Jesús García Corona was a Mexican machinist that by virtue of his bravery and great feat he is known as the “Hero of Nacozari“. Here we tell you what he did.
García Corona is distinguished as the figure of the Mexican hero because he sacrificed his life to save the town of Nacozari, in Sonora, from a terrible explosion.
Who was the “Hero of Nacozari”?
The “Hero of Nacozari” was born on November 13, 1881 in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora. From a young age, he showed interest in being a train engineer, since at the age of 17 he applied for a job in the railroad office of the Mining Company.
However, due to his young age, the person in charge of the Company at that time, W. L. York, used him as a water carrier. This would not stop the dreams of Garcia Coronawho was quickly promoted to the area of track maintenance.
Subsequently, the Hero of Nacozari worked as a brake controller, a firefighter and, at the age of 20, became a machine engineer.
The tragedy in Nacozari
On November 7, 1907, Jesús García’s partner reported sick, for which he had to make the three railway trips between the town of Nacozari and the Pilares mine.
An error in the accommodation of the wagons would be the main reason for the tragedy that loomed that afternoon. The wagons in which a load of dynamite was transported were placed at the beginning of the train.
During the journey, the railway machine lost steam pressure, which caused some sparks. The latter reached the boxes of dynamite that were transported in the first wagons, causing a fire.
The accident was impossible to control, as the fire spread due to the wind produced by the movement of the train. As the flames increased, the explosion of the dynamite charge was imminent.
Faced with this situation, García Corona asked the gang that was with him to jump off the train. Once his comrades were safe, Jesús gave the railway full speed to take it away from the town.
A short time later the deafening roar sounded. The shock wave was of a magnitude that shook the houses of the town and broke the windows.
Jesus did not jump off the locomotive and immediately lose his life. Despite his feat, the explosion claimed the lives of a total of 13 people.
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After this event, Jesús García Corona would be known as the “Hero of Nacozari“. In his memory the town changed its name to Nacozari de Garcia and the Mexican government established the November 7 as Railroad Day.