Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-18
TRAIN HITS AUTO;
ONLY CHILD LEFT
OF TWO FAMILIES
Girl Left at Home Sole Sur
vivor at Quakertown
Crossing Tragedy
SIX KILLED BY SPECIAL
Bethlehem Party Thought Track
Clear When Freight
Went to Siding

oUAKERTOwN. Pa. Sept ts.-Two
families OF Bethlehem were wiped out,
with the exception OF baby that had
been left at home. when a Philadelphia
Falls for Philadelphia struck an automobile
yesterday afternoon and killed two men,
two women and two boys. The accident
occurred at the Fairuew road crossing, a
quarter OF a mile from the station at
ouakertown. at 1886 o'clock.
The victims were;
WILLIAM HuNszTKER. forty-two years old
MRS: WILLIAM HUNszrKER. thirty-three
ANDREW RNEFF forty years old.
MRS. ANDREW KNEFF. thirty-six years old.
GEORGE KNEFF. twelve years old.
CHARLES KNEFF. six years old
The Hunszikers lived at si9 Prospect
avenue, Bethlehem and the Kneff family on
Eighth avenue. Hunszker was foreman OF
the drop forge department OF the Bethlehem
Steel Coinpany's plant and Knef was fore
man of the die department.
The Hunszkers' daughter. Gertrude, two
years old. had been left at the home of
neighbors, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Stauffer.
The Knen family was completely wiped out.
The families were on pleasure ride and
left Bethlehem at noon. There Is n steep
embankment at the crossing, and the tour
ing car In which they were riding was
struck in the center by the engine of the
on TO a siding and Mr.. Kneff, who was
driving the machine. is said to have be-
lieved he had clear track
The auto was wrecked and all of its oc-
cupants were killed instantly, except
Charles Kneff, who died in less than Ave
minutes after the accident
The special halted. and its crew and
passengers helped TO put the victims on
the freight train, which took them to
Quakertown.
A graduate nurse. whose name was not
learned, was on the special. Sht had young
Charles Kneff placed on the pilot Of the
engine. Then she got on with him and
made a heroic effort to save his life. With
the train moving at about 80 miles an
hour she ministered 20 the youth. But her
efforts were in vain. He was dead when
the freight train, which took them to
Quakertown.
The clothing of all the victims was torn
off, even TO their shoes. The necks of
both women we're broken and the skulls OF
all were fractured.
The bodies were unloaded at the
Quakertown station and DR.. J. r. Umsted,
Deputy Coroner of Bucks County, was sum-
moned. He appointed n jury for the in
quest composed OF Gordon Luckenbill.
Fred Krouse, William Krouse, A. J. Rob,
erts. william Fitzgerald and Calvin
Heclxler.
George L. Cornwell. of Lansdale, investl-
gator for the Philadelphia and Reading
Railway, is investigating the cause of the
accident At the crossing where the ac-
cident occurred there are no safety gates or
warning bells. but merely a warning sign.
Thomas Brunner. OF Bethlehem, the con-
ductor Of the special. found Masonic
mark on the watch chain of one of the
victims. II was from a Worcester. Mass.
Lodge DIR. II. ID. Heller, of Hellertown.
one of the railroads surgeons, was on the
special and took charge of the victims. The
names of the men were found on pay
envelopes from the Bethlehem Steel Works.