The University Museum

THE WRECK AT MAUD

Very early on Christmas morning, 1904, two night passenger trains on the Southern Railroad line-the eastbound Train Number 1 to Louisville and the westbound Train Number Two to St. Louis-were due to pass each other at their regular meeting point at Bellmont, Illinois. However, a series of unfortunate mistakes occurred, including the display of the wrong signal light by a railroad operator, leading the engineer of the eastbound train, a Mr. Buchanan, to believe that the coast was clear. As both trains rounded a curve near Maud, Illinois, they crashed head-on into each other. Seven people were killed, and eight more were injured. Although Buchanan was able to escape with only minor injuries, the engineer of the westbound train, Mr. Al Bowen, died in the crash. As noted in the lyrics of the song, before boarding the train Bowen told a friend he had a bad feeling about making his run that night. His instincts were right.

The Maud Wreck Performed by Mr. Dies Burton (Track One) Performed by Bucky Halker and The Complete Unknowns (Track Two)

The first version (Track One) of "The Wreck at Maud" was recorded by Professor McIntosh on May 1, 1952 in Flora, Illinois. The singer, Mr. Dies Burton, was a distant relative of the fireman working that night on Bowen's train. Burton, although a little nervous about his skill as a solo performer, gives a clear, straightforward, and unaccompanied rendition of his version of the song.

The second version (Track Two) of this song was recorded in 2002 by Bucky Halker and the Complete Unknowns on the CD titled Welcome to Labor Land. Halker lists Clara Bowen of Princeton, Indiana, as the composer of the song. It is essentially the same song as performed on Track One by Burton, but with some interesting variations.

Note that although the factual content of both versions is identical, some of the wording is different - a common occurrence when songs and stories are passed along from person to person over time. Also, the Halker version on Track Two includes a guitar accompaniment. Listen to how this instrument is used to suggest the sound of the speeding locomotives, increasing slightly in tempo and volume as the song progresses. The tragic end of the story is captured by the guitar's final dissonant chord.

Halker, Bucky 2002. Liner notes from the CD Welcome to Labor Land. Chicago, IL: Revolting Records.
McIntosh, David S. 1974. Folk Songs and Singing Games of the Illinois Ozarks. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.
The Prairie Post. 26 May 1986. Christmas Day, 1904: Maud Wreck. Volume 5, Number 26: 1.