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!
Ligonier Echo
Wednesday, July 10, 1912
KILLED WERE 23, INJURED 30
Injured
BERNETTA ANDREWS, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Andrews, Jr., of Ligonier, Four fractures, two in femur of left leg, left leg below knew, right ankle, large scoop out of fleshy part of left leg below knew, bad cut in head. Taken to West Penn hospital Saturday morning by Dr. J. T. Ambrose.
MARY HELEN PETERS, 3 years old, granddaughter of George Senft, and daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. James Peters, of Ligonier, left leg broken at thigh and ankle, left arm broken, head cut. Hope for recovery. Latrobe hospital.
WILLIAM BORWNFIELD, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Brownfield, of Ligonier, 5 years
old. Scalp wound and shock. Treated at Latrobe hospital and brought home.
MISS ESTHER MATHEWS, trained nurse and graduate of Allegheny General hospital, daughter of Mrs. Mary J. Mathews, formerly of Ligonier but now of Pittsburg and a sister of B. I. Mathews, of Ligonier. Had been employed by Supt. Geo. Senft for past three months. She had in her charge several little children who were going to pick wild flowers. Right leg and left arm broken, hurt and cut in fact and on body severely, both eyes swollen shut. Very seriously injured, hopes of recovery.
C. H. KUHN, aged about 52, conductor on passenger train for past 30 years. Both legs and right arm broken. In Allegheny General hospital, getting well.
H. H. KNOX, aged about 42, freight conductor on ill-fated train. Bruised and crushed about chest, cut on head. Not considered serious, getting well.
DR. C. A. HAMILL, practicing physician of Ligonier. Injured about head and face, tooth
knocked out, thumb of left hand broken, number of bruises. Not serious, will soon be well. At his home on Market street.
DR. J. B. JOHNSON, practicing physician of Ligonier, seriously hurt about head, semi-unconscious until Sunday, still in dangerous condition but somewhat improved. At home
on Main street.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL, of Ligonier, brakeman, aged about 25, married to daughter of J. F. McKelvey, of Ligonier, seriously injured and in dangerous condition, several ribs of right side broken, collar bone of left side, head badly injured. Condition slightly improved. At West Penn hospital.
MISS ALICE RITENOUR, employed at Wilpen, aged 15 years. Puncture wound in chest, extensive cut on left leg, badly hurt. At Latrobe hospital. Parents live on Chestnut Ridge, Boliver, R. D. No. 1.
MISS BESSIE HOON, aged 16 years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hoon, of Ligonier. Cut on breast and leg. No bones broken, getting well. At Latrobe hospital.
MISS SARAH EDSALL, of Ligonier township, daughter of George Edsall. Cut in face and head. Not seriously hurt.
RAYMOND ANKNEY, aged 15, son of Russell Ankney, of Cook township. Right leg broken. Taken to Allegheny General hospital. Will recover.
ANTHONY STORY, aged 20 and single. Lung punctured. Recovery doubtful. At Latrobe hospital.
EDWARD RATHMELL, of Ligonier, baggagemaster on L.V.R.R., married, has wife and
two children. Left hand injured, left leg hurt and cap of knee badly hurt; injuries caused by fall when he jumped from rear of passenger coach, thus evidently saving his life. He walked up town Monday evening.
JOHN S. KUHNS, employee on railroad. Jumped from rear end of passenger coach. No
injury except hand scratched on barb wire fence.
B. J. GRAY, aged 22, miner at Ft. Palmer. Left leg broken, lacerations, skull injured. At Latrobe hospital.
FRANK BALKA, aged 20, of Monastery Slope, Latrobe. Clerk in Wilpen store. Leg broken. Latrobe hospital.
BARNARDE COPENE, laborer, of Fort Palmer. Head cut and right foot crushed. Taken to Allegheny General hospital.
STEVE SPIVAK, 43 years of age. Railroader of Wilpen. Suffering from contusions. At Latrobe hospital.
PHILIP HALOW, aged 21 years, of Wilpen. Contusions about the face. At Latrobe hospital.
JOHN DESANDRES, Italian miner, of Wilpen. Suffering from contusions. At Latrobe hospital.
ANGELO ENGENA, aged 21, Italian. Employed as driver at Wilpen. Suffering from contusions.
MELA DANOVICH, aged 45, miner at Wilpen. Badly bruised. At Latrobe hospital.
MAT STEVO, 42 years old, of McCance. Suffering from contusions. At Latrobe hospital.
ISAAC HENRY LLOYD, aged 14, of Wilpen. Leg injured. Brought home from hospital
Monday.
ANDREW RADELI, aged 40, of Wilpen, left leg broken. At Latrobe hospital.
JOHN PZMAJDA, aged 23, Hungarian laborer employed at Seger works.
THOMAS STEVOLA, of Jennerstown. Suffering from contusions.
Editorial
Ligonier's Disastrous Wreck
It is with feelings of profound sorrow, regret and sympathy that we are called upon to
chronicle, the terrible disastrous railroad wreck which occurred Friday afternoon, July 5, on the Wilpen branch of the Ligonier Valley railroad. The heavy coal trains coming down grade from Wilpen drawn by two engines at the only curve on the road plowed into the passenger train which was being backed up to Wilpen. The freight engines plowing into the passenger coach causing the most disastrous destruction of life in proportion to the number of passengers on the train ever known in the annals of railroading. There were twenty-three people who were killed instantly or died a short time afterward and more than thirty were injured. Not one person on the passenger coach or on the two
freight engines escaped entirely free of injury. The disaster was one of the most terrible and destructive to live possible and those injured or killed and their relatives and friends have the deepest sympathy and sorrow of this entire community was well as of the whole country. Only those who saw the wreck can have a clear conception of the awful disaster that came upon these people without a moments warning. This accident has caused a gloom over this community and sorrow, suffering and loss that can never be repaid. The
property loss is as nothing when compared with the loss of life that this terrible wreck has caused. Deep feeling and genuine sorrow is manifest everywhere. People think of nothing else and talk of nothing else. It will he a dark spot in the history of Ligonier valley for ages to come, the real consequence of which can never be effaced of forgotten.
People naturally are wondering and inquiring the cause of this disastrous railroad wreck. Cause there must have been, mistake somebody has made, some one has blundered. Mistakes in railroading have their terrible results. Two trains on the same
track going in different directions meeting at the only sharp curve on the road was a terrible mistake with awful results. Who is to blame is not known and the blame should not be placed upon any man or set of men until there is a full investigation. An investigation that seeks out the absolute facts in the matter. The railroad officers, the coroner and the state officials evidently will do all in their power and ferret out the true cause of the wreck and lace the blame on the right man or men. The case demands the most thorough and searching investigation. Until that is done we should withhold our opinions as to whom the guilty are, that no innocent one may be blamed. There is
considerable talk and many stories in circulation, none of which have been fully verified. The proper thing to do is to wait patiently if possible for the report of the investigation that will be made public.