Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-07-06
Passenger Train is Smashed
from Behind by a Double
Header Freight Near WiIpen
Fair Grounds.
VICTIMS RETURNING
FROM HOLIDAY
Only One Person in Inflated
Coach Escaped Injury I'M
pact Terrific and All OCCu-
pants Hurled to ROadbed,

tBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire.)
Latrobe. Pa, July 5.-Twenty -one
persons were killed and thirty in
jured. a number of them fatally as
the result OF wreck this afternoon
at Wilpen, on the Ligonier branch OF
the Pennsylvania railroad.
An overloaded passenger coach
pushed by an engine was struck by
a double headed freight train of coal
cars, crushing the coach like paper
and spreading death and injury to all
but one aboard the train.
The accident occurred on a branch
road running from this place to
Ligonier. which is owned by the Mel
lon interests of Pittsburgh. 1t had
been reported that the line was econ
troled by the PENNSYLVANIA railroad.
1t will take an investigation to de-
termine the reason for the wreck.
Tonight there seems no person in a
position even TO suggest "A cause. Al
most every home in Ligonier was af-
fected by the accident, many rela
tives or friends either being dead or
iiiJNi ti. lit IAN tstN 10 al VuAitt
for the mines OF the Wilpen Coal
Company.
The passenger train wrecked to-
day was the only one in operation. It
made two trips day over the line
which is ten miles in length. Up to
today not a life had been lost in any
manner, and this was made the boast
Of the officials.
According to statement of Pas
senger Agent Adams, Of the Ligonier
Valley railroad, the death list is twen-
ty-seven. Twenty-one have been ac-
counted for by newspaper men, but all
efforts to locate or identify any Of the
others have failed.
The dead
MRS. HARRY DILLON AND
BABY. Of Wilpen, crushed to death.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL, of Wilpen.
FRANK MccONNAUGHEY, of
Ligonier, engineer, scalded 10 death.
GEORGE BYERs. of Ligonier,
fireman crushed and scalded
LOUISE RHODDY, aged S, Of Me-
Cauco crushed.
ELIZABETH RHoDDY, aged 49,
sister.
JOHN NJ ANKNEY. Of Ligonier,
fireman, died on way TO hospital.
MRS. M. ESsE, Of Wilpen.
THOMAS MUIR, of Latrobe, head I
crushed.
GEORGE TosH, Of Wilpen, body
smashed.
MIKE HuDocK, Of wilpen, side
crushed.
FRANK, oVERToN, aged 10. Of
Wilpen, mutiliated.
MRS. JOHN OVERTON. mother of
Frank, died on train bound for Pitts
burgh.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY, aged II.
TWO UNIDENTIFIED FOREIGN
EIiS. badly crushed.
A majority of the injured We're
residents along the Wilpen branch.
They We're brought to a hospital here
or sent to hospitals at Pittsburgh
when it was found they were in Il
critical condition.
The passenger train had started
from Ligonier. 1t consisted Of an
engine and coach, the engine push
ing the coach The freight train was
made Of coal cars and was being
pulled by two heavy locomotives.
Every seat in the lone coach was oc-
cupied with persons returning from
a Fourth of July holiday The inn
pact was terrific. The freight en-
sines plowed through the wooden
coach. crushing it as il would paper.
All the occupants were hurled to the
roadbed. Some fell in the patch Of
ne en- rushing engines. while others
We're imbcded partly in the cindcrs
ana crushed stones beside the rails.
The first engine of the freight train
stopped soon after tearing through
ne passenger train. turned half way
around and fell over on its side. En-
slncer McConnaughey was scalded to
leath. while his fireman, George
syers, jumped only To meet death (
under the wheels. Engineer smith
Beatty, of the second engine. jumped ]
ma escaped with broken leg. His t
fireman. John AnkneN fell beneath Il {
ar. He was crushed ana died while \
~ the way to a hospital. IL
\ pathetic scene was the injury OF 5
Hiss Esther NJ. Matthews. nurse, T
md the death of two and the injury r
u four children she was taking to t
he woods near Wilpen for an after :
ioon's outing. 3
The Pennsylvania railroad Of which r
he Ligonier road is "a branch. sent ,
special train from Pittsburgh to 9
-atrobe to take some of the injured C
rom the oVer-taxed hospital here To "A
'ittsburEh. "
Rllf .fs,
aRed without injury. He was rail- h