The Crash at Crush

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we recount the spectacular disaster that was the 1896 “Crash at Crush.” What started as a publicity stunt involving two steam locomotives and a crowd of 40,000 eager onlookers quickly went off the rails—literally. With explosions, flying debris, and a photographer who paid for the perfect shot with his eye, this event was a PR nightmare. Tune in to hear how a day of planned destruction turned into an unplanned catastrophe.


If you'd like to know more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the links below:

• https://wacotrib.com/news/local/book-podcast-mark-train-smashing-crash-at-crush-anniversary/article_6f080ab0-a507-58e1-b9d0-96a9dacf05a6.html
• https://wacohistory.org/items/show/70
• https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/history/the-deadly-crash-at-crush
• https://brutalsouth.substack.com/p/everyone-loves-a-good-train-wreck

KEYWORDS:

1896 Crash at Crush

Steam locomotive collision

Publicity stunt disaster

Train crash spectacle

Historical catastrophe

PR nightmare in Texas

Explosive train wreck

Railroad tragedy

Photographer injury at Crash at Crush

Planned train crash goes wrong

Texas train collision event

Crowd disaster in 1896