Mr. Robert B Bogart, one of the East Tennessee road’s best engineers, met a fearful death yesterday morning at Witt’s foundry, a station on the North Carolina division, seven miles east of Morristown.

Bogart was pulling with engine 214, passenger train No. 44, whose destination was Paint Rock. While nearing Witt’s the train was flagged for the purpose of putting on some half dozen passengers.  As the train began to slow up an open switch was struck. The engine turned over and the engineer jumped. The engine turned to the left, Bogart jumping to the left. He evidently did not leap as far out as he intended, for he alighted upon his head between two ties.

The engine was still ploughing along upon the ties, see-sawing them back and forth. The unfortunate engineer’s head was thus caught between the ties and his skull crushed in. His fireman, Wm Crumley, remained in the engine and was not hurt. None of Capt. Bogart’s passengers were injured.

Every attention possible was given the injured man, but to no avail and he died about 11:30 a.m. Headquarters were telegraphed of the affair and a wrecking train was at once sent up. The engine and tender were off, also the front of the baggage car.

The accident was due presumably to a beam of a car of a preceding freight train dropping on the switch and displacing it.

No. 43 from Paint Rock was delayed three hours by the accident. It arrived here about 1 o’clock bringing Bogart’s remains which were at once taken to the undertaking establishment of Mann & Co. and prepared for burial. He will be buried at Gray Cemetery this afternoon.

He came here from Loudon, Tenn., his home. He has a brother, Wm Bogart, who is also an East Tennessee engineer. Deceased leaves a wife and five children, who reside on Grainger Street, North Knoxville.

Knoxville Daily Tribune – Sunday, August 7, 1892

Transcribed by Robert McGinnis and used by permission.