The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-07-12
sPAssENoER COACH Smashed w
DoUsLE HEADER FREIGHT
] IN PENNsYLvANIA.
BUT ONE ESCAPE INJURY.
Large Number q injured Are Do
llsvsd Likely to sueeumb-No
Connected Story Of Wreck
obtaInable.


double header freight train. Only
ono passenger escaped without in
jury.
The accident occurred at the fair
grounds at Wilpen. one and a half
miles from Ligonier, a summer resort.
The passenger train had started
from Ligonier. It consisted Of an
engine and coach, the engine push
ing the coach. The freight train was
made up Of many coal cars and was
being pulled by two heavy locomo-
tives.
The impact was terrific. The pas
senger coach was practically laid
open and the passengers either crush
ed or thrown through the air.
It was the first fatal accident, It is
said, in the history Of the Ligonier
road for 40 years.
All the occupants of the coach were
hurled to the roadbed. Some fell in
the path Of the onrushing engines,
while others were partly imbedded in
the cinders and crushed stones beside
the rails. The first engine Of the
freight train stopped soon after tear
ing through the passenger train, turn
ed half way around, and fell over on
its side. Engineer McConaughey
was scalded to death, while his fire
man, George Byers, jumped, only to
fall on the track and meet death I'M.
der the wheels.
Engineer Smith p. Beatty Of the Sec
ond engine, Jumped and sustained a
broken leg. His fireman, John Ank-
ney, fell beneath a car. His legs were
severed and he died enroute to a hos
pital. Engineer Dunlap of the passen-
ger train and his fireman remained at
their posts and escaped with slight
injuries.
A pathetic feature Of the wreck was
the injury Of Miss Esther M. Matthews
a nurse, and the death of two and
the injury of four children she was
taking to the woods near Wilpen for
an afternoons outing.
Farmers near the scene of the acct.
dent and workmen employed at race
track in the vicinity were at the
wreck within a few minutes. Mes
sengers were started at once to Lyon
Ter, while the others. assisted by En-.
gineer Dunlap and his fireman. were
busy getting the dead and injured
clear of the wreckage. An hour and
a half after the accident physicians.
nurses and railroad officials had reach.
ed the accident. From that time on
the work of rescue and tending to
the suffering was affective.
The Pennsylvania railroad, Of which
the Ligonier is branch, sent spe-
cial train from Pittsburg to Latrobe
to take some of the injured from the
oyertazed hospitals here to Pittsburg.
The action was timely as the facilities
here were exhausted.
When the first rescue train reach
ed here from the accident practical
ly the entire town met it. Every con-
veyance was ready to haul the In
jured to the hospital.
To obtain a connected story from
any of the victims was next to i'm.
possible at late hour But one per.
son on the train escaped without in
jury. He was railroad employee and
was too busy to talk.
Casualties In Wreck All Of Penn.
Mrs. Harry Dillon and baby of Will
pen, crushed to death; William Cam
bell. Wilpen; Frank McConnaughey of
Ligonier, engineer, scalded to death;
George Byers, Ligonier, fireman;
crushed and scalded; Louise Rhoddy.
aged 8. McCane, crushed; Elizabeth
Rhoddy, aged 10, a sister; John M.
Ankeny. Ligonier. fireman. died on
way to hospital; Mrs. M. Ess, Wilpen
Thomas MUIR, Latrobe. head crushed;
George Tosh, Wilpen. body smashed;
Mike Hudock. Wilpen, side crushed;
Frank Overton, aged 10, Wilpen. mu.
tilated; Mrs. John Overton, mother OF
Frank. died on train bound for Pitts.
burg; George w. Hubley, Pittsburg.
body crushed: Matthew Niepont. Pitts.
burg, crushed; Mary Hoddy, Lyon.
Ter; Frank e. Beatty. engineer. head
crushed. 81