Evening star., 1947-02-18
20 Killed, 80 Injured in Wreck
Of Pennsy Train Near Altoona;
II Cars of Red Arrow DeroiIed
Part of SIeepers Go
OffEmbunkmentWest
Of Horseshoe Curve
BY the Assoeiofsd Press

BY the Assoeiofed Press
ALTOONA, Pa, Feb. 18.-
Coroner Daniel Replogle of Al
toona said that Eat least 20 were
killed" in the wreck of the
Pennsylvania Railroads Red Ar
row, Detroit-to-New York pas
senger train, 10 miles west OF
here early today.
The coroner said that II bodies
had been taken out of the wreck
which occurred when the train
jumped the track and sent the two
engines, mail car, baggage car
coach and two sleepers plunging
down the embankment. overturned
the diner and two sleepers and
derailed three other sleepers.
The dead included three men,
bers of the four man engine crews
-Engineman M. E. McArdle of
Scottsdale, Pa; Fireman r. H
Henry of Derry, Pa, and Fireman
J. M. Parasok of Altoona.
Other Identified Dead.
Other dead identified at the
morgue included: Selecia Hamlik
Flint, Mich; Pvt. George H. Stacy
Fort Dix, N. j.; Mrs. Sadie Taylor
New Castle, Del, and John Drumm,
believed to be soldier of Dubois
Pa.
A Pennsylvania railroad spokes-
man estimated around 80 persons
were injured.
The injured included M. S. Biilig
of Alttona, engineer of the first
locomotive, who was badly scalded
Two locomotives are used to haul
the trains up the steep Allegheny
Mountains.
Hospital Set Up in Hotel.
The bodies were removed to the
Pennsylvania station at Altoona,
where undertakers called for them.
Ambulances from all funeral homes
and hospitals in the vicinity were
used to transport injured to hos
pitalsx
Mercy Hospital at Altoona re-
ported it had received 38 injured
while the Altoona General Hospital
said it was treating about so per-
sons with more expected. Less
critically injured patients, after
they were treated at the two hos
pitals, were transferred to emergen-
cy hospitals set up in the Hotel
Penn Alto and in the USO.
H. A. Hanson, manager Of the
Penn Alton, identified the first two
patients received there as G. Lind
and C. Froslid of Detroit.
Seven hours after the wreck oc-
Cured, Robert Dabbs, secretary OF
Gallitzin Borough, reported that
rescue crews had not reached one
of the day coaches.
Ten Navy Men Injured.
Ten members of the United States
Navy, en- route to the Bainbridge
(Md.) Training Station and in
charge of Chief Petty Officer Ar
thur j. Hansen were injured. All
were taken to the Altoona General
Hospital, where an examination
showed Charles r. Dumbaugh OF
Pittsburgh the most seriously in
iured. He suffered internal in
iuries and decorations of the face
Stanley c. McNeff of Detroit was
detained in the hospital for X-ray
OF an injured ankle.
The wreck occurred at 3:25 am
about 2 miles west of Horseshoe
Curve, known to thousands for its
beautiful view down mountain
valley.
A railroad spokesman said two
locomotives and II cars of the IA
car train were derailed, some rolling
down an embankment.
The accident disrupted all rail-
road telephone communication ir
the area, the railroad spokesman
said, increasing the difficulty of oh.
tanning information and details.
Torches Used to Cut Wreckage.
Tom Lyman, an Altoona photog'
rapher, said he saw three or foul
bodies lying around and injured
passengers were moaning inside ar
overturned car.
st shone my f1ashlight inside anc
saw arms and legs sticking up" he
said. Some railroad workers with
acetylene torches were cutting the
wreckage to release passengers who
were pinned down.
"One woman was calling for hel
daughter, who was in car thai
went down 100-foot embankment.
Rabbi Gains Passengers.
Witnesses told of seeing Rabb
George B. Lieberman of Mckinley
Avenue Temple, Canton, Ohio, pray.
ing and calming passengers in the
car at the bottom of the embank'
ment. The rabbi was en- route witt
his wife to Atlantic City.
Some passengers were obviousl!
dazed as they crawled out of th'
wreckage.
The casualties were removed II
Altoona by train.
The lines two eastbound tracks
were open, but the westbound pail
were blocked. Traffic was rerouted
Mr.. Lyman said the wreck oc'
CURED on a long slope leading Il
Cresson Mountain-the highest anc
most picturesque of the Alleghenie!