Railroad Accidents (part 1 of 2): While trains are convenient for travel and for transporting goods, they have become a greater danger over the years as their speed has increased. Sometimes railroad accidents are caused by human error, but other causes include derailment, explosions on board, and bridge collapses. NOTE:Very few passengers were killed in a single U.S. train wreck up until 1853. The early trains ran slowly and made short trips, night travel was rare, and there were not many of them in operation. 1831 June 17, nr. Charleston, S.C.:boiler exploded on America's first passenger locomotive,The Best Friend of Charleston,injuring the fireman and the engineer. 1833 Nov. 8, nr. Heightstown, N.J.:world's first train wreck and first passenger fatalities recorded. A 24-passenger Camden & Amboy train derailed due to a broken axle, killing 2 passengers and injuring all others. Former president John Quincy Adams and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who later made a fortune in railroads, were aboard. 1853 May 6, Norwalk, Conn.:New Haven Railroad train ran through an open drawbridge and plunged into the Norwalk River. 46 passengers were crushed to death or drowned. This was the first major drawbridge accident. 1856 July 17, Camp Hill, nr. Ft. Washington, Pa.:2 Northern Penn trains crashed head-on. Approximately 50–60 people died, mostly children on their way to a Sunday school picnic. 1876 Dec. 29, Ashtabula, Ohio:Lake Shore train fell into the Ashtabula River when the bridge it was crossing collapsedduring a snowstorm; 92 people were killed. 1887 Aug. 10, nr. Chatsworth, Ill.:a burning railroad trestle collapsed while a Toledo, Peoria & Western train was crossing, killing 81 and injuring 372. 1904 Aug. 7, Eden, Colo.:train derailed on bridge during flash flood; 96 killed. 1910 March 1, Wellington, Wash.:2 trains swept into canyon by avalanche; 96 dead. 1915 May 22, Quintinshill, Scotland:2 passenger trains and troop train collided at Quintinshill near Gretna Green; 227 killed. 1917 Dec. 12, Modane, France:nearly 550 killed in derailment of troop train near mouth of Mt. Cenis tunnel. 1918 July 9, Nashville, Tenn.:101 killed in a 2-train collision near Nashville. Nov. 1, New York City:derailment of subway train in Malbone St. tunnel in Brooklyn left 92 dead. 1926 March 14, Virilla River Canyon, Costa Rica:an overcrowded train carrying pilgrims derailed while crossing the Colima Bridge, killing over 300 people and injuring hundreds more. 1939 Dec. 22, nr. Magdeburg, Germany:more than 125 killed in collision; 99 killed in another wreck near Friedrichshafen. 1943 Dec. 16, nr. Rennert, N.C.:72 killed in derailment and collision of 2 Atlantic Coast Line trains. 1944 March 2, nr. Salerno, Italy:521 suffocated when Italian train stalled in tunnel. 1949 Oct. 22, nr. Nowy Dwor, Poland:more than 200 reported killed in derailment of Danzig-Warsaw express. 1950 Nov. 22, Richmond Hill, N.Y.:79 died when one Long Island Railroad commuter train crashed into rear of another. 1951 Feb. 6, Woodbridge, N.J.:85 died when Pennsylvania Railroad commuter train plunged through temporary overpass. 1952 Oct. 8, Harrow-Wealdstone, England:2 express trains crashed into commuter train; 112 dead. 1957 Sept. 1, nr. Kendal, Jamaica:about 175 killed when train plunged into ravine. Sept. 29, nr. Montgomery, West Pakistan:express train crashed into standing oil train; nearly 300 killed. Dec. 4, St. John's, England:92 killed and 187 injured as one commuter train crashed into another in fog. 1960 Nov. 14, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia:2 trains collided; 110 dead, 106 injured. 1962 May 3, nr. Tokyo:163 killed and 400 injured when train crashed into wreckage of collision between inbound freight train and outbound commuter train. 1963 Nov. 9, nr. Yokohama, Japan:2 passenger trains crashed into derailed freight train, killing 162. 1964 July 26, Custoias, Portugal:passenger train derailed; 94 dead. 1970 Feb. 4, nr. Buenos Aires:236 killed when express train crashed into standing commuter train. 1972 July 21, Seville, Spain:head-on crash of two passenger trains killed 76. 1972 Oct. 6, nr. Saltillo, Mexico:train carrying religious pilgrims derailed and caught fire, killing 204 and injuring over 1,000. Oct. 30, Chicago:2 Illinois Central commuter trains collided during morning rush hour; 45 dead and over 200 injured. 1974 Aug. 30, Zagreb, Yugoslavia:train entering station derailed, killing 153 and injuring over 60. 1981 June 6, nr. Mansi, India:driver of train carrying over 500 passengers braked to avoid hitting a cow, causing train to plunge off a bridge into the Baghmati River; 268 passengers were reported killed, but at least 300 more were missing. 1982 July 11, Tepic, Mexico:Nogales-Guadalajara train plunged down mountain gorge, killing 120.