Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-06
WRECK FATAL TO z
Death List in Ligonier, Pa,
Disaster Grows.
HOSPITALS ARE TAXED
Nearly Score Of the Injured Rushed
to Pittsburgh Hospitals.
WERE EXCURSIONISTS
Only One Person in Lone Car of
Train Escaped Without
Being Hurt.

L1GONIER, Pa. July 6.-Twenty-one
lives. according to the official list were
snuffed out In the railroad crash on the
Wilpen branch of the Ligonier Valley
railroad yesterday afternoon. when a
passenger coach on the little coal road
was crushed like a box of cards between
two locomotives on a steep grade.
The death list was further increased
this morning, when Walter Serena of
McKeesport succumbed to his injuries.
OF the missing that were thought to
have been in the wreckage. all but two
were found among the list of injured.
These latter. Mrs Nettie Grey OF Wilpen
and Roy Grey. a foster son, We're found
in the wreckage this morning ciasped I'm
each others arms
With the Latrobe and Ligonier hos
pitals overtaxed, nearly a score of In
jured are in Pittsburgh hospitals. where
they were rushed in special trains last
night.
The Death List.
Besides those mentioned, the death list
follows:
Ankney, John NJ. Lgonier. fireman.
Beatty. Frank E., engine driver.
Byers. George, Ligonier. fireman.
Campbell, William, Wilpen.
Dillon. Mrs. Harry. Wilpen.
Dillon, -. infant child.
Esse, Mrs. NJ, Wilpen.
Hudock, Michael, Wilpen.
Hubley. George W.. civil engineer.
Pittsburgh.
McConnaughey. Frank. Lgonier. engine
driver.
MUIR Thomas, Latrobe.
Niepont, Pittsburgh.
Overton, Frank. ten years old. Wilpen.
Overton, Mrs. John, his mother.
Rhoddy. Louise, eight years old, Nc
Canoe.
Rhoddy. Elizabeth. thirteen years old.
same address.
Rhoddy, Mary.
Tosh, George, Wilpen.
Among the injured were:
DR.. j. B. Johnson Of Ligonier, hurt In
ternally, will probably die.
DR.. c. A. Hamill of Lgonier, crushed.
may die.
Miss Esther M. Matthews a nurse en-
Ligonier. president OF the Ligonier Valley
railroad.
Hit by Freight Train.
The train had been made up at Ligonier
to take residents along the line to 4 cele-
| bration at the fair grounds. and they had
just returned to their seats for the return
! journey when the double-header freight
| train bore down.
Only one person In the lone car Of the
excursion train escaped without injury.
The car was ripped to pieces. All the
occupants were hurled to the roadbed.
| locomotives, while others were embedded
partly in the cinders and crushed. Nc
Connaughey, engine driver of the freight
train. was scalded to death. His fireman,
George Byers, jumped, only to fall on
the rails and meet death under the wheels.
Smith P. Beatty. driver OF the second
| locomotive, jumped and suffered q broken
leg. His fireman. John Ankeny. fell be-
meath a car. His legs were severed and
he died on the way to a hospital.
A pathetic feature of the wrech was
| the injury Of Miss Esther M. Matthew'S a
nurse, and the death of two and the in
jury of four children she was taking to
the woods near Wilpen for an afternoons
outing.
Not Life Lost Until Yesterday.
The railroad is an outlet for the mines
of the Wilpen Coal Company. The pas
senger train wrecked was the only one in
operation. 1t made two trips day over
the line, which was ten miles In length.
1t has been in operation forty years, and
up to yesterday not a life had been lost
In any manner and this was made the
boast of the officials.
House for Drastic Laws.
Expressing horror and Indignation at
the railroad wrecks that in two days ex-
acted a toll Of more than sixty human
lives, members of the House today
sought legislative program that would
strengthen and make more drastic the
laws governing interstate commerce.
Action with reference to those laws
compelling the installation of safety ap-
pliances in the handling of trains espe-
cfally were advocated The campaign
was inspired by the wreck Thursday at
Corning, N. Y, In which forty persons
perished. and the collision at Wilpon,
near Latrobe. Pa, yesterday in which
twenty-five persons were killed.
Plan Is Discouraged.
Representative Adamson, chairman of
the House interstate commerce commit
tee. does not believe further legislation
to be necessary and he discouraged any
movement looking to further laws.
He told his callers that the existing
laws. if enforced, covered the situation
fully.
While expressing indignation over the
evident negligence of those operating
the trains. he drew attention to the fact
that the interstate commerce commits
sion had full powers to investigate the
causes and enforce reforms.
that the Martin bill, fixing an eight-hour
day for railroad telegraph operators and
employees operating mechanical safety de-
vices would be favorably reported as a
result Of the public sentiment growing
out Of the disasters.