The Phineas Gage Incident
New England Legends Podcast
Jeff Belanger
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 3 November 2022
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Episode 272, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk along the railroad tracks just south of Cavendish, Vermont, in search of the location of a horrible 1848 accident that launched an iron rod through the skull of railroad worker Phineas Gage. Gage became a medical miracle surviving the incident and becoming the subject of medical studies as well as a temporary living exhibit in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum. Today a monument in Cavendish commemorates the event and the doctor who saved Gage’s life.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-272-the-phineas-gage-incident/
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Trains are amazing. They're huge, they're heavy, and there's still something romantic about them. |
| 0:15.3 | I totally agree. There was a time when train tracks were just starting to interconnect this country and made us mobile like never before. |
| 0:22.9 | Is that why we're walking along the railroad tracks here just south of Cavendish, Vermont, Jeff? |
| 0:27.8 | We're looking for a train? |
| 0:29.4 | We're exploring a really strange story this week, Ray. |
| 0:32.2 | Not so much about a train, but about the people who built the tracks. |
| 0:36.0 | Oh, I love it. |
| 0:37.1 | Those unsung working class heroes? |
| 0:39.1 | Absolutely. |
| 0:40.2 | Now, this case is so strange that I guarantee you've heard of it, |
| 0:43.6 | even if you don't recognize the name. |
| 0:45.4 | And there's even a monument in town that stands as a testament to this person |
| 0:49.1 | who was considered a medical miracle. |
| 0:51.8 | We're in Cavendish, Vermont, exploring the Phineas Gage incident. |
| 1:00.6 | Hello, I'm Jeff Belanger, and welcome to episode 272 of the New England Legends podcast. |
| 1:05.8 | And I'm Ray Osier. Thanks for joining us on our mission to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. |
| 1:11.5 | We're glad you're with us. |
| 1:12.9 | Did you know that many of our story leads come from you? This one did. Thanks to our photographer buddy, Frank Grace, for telling us about it. Frank, of course, produces the Haunted New England calendar with Jeff. I've got mine. You do. Now, before we explore the Phineas Gage incident, |
| 1:27.2 | we want to take just a minute |
| 1:28.1 | to tell you about our sponsor, |
| 1:29.4 | New Audio Herbles. |
| 1:30.2 | Jeff, sometimes I feel like I'm juggling. mine. You do. Now, before we explore the Phineas Gage incident, we want to take just a minute to tell you |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jeff Belanger, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jeff Belanger and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.