Railway Rampage: 12 Dead, 12 Injured in Rock Island Express Train Catastrophe

The rail lines that crisscross the American heartland can be unforgiving, and on September 5, 1907, at Norris, Nebraska, they claimed 12 lives and left 12 more in a precarious state. The Rock Island express train, hurtling along the tracks at full speed, suddenly left the rails and barreled into a stationary freight train on the siding. The impact was catastrophic, with twisted metal and splintered wood the only remnants of the once-majestic train.