By Ray Collett

Hello Readers, My column last week about the school bus-train wreck brought in some emails. Among them was this one from Rockwood City Councilman Stan Wassom. I will share Stan's email with you...
Ray,
Your latest column about the school bus-train wreck in Spring City stirred my memories. I was at football practice and Coach Bill Long and Hugh Giles (both graduates of Rockwood High School) were having a team meeting on the football field. They had just started talking when the train came by and the noise made them stop their pep talk. The football field is near the train tracks. Soon after the train's engine went by we heard a noise and the train started screaming as the brakes were applied and the wheels on the cars were locked up. Just a little while later there were numerous cars fire balling up the highway towards Rockwood with their horns blaring. We did not know what was going on until the parents of some of the players came to get their sons who were on the team. We heard them tell them that their sisters or brothers were in the wreck. It was a sad situation and a gloom was cast on all of us. We were dismissed and of course many of the players went to the crash scene. It was a mess and many of the towns people were milling around. I do recall going home and then returning and the crowd was still there at the crash scene. Now the mood had changed from shock to hostile. Many were saying bad things about the school bus driver and were calling for a lynching. I could not believe what I was hearing but it caused a shiver in my spine. The crowd stayed in this state for quite awhile and did not disperse until around midnight. The whole town went into mourning afterwards and this mood continued for many days. There were many incidents of heroisms on the part of the citizens of Spring City. I remember one in particular. Craven Hinch, who was our neighbor, was getting a shave in one of the town's two barber shops. He was in the chair all lathered up ready to go when the crash occurred. When he realized what was happening he ripped off the cloth used to cover customers and went running to the crash scene soaped up and all. One thing remarkable about this is that Mr. Hinch was crippled but adrenaline has taken hold and he actually ran about a block to help. He told me and my folks that after someone handed him a third child to carry out to a car to take them to the hospital, he just lost control and cried and could not continue.

Even though it has been many years since this sad event it is burned into my memory. Thank you for resurrecting this event because we should never forget this and the out pouring of good will from all of citizens in Spring City and surrounding areas especially Rockwood.

Stan

After this tragedy, many of the mothers and citizens of the Spring City area contacted their representatives in Nashville and through their efforts all school buses were required to "Stop, Look, and Listen" at all railroad crossings. Within a year, this became law in all of the states. Sometimes it takes a happening like this to open people's eyes.
Kudos to Barbara Hicks Mayfield Loyless !!!! After our RHS Classmates Reunion meeting last Wednesday. Barbara had a scary adventure going back to Crossville. Going up Rockwood mountain, she saw a small van across the east bound lane with its nose smashed into the mountainside. As Barb pulled off the road to call 911, she saw the driver getting a baby out of the back seat. Barb ran ahead up the mountain to alert traffic, and was successful in her effort, although there were a couple of near-misses. As she looked back, the driver was taking a second small child out of the van. A second vehicle stopped to help and got the woman and her children out of harm's way..Good job Barbara......
This wraps up another "Rockwood Memories", please keep your emails coming......Until next week, Ray