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For those of you not familiar with the ongoing question of the authenticity of the Casey Jones Wreck photos. Let me take a moment to enlighten you. There are two wreck photos on this site but this particular one has spurned recent interest. First, take a look at the photo in question:
This photo is long been claimed as a photo of the wreck scene. This site reports it as such. However, critics have voiced some interesting objections to the photo.
1. Records indicate the wreck was cleaned up by 10 or 11 a.m. that morning. From the shadows in this photo, it is obviously an afternoon shot.
2. If it is of the wreck, where is the 382?
3. Eyewitness claim extensive damage to the baggage car. One paper reported, "A whole big enough to walk an elephant through". None of the cars in this photo are damaged in that fashion.
4. The light poles are on the wrong side of the track. Even today, when looking North at the wreck site in Vaughan, the light poles are on the west side of the track.
Everyone who is serious about the legend of Casey Jones has opinions on these photos. Both sides put up interesting arguments for and against their authenticity. The official Piper of the Museum, Kris Carmichael is the first to put an image to the argument.
Using computer enhancement, Kris enlarged and manipulated the photo to get a better look at what was really in the photo. His first argument is that the film was developed in reverse. It would have very easily happened in 1900. Once you reverse the image, the details that have been argued over become very apparent. I apologize for leaving the image so large but I think it is worth the wait.
As you can see, after reversing the image, the landmarks come into line. Also note where Kris believes the 382 lies in the photo. Just left of the ruined track he has marked an impact area that appears to be where the 382 initially hit the dirt bank before sliding to a stop. Also not the baggage car is marked in the background and, if you look closely enough, it does appear to have a large, gaping hole in it.
