The World's Most Dangerous Railroad Crossing

Postcard view of Grand Crossing.  "Smashboards" swung across tracks were used to stop trains.

A visit to what is known today as Grand Crossing would not reveal any of the history of this area, including the first railroad accident in the city's history.  The one-time suburban area, known as Brookdale, would become the crossing point for three railroads.  The first railroad through the area was the Michigan Southern (MS) which enjoyed a monopoly of the landscape until the arrival of the Illinois Central (IC), which had forged a financial alliance with the Michigan Central (MC) the third railroad in this drama.  The IC sought permission from the MS to build a crossing in Brookdale, but the bitter rivalry between the MS and MC gave rise to a refusal.  To emphasize their determination to prevent this, the MS posted a 24 hour guard at the location to prevent all unauthorized  construction.  The ever resourceful IC kidnapped the night guard (after supposedly getting him drunk) and quickly cut in the crossing.

In this early era of railroading, crossings like this operated on a 'first come, first served' basis.  The first train to arrive was given right of way over other trains.  This of course led to engineers speeding up in order to reach the crossing before their rival.  On the night of April 25, 1853 this game of chicken would end with the collision of two trains and the deaths of 21 people.  Here is how it was covered in a newspaper of the era: 

From the Democratic Press.

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.

Collision at the Crossing of the Michigan Central and Southern Michigan Railroad!
Sixteen Killed and a Large Number Injured !!

Monday evening, as the people of Chicago were retiring to rest, a scene of appalling horror, of excruciating suffering was occurring at the crossing of the two Michigan roads, some eight or ten miles from the city. The emigrant train on the Central was coming in and the Express train on the Southern going out when the two came in collission [sic] under full headway, the Express train passing through the other, literally tearing it into fragments, and strewing the killed and wounded together with the wreck of the cars in heaps of indiscriminate ruin. Three emigrant cars, and the locomotive, tender, baggage car and one second-class passenger car of the Express train received the brunt of the shock, and their inmates were nearly all either killed or wounded. One of the first-class passenger cars of the Express train was also thrown from the track, but fortunately, none of those within it were very seriously injured.

To give our readers some idea of the manner in which the collision occurred, it is necessary to state, that for some eight or ten miles from the city, the Southern Michigan road lies west of the track of the Central. At the distance named, they cross each other at an acute angle - the track of the Michigan Central lying east, or rather south of the Southern for some miles, when they again cross. It was at the first crossing the accident occurred.

Immediately after the collision occurred the locomotive of the emigration train was detached and brought news of it to the city. In as brief space as possible, DRS. PALMER and CLARK were sent for and conveyed to the scene of the disaster. These gentlemen administered to the suffering with their accustomed energy and skill. Towards morning the survivors were brought back to the city. Of the horrors of the night which they had passed none but themselves know; but to them it will be an ever present reality.

The place at which the collision occurred is flat and swampy, and was covered to the depth of several inches. Some of the passengers were undoubtedly drowned. The locomotive and cars that went over were partly submerged in the water and mud, and some of the dead will hardly be recovered until these shall have been removed.

Photograph shows the progress of the massive grade separation project

The tragedy led to the application of more stringent rules governing the movement of trains.  The eventual solution to the problem was a grade separation of the various tracks.  Some of the track connections have disappeared with abandonments, and Grand Crossing is now a somewhat desolate area in a troubled community.  There are no markers of remembrance or reminders of the tragedy at Grand Crossing.

Grand Crossing today looking south from the Metra 75th Street Station