Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Latrobe Advance
Wednesday, July 22, 1885
Wreck On The Ligonier Valley
The Engine, Tender And Three Cars Loaded With Ballast, Thrown From The Track The Engineer And Fireman Slightly Injured.
Saturday morning the train over the Ligonier Valley Railroad did not arrive at the usual hour, and in a short time it was learned that it had met with a mishap by being thrown from the rails and wrecked. The accident happened near Gaynor station, in the ridge. Engineer French was coming along at the usual schedule rate when he struck a calf which was loitering on the track. It got under the wheels and threw the engine, tender and three P.R.R. cars loaded with ballast, from the track. Fortunately the derailed cars went to the right side, against the hill, instead of left where they would have gone over the bank into
the creek. The engineer and fireman both received slight injuries. Engineer French was almost completely buried under the coal and other things which were on the tender and which had been upset. If he had not been speedily removed he would have been smothered. As it was he and Phillip Stump, his fireman, are both considerably bruised and will feel the effects of their jumps for some time. The engine, we understand, was badly used up. The passenger cars were in the rear and were not derailed.
As soon as possible Superintendent Senft had a gang of men at work clearing the track and it took them all day and a portion of the night to get this done. The first train arrived at Latrobe about 10:15 p.m. The mails were sent through on the speeder and were delayed very little. There were about twenty-five passengers on the wrecked train. These were brought to Latrobe in wagons and as a matter of course arrived here several hours late. This is most extensive wreck that has occurred on the Ligonier Valley Railroad since it was started and this was entirely unavoidable.