Qualla: Guyandotte River Train Wreck

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: Introduction

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. At about 11:00 AM on January 1, 1913, Chesapeake and Ohio engineer E. B. Webber - nicknamed Shorty - eased Mikado locomotive No. 820 onto the bridge over the Guyandotte River near Huntington. He was crossing slowly to pick up his fireman and front brakeman, both of whom had walked across to the far side to inspect repair work in progress. A flagman had given him the all clear. The bridge had carried traffic for several days during the repairs without incident. When the locomotive reached the middle of the bridge, the center span collapsed. Webber, his locomotive, and thirteen bridge workers fell together into the river below. Webber and six of those workers died. Thousands of people lined the banks during the rescue. The accident was one of the worst railroad disasters in West Virginia's history.

Image: Xpda | Public domain

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: The Train and the Crew

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. Train No. 99 was a Chesapeake and Ohio freight running west from Hinton, West Virginia, to Russell, Kentucky, along the main C&O line that traced the Ohio River corridor. The locomotive at the head was No. 820, a Mikado (2-8-2 wheel arrangement) - the modern heavy freight power o...

Image: Xpda | Public domain

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: The Repairs in Progress

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. The Guyandotte River bridge was undergoing structural repairs in early January 1913. A crew was actively working on the structure that morning, unloading materials for the next phase of work. A flagman was protecting the work zone, stopping incoming trains and authorizing them to...

Image: Xpda | Public domain

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: The Collapse

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. When the flagman gave Webber the signal to cross, Webber moved No. 820 onto the bridge at a slow speed. The locomotive reached the middle of the structure. The center span gave way. Engine, tender, and structural debris fell together into the Guyandotte River. Thirteen bridge wor...

Image: Xpda | Public domain

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: The Rescue and the Recovery

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. Word spread quickly. Thousands of people lined the banks of the Guyandotte River as rescue efforts went on through the day. Bodies were pulled from the cold January water as they were found. Webber, Crawford, Wood, and eventually Maddy were recovered. The remains of White, Coyner...

Image: Xpda | Public domain

Guyandotte River Train Wreck: The Place Today

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Xpda, Public domain. The Guyandotte River runs from southern West Virginia north to its confluence with the Ohio River at the historic Guyandotte neighborhood of Huntington. The site of the 1913 bridge collapse lies near where the river crossing approaches the Ohio. The rebuilt bridge has been replac...

Image: Xpda | Public domain