Georgia historian and professor Jeffery C. Wells recounts the tragic
tale of the Camp Creek Train Crash of 1900.
On June 23, 1900, the Southern Railroad Company's Engine #7 and its
passengers were greeted by a tremendous storm en route to Atlanta,
Georgia. Stalled for some time in nearby McDonough, travelers grew
impatient as rain pelted the roof and wind buffeted the cars. When
finally given the go-ahead, their resulting joy was short-lived: the
locomotive soon reached Camp Creek--and disaster.
After weeks of constant showers, the swollen creek had eroded the bridge
supports. Under the train's weight, the bridge collapsed, and all but
nine perished in either the fiery fall or watery depths.