Wreck of Number Four, The
DESCRIPTION: "Come railroad men and listen to me, A story you will hear, Of a wreck on the line of the old L and E...." The Number Four leaves the track. Engineer John Dailey is killed in the wreck. Listeners are reminded that death is always near
AUTHOR: Green Bailey
EARLIEST DATE: 1929 (recording, Green Bailey)
KEYWORDS: train wreck death warning
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Dec 31, 1928 - L & N train number four leaves the track near Torrent, Kentucky. 50-year-old engineer John Dailey (correct spelling) dies as he leaps from the cab; he is the only person killed
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Cohen-LongSteelRail, pp. 254-256, "The Wreck of Number Four" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen-AmericanFolkSongsARegionalEncyclopedia1, pp. 262-263, "The Wreck of Number Four and the Death of John Daily" (1 text)
RECORDINGS:
Green Bailey, "The Wreck of Number Four" (Challenge 425 [as by Dick Bell], 1930; recorded 1929)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Wreck of Number Four and the Death of John Daily
File: LSRai254
Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography
The Ballad Index Copyright 2024 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.