Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-06
Passenger Train Telescoped by Heavy
Freight Train in Penn
sylyania
u KILLED AND 80 INJURED
Most of Victims Young People Re-
turning from Picnic-Juvcnile Glee
Followed by Shricks and GrOans.

Ligonicr. Pa, July with 81
person dead and more than 80 in
jured, some 50 seriously that the
death toll will probably be increased
before the day ends, this summer re-
sort and picnic town today is a vii
lage of sorrow, following the tel
cScrping OF Il passenger train on the
Wilpen branch OF the Ligonicr Valley
Railroad late yesterday.
Almost every family in the town
is affected by the disaster and today
every home Decamc Il hospital for
caring for the injured many Of whGm
were little children returning rrom
romp in the woods. carrying wild
flowers gathered during the day.
The Wilpen branch is an outlet
for the mines of the Wilen Coal
Company and one passenger train. 4
coach and an engine, makes two trips
over the Ten miles OF road every day,
one in the morning ana one in the
afternoon.
The train was coming down the
slight slope of the mountain carrying
its human freight, happy after a
days outing and the children had
gathered around Miss Esther NJ. Mat
thews, nurse who had special care
OF several of the youngsters of Henry
Rhoddy, manager OF the McCance
Supply Company at LigOnier.
The branch road had been boasted
that for fofrty years not life had
been lost on the line.
Miss Matthews talking and laugh
ing with the children, looked ont of
the rear door of the car and saw
long freight train bearing down on
them She realized crash could
not be avoided and threw the two
children nearest her into the bag
gage compartment near the front end
Of the car. This fore sight probably
saved their lives. \ moment later
she claSped two more Of the children
in her arms and ran toward the front
of the car and then the heavy freight
with it's two engines. crashed through
the nimsy day coach, crushing it
like a shell and killing and naming
its occupants.
Miss Mattheys was buried along
with other passengers under a mass
of wreckagc. but refused to be moved
from beneath the heavy timbers UNI
til her little charges were rescued.
Today she lies at the Allegheny Gen
cral Hospital where she recently
completed IL course in nursing.
All night long the rescuing party
toiled in eyiricating the injured.
About midnight there was a certainty
that at least % were dead and later
the toll was increased to 81. Parents
of the tots in the train frantically
tore at the splintered wood OF the
wrecked coach in an effort to recover
their little loved ones. until led away
by sympathetic hands who took up
the task of clearing the wreckage.
Drs. J. B. Johnson and \. Cham
i'll. two of the three physicians in
Lisonicr were on the train and both
were badly injured. DR.. Johnson
died last night from internal injur-
les. DR.. McAdoo. the other physician
in the town, was away and the near
est medical aid was in Latrobe.
Walter Serena Of Mckeesport, ia.
died in the Mckeesport Hospital
at 1880 a. m. today folowin an op-
Grafton as the result of injuries re-
ceived in the wreck. He was -
wears old and had a wife and two
children. He was the clerk IN the
NcKeesport National Bank.