From Mt. Vernon Signal, Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky.
20 Jan 1905: Killed. – Tommy Taylor, age 13, the boy who drove J. Fish’s delivery wagon, was struck by a freight train at the crossing north of the depot Monday morning, from the effects of which he died about midnight Monday night. It is a very dangerous crossing especially with a wagon, as the noise of the wagon will counteract that of the train and with trains coming from the south all view is cut off by reason of the hotel and section house until they are right on the crossings. Several persons saw the terrible accident and in the wagon with Tommy, was one of Rev. T. D. Mullins’ little boys who saved himself only by jumping and he says the engine was nearly to the tool house, when they started over the track, which would be only a few feet away and while the engineer put on his air in the emergency and stopped as soon as it was possible, yet wagon, horse and driver had been hit some three or four times and knocked some fifteen or twenty feet up the track. The wagon was completely demolished, the horse so bruised up that he will doubtless ever recover and the faithful driver bruised, mangled and unconscious, living only a few hours. Whether the boy saw the train and was trying to beat it across or whether he failed to see the train until it was right on him is a question but from what we have been able to gather, it seems that it was one of those sad accidents which often comes, almost inexplainable and for which one is wholly to blame.
20 Jan 1905: The sad accident of last Monday, in which Tommy Taylor lost his life calls forth a statement, which should mean much to the parents of the younger boys and even some of the small girls. Hardly a day passes that some of the little folks do not run across the track in front of the passenger trains and should they happen to fall in nine cases our of ten, would be caught before they could get out of the way. This is only one of the many wreckless things done, which if fully realized by the parents would cause a more careful watch.
