Near Waynesboro in Augusta County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
They Died Building the Railroad
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 4, 2023
1. They Died Building the Railroad Marker
Deaths of laborers and their family members were frequent along the Blue Ridge Railroad. Pneumonia, tuberculosis, and heart disease took a heavy toll. About thirty-three Irish men, women, and children living in shanties near the tunnel perished during an 1854 cholera epidemic. Accidents also claimed lives. In his letters to the Board of Public Works, chief engineer Claudius Crozet described these incidents but never named the dead. Thirteen Irish men killed while working in the Blue Ridge Tunnel are listed below. The cause of each death, according to historical documents, is within quotation marks.
Name • Date of Death • Cause of Death
Thomas Devine • June 27, 1850 • "blown up"
James Malone • September 3, 1850 • "killed in tunnel"
Michael Connel September 9, 1850 "killed in tunnel"
Don Calden • January 21, 1851 • "blown up in large tunnel"
Morris Griffin • January 21, 1851 • "Irish blown up in large tunnel"
Dan Sullivan • April 19, 1853 • "accidental sliding of earth"
Dennis Deasy • April 24, 1854 • "by a fall"
Lewis Cashman • March 1854* • (likely a blast)
Dan Sullivan • March 5, 1856 • "blasting rock"
Bryan Daly • October 17, 1857 • "collision of two handcars"
Dan Donovan • December 13, 1857 • "accidental"
Michael Hurly • June 8, 1859* • "blowing rock"
Branaman • June
this page online
* Buried at Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia
The Blue Ridge Railroad leased the labor of at least eighty enslaved men in 1854, most for $150 each. Three of them died while hauling earth from the Blue Ridge Tunnel west portal — via the temporary track — to an embankment under construction near Waynesboro. In his correspondence, Claudius Crozet described the calamities in detail but never identified the victims. Their names are listed below. The cause of each death, according to historical documents, is within quotation marks.
Name • Date of Death • Cause of Death
Jerry (enslaved by James Garland) • April 6, 1854 • "fearful collision"
Tom (enslaved by Andrew Woods) • April 6, 1854 • "fearful collision"
Sam (enslaved by John Maupin) • May 25, 1854* • "killed with a hand car"
* Buried at an unknown location, Waynesboro, Virginia
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Civil Rights • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.
Location. 38° 2.477′ N, 78° 51.642′ W. Marker is near Waynesboro, Virginia, in Augusta County. Marker can be reached from Three Notched Mountain Highway
2. Marker detail: Ann Daly’s letter (excerpt)
Excerpt from Ann Daly’s letter asking for financial relief after the death of her husband, Bryan. He died at the Blue Ridge Tunnel.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. West Side Features Then & Now (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Problems & Solutions (about 600 feet away); Tiny Creatures Of The Dark (about 700 feet away); Dr. Robert Sumter Griffith (approx. 0.2 miles away); West Trailhead (approx. ¼ mile away); Rockfish Gap (approx. 0.4 miles away); Park-to-Park Beauty (approx. 0.7 miles away); Welcome to Shenandoah National Park (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waynesboro.
Also see . . . Blue Ridge Tunnel (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The Blue Ridge Railroad was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1849 with Claudius Crozet as chief engineer. Its purpose was to provide a crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Virginia Central Railroad into the Shenandoah Valley. Construction began in 1850 and was expected to be completed in three years but the first train passed through the tunnel in 1858 and construction continued until 1860. With construction proceeding from either side a decade before the invention of dynamite,(Submitted on December 14, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)the complex was dug through solid granite with only hand drills and black powder. The tunnel was less than 6 inches off perfect alignment when it was holed through on December 29, 1856.
3. Marker detail: William Sclater LetterLetter from slave agent William Sclater to John Maupin informing him of Sam’s death. Sclater blamed Sam for letting a handcar run down the rails as fast as possible, though the vehicle lacked working brakes.Records show that about 800 Irishmen and 40 enslaved African American laborers worked on the tunnel and there were 189 recorded deaths during its construction including men, women, and children who died during a cholera epidemic in 1854.
4. Marker detail: James Garland Receipt
Receipt from slaveholder James Garland to Claudius Crozet for a pro-rated payment of $45. The amount compensated Garland for Jerry’s labor from January 1, 1854, until Jerry’s death on April 6, 1854.
5. Marker detail: Thornrose Cemetery
About 145 Irish were buried at Thornrose Cemetery. More may rest in what was the paupers’ section.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 4, 2023
6. They Died Building the Railroad Marker
Marker is beside the Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail, about 0.3 mile from the West Trailhead.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 14, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 67 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 14, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
