Tracking old No. 97/ Danville marks centennial of train's mysterious plunge

Richmond Times Dispatch ^ | Sep 24, 2003 | BILL LOHMANN

[putupon]

DANVILLE One hundred years ago, on the last Sunday of September, the mail train let out a screaming whistle as it hurtled down the hill toward the Dan River.

It was the sort of haunting sound that could never be forgotten. One witness described it as "the most horrible sound I ever heard."

[r9etb]

[r9etb]

[nathanbedford]

Could this be the origin of the phraze, "taking a Broady?"

[nathanbedford]

Phraze = phrase

[Jonah Hex]

Nah, I believe "taking a Brodie" comes from Steve Brodie's supposed "dive" off the Brooklyn Bridge and surviving. He rode the resulting fame to make a pretty pile of cash, fame on Broadway, and eventually owning his own bar in Brooklyn.

As it turned out (according to legend), he actually paid a pal to throw a dummy dressed in a swimsuit off the bridge and yelling to draw a crowd, then point to Jim climbing out of the river under the bridge where he was waiting.

Could this be the origin of the phrase "taking a dive"?

[nathanbedford]

Yours is a much better story.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Thanks, I did not know the song was based on fact.

[Rebelbase]

"Old 97 put us on the map, so to speak." "

I thought this is what put Danville on the map: AMERICAN ARMOURED FOUNDATION TANK MUSEUM

[dighton]

Thomas Hart Benton: The Wreck of the Ole '97

[Redbob]

Thx; always been a fan of T.H. Benton's works.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Another railroad related piece of history posted here.

[headsonpikes]

I never knew that the song was so rooted in reality!

I've performed a number of 'railroad' songs over the years, and Ol' '97' remains THE most popular, by far.

Although 'Wreck of Old No. 9' comes a close second. ;^)

Thanks for the link.

[putupon]

Thanks

[Sam Cree]

I believe the Southern Crescent wrecked not far from the same spot in recent years.

[tallhappy]

Bump.

I like the Old 97's too.

FR is the greatest web site on Earth.

[tet68]

Dang, I'm sort of from Danville, didn't know that was there!
We always cried, "The wreck of the old 97 !" when coming into Danville from that direction.
My grandparents lived in mountain hill over towards Milton,
but on the Danville side of the river, fished it many times from the "Lo grounds".

When I was a child then, fox hunting was the rage among the farmers, done from trucks with dogs, it was a sight that would have made Diane Finestein faint with fear.
We had around 6 or 8 but they all just kind of hung out at different farms, so one day there would be 0 dogs in the yard and the next 25, most tick ridden and with bobbed tails. Moving the car was an experience in itself.
Once a fox got started, all those dogs would disappear out of the yard and everyone would grab a gun and hop on whatever was running, tractor, jeep, truck, and start driving, all the while hollering, " Ole Blue's got 'em down by the scally bark tree, or He's cut the branch go down behind Hunt's pond!, or Star's picked it up on the carolina road."( called that because it was the border of VA./NC.)I've seen people, in Sunday dress, pull a shotgun out of the trunk and commence cross country,
trying to cut off a fox.
Most time they give the dogs the slip, but there sure isn't a sound like it in the world, not to mention all those gun totin farmers!