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 Bulletin
Thursday, March 9, 1916
Men Toiled Through the Night Trying to Save Wine for R. R.
Derry, Pa., Mar. 8 The thirty five thousand dollar wine car, which has been causing the Pennsylvania Railroad Company so much trouble in the past forty-eight hours, will soon cease to be a present problem. Another car has been secured and the sherry wine is being pumped from the wrecked car into the good car.
All day yesterday employees worked at pouring the wine escaping from the leaking valve below back into the top of the wrecked car, while the Pennsy kept the wires hot trying to find an empty wine tank car. The company was unable to locate one, but found an empty molasses tank car which was whirled over the rails to Derry.
The car in last evening, and the car inspectors rigged up an apparatus for pumping the wine from the wrecked car into the good car which was run on the adjoining track. A small hand pump was installed, with a system of overhead piping.
All through the night a shift of men toiled at the job. As it turned cold the men found their job a very chilly one and canvas protection was erected. The wind also blew the wine out of the overhead trough, and this had to be remedied by constructing a shelter.
At ten oclock this morning the pumping was still going on while the pouring still continued. The sharp cold froze the wine as it flowed, and almost stopped the leaks underneath the car. It was expected that by this afternoon the wrecked car would be emptied and the wine all transferred to the good tank car. Although a large quantity of wine has been lost, yet the amount saved will be well worth the efforts made by the company as the wine is the finest made in California, and was consigned to New York for the highest class trade.
Many amusing incidents have occurred since the wine car landed on the shop track. Derryites developed a sudden thirst for high class sherry wine, and many efforts have been made to secure some of the leaking wine.
Very naturally the railroad company refused to allow any person to take any of the wine. Persons who came around with jugs and buckets were turned aside, and told to vamoose as the company wasnt running a free dispensary.
Finding this out, those persons who had exaggerated thirst have tried various schemes to get some wine. Yesterday morning a railroad man came around with his dinnerbucket. He set the bucket down and ostensibly began to look around the car.
When he thought no one was looking, he slipped his bucket under the flowing wine, and the bucket began to fill rapidly, the man having brought it empty for the sole purpose of getting some wine. About the time the bucket began to fill, one of the inspectors happened around, and the man dropped the bucket, the wine splashing about as the man scurried off.
Last night, after the publication of the wine story in the Bulletin, the car inspector had constant trouble. At one time he went away for a minute or so to get some equipment, and coming back, one saw a string protruding from the top of the car. Investigating, he found a moxie bottle tied to the end of a string, and down in the tank car. The man who had arranged the device dived off the car and got away in the darkness, when he heard the inspector return.
At another time during the night the inspector walked around to the side of the car, and found a big candy bucket placed so it would fill with wine. The man who was back of this scheme also made away in the darkness. Many other tales of the schemes devised by the thirst, to get some free wine, are being told by the inspectors whose duty has been to preserve as much of the wine as possible.