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!
Greensburg Daily Tribune
Thursday, July 18, 1912
Trainman Blamed For The Ligonier Disaster
But Responsibility Rests With Ligonier Valley Railroad Says Interstate Commerce
Investigator in Reporting to Commission at Washington, D.C., on the Recent Ligonier Catastrophe No Recommendations Made But More Accidents Are Predicted Unless Changes Is (sic) Made in Mode of Operation Full Burden Rests Between Train Dispatcher Minnick and Conductor Kuhn Changes Predicted on Other Branch Roads
"The Ligonier accident was caused either by the failure of the dispatcher to deliver or of the conductor of the passenger train to understand or obey the order requiring the latter to hold his train in Ligonier until the freight train came in," is the verdict in a nutshell of the report of H. W. Belnap, a representative of the Interstate Commerce commission, who was in Ligonier investigating the causes the led up to the wreck in which 23 victims were killed and 29 others maimed and bruised, to the Commission at Washington, D.C. More accidents are also predicted, says the investigator in his report, unless a change is made in the mode of operation.
Two reports have so far been made on the causes that led up to the wreck on the Ligonier Valley railroad on the Wilpen branch, Friday afternoon, July 5. One by the State Railway Commission in which Marshal John Dohoney finds the same conclusion as
that of the Interstate Commerce commissioner and each places the responsibility on the Ligonier Valley Railroad company.
Late last evening a damage suit was filed by Bernard G. Gray of Wilpen, against the Ligonier Valley railroad, in an action of trespass. No statement was filed and the amount of damages is not yet known. The claim was filed by Eicher & Eicher. Mr. Gray's wife,
Mrs. Netta Gray, 23 years old, died from injuries received in the wreck and their foster son, Ray Boring Gray, one year old, was killed and Gray is suffering from a broken leg and contusions and lacerations of the skull.
The Responsibility
In the report of Commissioner Belnap the burden of responsibility is placed upon Conductor Kuhn for his failure to understand or obey an alleged order given him by the train dispatcher at Ligonier. The weight of evidence, Mr. Belnap says, is in favor of the dispatcher. General responsibility, however, rests upon the company, he says, and more accidents are predicted in the future, unless a change in operation is made. On this point Mr. Belnap says in part:
The passenger trains on this branch are not known by numbers. No block signal system of any kind is used in the movement of trains, being governed by orders given by the dispatcher, either verbally or by telephone, to the conductor, who in turn conveys them to the engineman and other members of the crew. No record is kept of train orders, no train register is maintained, and the road has no printed rules of any kind governing train operations."
Mr. Belnap says that Noel, car distributor, Minnick, dispatcher, Conductor Kuhn of the passenger train, Freight Clerk Clopp, Baggageman William Fortney and other employees were questioned as to the accident. Clopp stated that he heard Dispatcher Minnick give orders to Conductor Kuhn to hold his train at Ligonier until the freight train arrived.
Fortney stated that he heard the dispatcher give Kuhn the order to hold his train. On the other hand the passenger crew told Mr. Belnap they had no knowledge of any instructions being given to Conductor Kuhn by the dispatcher relative to holding his train.
"This accident," says Mr. Belnap, "was caused either by the failure of the dispatcher to deliver or of the conductor of the passenger train to understand or obey the order requiring the latter to hold his train. The weight of evidence, as given by the employees, seems to be with the dispatcher, and the conclusion is therefore reached that Conductor
Kuhn is responsible to this conclusion."
Mr. Belnap makes no recommendation as what course the commission should take in the matter, but it is predicted that the railroad company will be directed to install and up-
to-date system of handling trains and guarding against similar accidents in the future.