The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-07-12
q DIE IN SMAsH-UP
PASSENGER COACH SMASHED BY
DOUBLE HEADER FREIGHT
IN PENNSYLVANIA.
BUT ONE ESCAPE INJURY.
Large Number Of Injured Are Be-
Iieved Likely to Sueeumb-No
Connected Story Of Wreck
Obtainable.

LatrODe, He0nSylVdnld-IWeu lone
persons were killed and 80 injured. a
senger train on the Ligonier Valley
railroad was smashed from behind by
a double header freight train. Only
one 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, II 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 un.
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.
their posts and escaped with slight
! injuries.
A pathetic feature OF the wreck was
the injury Of Miss Esther NJ. 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 tho acci'
dent and workmen employed at q 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 OF
the work OF rescue and tending Il
the suffering was affective.
The Pennsylvania railroad. OF which
the Ligonier is a branch. sent a spe
cial train from Pittsbrg to Latrob,
to take some of the injured from tn
overtazed 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 cor
veyance was ready to haul the II
jured to the hospital.
To obtain a connected story fror
any Of the victims was next to In
possible at q late hour. But one pei
son on the train escaped without II
fury. He was a railroad employee an
was too busy to talk.
. Casualties In Wreck All Of Penn.
Mrs. Harry Dillon and baby of WI
pen. crushed to death; William Can
bell. Wilpen; Frank McConnaughey {
: Ligonier. engineer. scalded to death
George Byers, Ligonier, fireman
. crushed and scalded: Louise Rhodd
aged s. McCane. crushed: Elizabet
Rhoddy. aged l3. a sister; John
Ankeny. Ligonier. fireman. died Q
way to hospital; Mrs. NJ. Ess. Wiper
= Thomas MUIR. Latrobe. head crushed
George Tosh. Wilpen. body smashed
: Mike Hudock. Wilpen. side crushed
Frank Overton. aged 10. Wilpen. m
tilated; Mrs. John Overton, mother
Frank. died on train bound for Pitt
burg; George w. Hubiey, Pittsbur
body crushed; Matthew Niepont. Pitt
burg. crushed; Mary Hoddy, Ligo
Ter; Frank Z. Beatty, engineer. he;
crushed.