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
Tuesday, February 22, 1916
Charles Kuhn vs. L.V.R.R.
In the case of Chas. Kuhn against the Ligonier Valley Railroad, in Judge McConnell's court, when court adjourned at noon, today, the side of the plaintiff had not yet been closed. Just before dinner, Miss Matthews, who was acting as a nurse in the home of the late George Senft, at the time of the wreck, testified that on that day she had taken a number of children to the station at Ligonier and had met Mr. Senft on the platform just before the train pulled out for Wilpen. She said that Mr. Senft helped her put the children on the train and that after she had ascended the steps, Mr. Kuhn was standing on one side of the steps and Mr. Senft on the other, the train was pulling out, probably within a minute after she had boarded the car.
Mr. A. B. Clifford was called to the stand to prove that it was the custom to push the
combination passenger and freight car ahead of the engine on the Wilpen branch.
Mrs. Dickinson, of Ligonier, was also called to the stand to prove that she had seen Mr. Senft on the platform when the children were put on the train.
At the close of court, yesterday evening, there seemed to have been some doubt as to whether the plaintiff would be able to introduce the testimony of some expert witnesses, tending to prove that the system in force on the Wilpen branch on the 5th of July, 1912, the date of the wreck, was not up-to-date and was, of itself, incomplete and apt to result in mistakes, causing wrecks. Court adjourned with this question practically undecided.
When court convened, this morning, the attorneys for the plaintiff changed their form of questions somewhat, and the testimony was then admitted by Judge McConnell.
Mr. W. H. Thomas, formerly of Derry, now of Johnstown, and Mr. Crosby, of Greensburg, officials in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., were called by the plaintiff and gave testimony on this phase of the contention. It was generally understood that the admission of this testimony was a point in favor of Mr. Kuhn, the plaintiff.
The plaintiff claims $25,000 damages for injuries received in the Wilpen wreck, July 5th, 1912, when twenty-three persons were killed and a number of others injured.
Conductor Kuhn received a fractured arm, and was knocked unconscious. Since the accident it is claimed Kuhn has never been able to do any work, other than a little gardening.
Conductor Kuhn stated that he ran his train up the Wilpen branch beside making regular trips between Ligonier and Latrobe. About the time Kuhn's passenger train left the Ligonier station Conductor Knox, in charge of a coke train started from Wilpen, for Ligonier. It is a single track road between the two towns, the same as between Ligonier
and Latrobe. It was customary to push the passenger coaches ahead of the engine. Upon this occasion a number of children had boarded the train to spend the afternoon picnicking in the groves, at Wilpen.
Neither engineer saw the other train approaching and at the sharp curve, at the Ligonier race track, on the Denny farm, the passenger and the freight trains crashed into each other
completely demolishing the passenger coach and causing death and injury to practically every person on board the ill-fated train.
Conductor Knox who had charge of the freight train, was the second witness called and he stated that he had received orders from the Ligonier office to leave Wilpen and start for Ligonier. It appears that no system of signals was used and all train orders were given verbally.
The plaintiff's side of the case will possibly be completed today. With but few exceptions the railroad company has settled all the cases growing out of the wreck.