One Of The Worst Disasters In U.S. History Happened Right Here In South Carolina

Throughout American history, rail related accidents have been an all too common unfortunate occurrence all over the nation. And South Carolina, with its long history in railroading, is certainly no stranger to railroad disasters. Unfortunately, just before Christmas in 1946 one of the worst disasters in U.S. rail history occurred in Newberry County and that tragic day will never, ever be forgotten.

It was 8:10 a.m. on the morning of December 18, 1946 when a bus similar to the one shown below was driving along in a deep fog approximately seven miles south of Newberry near the community of Silverstreet.

The ten year old school bus was carrying children to school in what should have been their last week or so before the Christmas break.

Newspapers at the time reported there was a heavy fog that morning as the bus approached a rail crossing.

The road leading up to the railroad crossing included an abrupt rise, creating what's known as a blind crossing in a stretch of road known locally at the time as 'Dead Fall Junction.'

The pre-Christmas tragedy that occurred next will touch your soul and break your heart.

An on-coming train swept into Dead Fall Junction and hit the school bus dead-on on its side. In addition to the driver, there were reportedly 21 children aboard.

When the fog lifted, essentially no part of the bus was left unscathed - except the door. Authorities spent the better part of the next eight hours transporting the injured to the hospital. Those lucky enough to survive all had critical injuries.

But not everyone lived to see another Christmas. The driver along with ten children died in the tragic accident that occurred just eleven days before Christmas.

Amazingly, the Internet has a place to memorialize those that died in the horrible accident. Below is a photo of the headstone for one of the children lost, Donald E. Brannon, born March 28, 1932 and died December 18, 1946.

History, the community, and it seems the Internet, will never forget those lost on December 18, 1946 in the tragic Silverstreet bus collision with

a train. If you'd like to find out the names of, or pay your respects to those lost, then FindaGrave.com has a page dedicated to them.

Keep reading for another train-related tragedy that occurred in South Carolina.