Sometimes to get an idea for this section, I flip through the Ridgeway: Then and Now centennial book. On page 3 of the book is a picture of several men working on clearing a train wreck. The caption reads: “Wreck on the Railroad north of Ridgeway in 1903 or 1904.” I searched for quite a while to find the story on this (there is nothing more mentioned in the book) and I don’t think I found the right article, but I did find this little item about a wreck near Blythedale in the Feb 15, 1906 edition of the Bethany Republican. The incident also rated an article in the Feb 15 edition of the Ridgeway Journal.
While the northbound freight train was running between Ridgeway and Blythedale in February 1903 “at the usual rate of speed”, one of the oil cars exploded without warning, “throwing blazing oil over the entire train.” The next tank car caught fire as well, “as did two cars of merchandise, an empty box car and the way car, all of which were quickly consumed.” Four men were injured in the wreck with “painful, but not serious burns and bruises. The explosion was so sudden and unexpected that it was with great difficulty that they escaped with their lives.” The cause of the explosion was not found at the time of the article.
“A large crowd from Blythedale and surrounding country were attracted to the scene of the wreck, which was quite an expensive one to the railroad company.”
The engine, tender and the next car were not derailed during the accident but there were several small fires that had to be extinguished before they were pulled away to safety. The engine pictured in the centennial box appears to be off the tracks, so I don’t think this accident is depicted there.
