The first version collected, by John H. Cox, 1915

THE WRECK ON THE C. & O.
Miss Maude Rucks, Braxton Co., West Virginia

1.
Along came the F. F. V., the fastest on the line,
Running o'er the C. & O. Road, a quarter behind time;
As she passed Sewell, 't was quarters on the line,
Waiting to get orders at Hinton, late, behind time.
2.
When she got to Hinton, the engineer was there;
George Alley was his name, with bright and golden hair;
Jack Dickerson, a faithful man, was standing by his side,
Waiting to get orders; both in the cab did ride.
3.
Georgie's mother came to him with a bucket on her arm;
Gave him a letter and said, "My boy, be careful how you run;
For many a man has lost his life in trying to make lost time,
But if you run your engine right, you'll seldom be behind."
4.
Georgie said, "Dear mother, to your warning I'll take heed;
I know my engine is all right, I know that she will speed;
But if I had a local train, the truth to you I'd tell,
I'd run her into Clifton Forge or drop her into hell."
5.
Georgie said, "Now listen, Jack, it must be known to all,
I'm going to blow for the Big Bend Tunnel; they'll surely hear my call."
Then he cried, "O look, look, Jack! a rock ahead I see!
I know that death is waiting there, to grab both you and me."
6.
"So, from the cab, Jack, you must fly, your darling life to save,
For I want you to be the engineer when I'm in my grave."
"No, no, George, I cannot go! on that we can't agree."
"Yes, yes, Jack, you must! I'll die for you and me."
7.
So from the cab poor Jack did fly; the river it was high;
Farewell, he kissed the hand of George; old No. 4 flew by;
Up the road she darted, just like an angry bull;
To get her back in action, the lever he did pull.
8.
Against the rock the engine crashed, and upside down she lay;
The best engineer on the C. & O. Road went to his grave that day;
Brave and strong he held his grip; at last she made the crash,
Knocked poor George upon his face, his tender breast did smash.
9.
........................
........................
The firebox fell against his head and burning flames rolled out,
[He said], "I'm glad I was born an engineer to die on the C. & 0. Road."
10.
Georgie's mother came again; with sorrow she did sigh,
When she looked upon her darling boy and knew that he must die;
She prayed for every engineer to take warning from her son,
In making any schedule to be careful how they run.
11.
The doctor said, "Now Georgie, my darling boy, be still;
Your life may be saved, if it be God's precious will."
"No, no, Doc, I want to die! I'm ready now to go,
I said I'd die on my engine, No. 134."

No. 47 A, pp. 222-223, J. H. Cox, 1925, "Folk-Songs of the South," Harvard Univ. Press; Dover Edition 1967.

Except for the stations mentioned and Alley's name, the version is largely fiction. His mother was never involved.
Norm Cohen, in "Long Steel Rail," printed newspaper reports from "The Clifton Forge and Iron Gate Review." The second, a week after the accident, read:
"Mr. George W. Alley
In the last issue of the Review, it briefly noted the death of our friend and fellow-townsman, Mr. George W. Alley, of this city. The sad news reached us just as we were going to press, but few of the particulars. Too much cannot be said in praise of the heroic conduct of this brave man. The facts are few but they tell the story. The slide had blocked the track- he saw the rock- he refused to jump- he stood by his post endeavoring to stop the train. The shock came and he lost his life, and a brave and noble christian spirit passed from earth leaving behind a noble example of unselfish devotion to duty and principle.
"He lingered a few hours suffering intense pain, which he bore with great patience. Every effort was made by the railroad company to enable his wife and children to reach him before he died, but all was vain. He spoke of them continually every few minutes asking, "Are they coming! Are they coming?" which circumstance is touchingly alluded to in the following lines written by Mrs. Alexander McVeigh Miller of Alderson, who is an aunt of Mr. Alley.

"In Memoriam
He is dying! Are they coming?
Will he hear their last goodbye?
Last night when he passed from them
Little did he think to die-
Die like this by dread disaster
Ending his young life so soon,
Ere the morning of existence
Changed into life's fervid noon.

"The passengers on the train expressed their appreciation for his valor in staying at his post and risking his life to save others, and collected $103 in donations for his family.
This was the fourth serious accident on the FFV since the C. & O. inaugurated its first luxury 'name' train on May 11, 1889."
The accident took place Oct. 3, 1890; which suggests a high frequency of accidents.