The Immortal 10

Railroad crossings in the early 20th century were not designed with modern safety features such as gates and warning signals. Compounding the danger was several buildings blocking the line of sight down the track. All of these factors, as well as the rainy conditions on that January day, combined to form tragedy when the Baylor bus was struck by the Sunshine Special passenger train.

Five of the bus passengers were killed instantly, while an additional five would die later from their injuries. Because of the loss of life and age of the victims, news of the accident reverberated throughout the nation. The Baylor students who died are now remembered as The Immortal 10. To help preserve the memory of their deaths, the school sets out 10 empty seats each year during freshmen orientations.

According to Bob Brinkman, coordinator of the Historical Markers Program for the Texas Historical Commission, the Baylor bus crash was a prime example of the numerous tragedies that occurred during the industrial revolution as new technology outpaced safety concerns.

On March 11, 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York resulted in the death of 146 workers—a tragedy that led to improved safety conditions at factories. One year later, the infamous sinking of the Titanic ocean liner spurred the adoption of new maritime regulations that required ships to carry enough lifeboats to accommodate all of their passengers.

"Things like that had not occurred to [safety officials] before, like the Titanic where they traded speed and the look of the boat for safety," Brinkman said.

In the wake of the Baylor bus accident, the nation's highway regulators began to examine how automobiles and trains could interact safely. As a direct result of the accident, federal laws were enacted requiring buses to stop before entering a railroad crossing. Later, in 1935, the nation's first railroad overpass specifically built for automobiles was built at the location of the Baylor bus crash in Round Rock.

"Particularly in Round Rock, if you see a bus stop at a railroad track, it is meaningful," Brinkman said. "They are doing it in tribute of lives saved after that [accident]."

To mark the incident and honor the victims, the State Highway Commission dedicated a plaque on the bridge when it was opened. The small plaque remains in place today in a grassy knoll to the north of the bridge and serves as the only local memorial to the collision.

Recently, however, Round Rock officials have developed a plan to highlight the significance of the bridge and offer a more visible tribute to The Immortal 10. In conjunction with the city's upcoming Mays Street road improvement project, the city is planning to install 10 green vertical light fixtures over the span of the bridge as well as a sign dedicating the overpass as the Immortal 10 Bridge.

Round Rock Mayor Alan McGraw said the new memorial will serve as a visual reminder of one of the most significant events in the city's history.

"I contacted Baylor and said that this is something we wanted to do," he said. "Not only was this hugely important to us, but it was something that was important nationally."