreck of the Virginian Number Three, The

DESCRIPTION: "Come all you brave, bold railroad men and listen while I tell The fate of E. G. Aldrich...." He was "the oldest on the road," but still loved his work and would not retire. He and his fireman die in a crash. Railroad couples are told to be faithful
AUTHOR: probably Blind Alfred Reed (1880-1956)
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Blind Alfred Reed)
KEYWORDS: train wreck death warning
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
May 24, 1927- A freight train and Virginia Rail passenger train #3 collide near Ingleside, West Virginia. The fault was apparently that of the crew of the passenger train. Engineer "Dad" Aldrich, fireman Frank O'Neal, and one other are scalded to death; 22 are injured
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cohen-LongSteelRail, pp. 250-253, "The Weck of the Virginian Number Three" (1 text plus texts of two other songs about the same incident, 1 tune)
Cohen-AmericanFolkSongsARegionalEncyclopedia1, p. 226, "The Wreck of the VIrginian" (1 text)
Lyle-ScaldedToDeathByTheSteam, pp. 147-148, "The Wreck of the Virginian No. 3, by Alfred Reed" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #14019
RECORDINGS:
Blind Alfred Reed, "The Wreck of the Virginian" (Victor 20836, 1927)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Wreck of the Virginian Train No. 3" (subject)
cf. "The Wreck of the Virginian No. 3" (subject)
NOTES [101 words]: Cohen observes three recorded songs about this accident (recorded and probably composed by Blind Alfred Reed, Roy Harvey and the North Carolina Ramblers, and John McGhee). There is, at best, limited evidence that any of them went into tradition.
Cohen notes that the Reed recording was withdrawn from circulation at the request of the Virginia Railway -- ironic, given that the Reed version doesn't blame anyone.
This one can be distinguished from the other two "Virginian" songs by the "Come all ye" first line.
For background on Blind Alfred Reed, see the notes to "Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?" - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: LSRai250

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