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, March 29, 1916
James Ankney Killed Instantly
Friday Forenoon While Braking on P. W. & S. R. R. Near Mechanicsburg
Crushed Under Freight Truck
James Ankney, a brakeman employed by the P. W. & S. R. R. Co., was instantly killed in a freight wreck Friday forenoon about 10:30 o'clock while in the performance of his duty on the train.
The regular train that leaves Ligonier about 10 o'clock in the forenoon for Somerset was making its usual trip and the engine was pushing two box cars ahead and the passenger car was behind the engine. The train had gone as far as just opposite the house
along the road this side of Mechanicsburg in which Mr. and Mrs. Amos Johnston
formerly lived but which is now vacant; this is near the stone house residence of John Springer. At this point along the railroad there is a slight fill and as the train got to this point the front freight car on which James Ankney was standing near the center at the time of the accident for some unknown cause left the track and commenced bumping over the ties and finally shot over lengthwise to the right side of the road as you go toward the mountain, the body of the car leaving the trucks near the track. The second car bumped into the first one forcibly which caused it to leave the track on the left side of
the road opposite to that of the front car. It was turned over on its side but left the front truck behind. The engine and the passenger car behind did not leave the track.
It is supposed that Ankney seeing the car on which he was standing leave the track ran back and attempted to get off between the two cars or made an attempt to jump onto the second car and fell down between the two cars on to the ground just at end of the ties at right side of the track going toward Mechanicsburg and was shoved along the ground a short distance and crushed by the truck of the second car as it passed over his breast. Otherwise he was not seriously injured. He was pinned under the truck which was removed and the body brought to Ligonier and taken to the Gaskin morgue and prepared
for burial.
James Ankney was a son of Wm. Ankney, of near Allenvale, Somerset county, and a grandson of George Ankney, formerly of Ligonier township. He was aged about 19 years and single. The body was taken over to his parents' home on Saturday and the funeral services were held Sunday at 2 o'clock in the Bethany church near Allenvale, conducted by Rev. McCauley, a former pastor of the United Evangelical church of Ligonier. The young man had been a member of the church for 10 years. Interment in Bethany cemetery. A large number of the employes of the P. W. & S. R. R. Co., left Ligonier Sunday about ten o'clock on a special train to attend the funeral services.