© 2024 KPCW

KPCW
Spencer F. Eccles Broadcast Center
PO Box 1372 | 460 Swede Alley
Park City | UT | 84060
Office: (435) 649-9004 | Studio: (435) 655-8255

Music & Artist Inquiries: music@kpcw.org
News Tips & Press Releases: news@kpcw.org
Volunteer Opportunities
General Inquiries: info@kpcw.org
Listen Like a Local Park City & Heber City Summit & Wasatch counties, Utah
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KPCW and the Park City Museum present Park City History BitsGet a taste of Park City history every week this summer with a new bit provided by the historians of the Park City Museum. A new nugget of history silver debuts every Thursday and replays throughout the week.0000017b-652b-d50a-a3ff-f7efae480000 This series of Park City History Bits is brought to you by the Park City Museum, where you can explore Park City history every day on Main Street, and sponsored by Julie Hopkins of Keller Williams Real Estate.

Park City History Bits - December 12, 2013

This is Hope Woodside with your weekly Park City History Bit.

On July 5, 1905, spectators watching the Rio Grande Western train depart were horrified to see the engine suddenly rear up, topple down the embankment and settle on its side - just a thousand feet from the depot. 

News of the wreck spread quickly around Park City. 

Steam spewed from the broken engine and famous local ball player George Spillman made the courageous and risky move to jump inside the train’s cab to close the air valve.

Spectators found engineer Joe G. Bywater lying to the right of the tracks, alive, but with a badly broken leg.  Bywater had seen an open switch on the track just 80 feet ahead of his advancing train, and he had immediately barked at fireman George Edgar to act. Edgar jumped up, reversed the engine, applied the air, and leapt out of the cab. 

Sadly, Edgar perished, pinned in the gangway, leaving a wife and six children. Other than a few bruises, however, none of the passengers were seriously hurt. A local investigation ensued which found an unknown railroad employee had negligently left the switch unlocked. 

This Park City History Bit is brought to you by the Park City Museum, and their newest exhibit, “Miners to Moguls: 50 Years of Park City Skiing”, and is sponsored by Julie Hopkins of Keller Williams Real Estate.

Related Content