The Man Who Died Saving An Entire Town From Certain Death
Jesus Garcia is still considered one of the greatest heroes in history
Heroes take all forms. However, the common thread they all have are performing acts of bravery or selflessness. Nobody personifies the definition of a hero any better than Jesus Garcia, an unassuming Mexican railroad worker who saved an entire town from certain death and destruction all by himself.
Born in 1883, Garcia grew up to work on the railroads of Mexico, starting at the age of 17. Over the years, he was employed in a number of roles, including brakeman and fireman.
On November 7, 1907, he was working as a brakeman for a line running between Nacozari, Sonora and Douglas, Arizona. There were significant mining operations that used trains to transport supplies and materials, including dangerous items like dynamite. On that fateful day, a car was carrying a large load of the explosives (open cars containing 70 boxes of dynamite, detonators and fuses) and other cars were filled with hay when tragedy struck.
Hay on the top of one of the cars caught fire after sparks emitted from the smokestack burst into flame. Wind carried flaming material to other cars, including the ones carrying the dynamite. When Garcia, who was not responsible for packing the…
