West Penn History

[John Swindler]

>Jim Holland commented
>
>	Very sad beginning - but a possible explanation for the many spindly 
>viaducts, trestles, bridges, overpasses to avoid such problems!  These 
>trestles certainly gave the line character!

To following:


> > CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE, 1806-1906
>
> > The run out to Leisenring was very successful, on the return trip, 
>however, while coming down the hill into New Haven the motorman lost 
>control of the car. . .  The motorman and two or three others on the front 
>platform jumped – escaping unhurt, but a man and a boy on the rear platform 
>were thrown under the wheels of the passing train – the man being killed 
>and the boy losing a leg.  The other occupants of the car came out unhurt 
>excepting slight injuries from broken glass, etc., sustained by three of 
>four and the general shaking up and fright given.
>
>


At the risk of incurring much wrath (and probably deservedly so), this opens 
the door to some West Penn trivia questions:

1)  What was the name of the man who was killed on this inaugural run?

2)  What injuries did the boy really sustain?

3)  Who was the motorman on this first car and who was his employer?

4)  On another post, Jim H. mentioned photo of West Penn 739 on page 14 of 
CERA publication, but didn't tell us where picture was taken.  So what is 
location of car 739 in photo on page 14 of CERA West Penn book?  (hint:  
there is a connection with questions above).




Another post mentioned Ed's list of corrections for CERA publication on West 
Penn.  From this book I had impression that first West Penn line dated to 
1895, but could find no reference in Connellsville Courier nor Scottdale 
newspaper.  (Just trying to keep current!) Checked last night and found 
earliest articles seemed to date from around 1900, except for following 
(note for Ed L. upon his return - have we checked Courier prior to 1900???)




Connellsville Courier, Friday Morning, November 6, 1891 page 1


               A PASSENGER KILLED
          ------------------------
  On the Opening Day of the Electric Street Railway
          ------------------------
         A COLLISION WITH A COKE TRAIN
          -------------------------
The Motorman Loses Control of His Car and Thirty Passengers Rush Down to 
Death and Destruction
          --------------------------
Now Future Accidents will be Guarded Against.  The Road Running Again


   The opening to traffic of the electric street railway between this place 
and Leisenring last Saturday, was marked by a singular accident in which 
several passengers were injured, one fatally.
   About 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon, a car containing 30 passengers 
started down Hogg's hill on its way into New Haven.  At the same time a 
Pennsylvania Railroad coke train descending the Possum Run branch thundered 
over the crossing.  The electric car was in charge of Joseph Watson, an 
employee of the Edison General Electric Company, which company built the 
street railway and is still in charge of it.  With him was Perry Donaldson, 
a motorman who he was instructing in his duties.  Watson appears to have 
lost control of the car when he rounded the curve and emerged from the cut 
at the brow of the hill.  He saw the coke train and applied the brake so 
tightly as to lock the wheels.  The car slid along, gathering momentum by 
its own weight.
   At Ninth Street, Watson, doubting his ability to control the car, shouted 
for the passengers to jump for their lives.  All but six or seven promptly 
did so.  Watson then unloosed the brakes and reversed his motor (note: 
singular).  This sensibly checked the speed of the car, but not enough to 
prevent it from gently colliding with the coke train.  The coke train wasn't 
so gentle.  It was a double-header.  The engineer of the rear engine sounded 
the whistle to stop and applied his air brakes.  The coke train came to a 
stop within five or six car-lengths after striking the electric car, but the 
collision was forcible enough to shatter the latter badly.
   The lateral motion of the coke train when the electric car ran into it 
turned the latter around.  Of the passengers who remained in the car, Owen 
McMurray, presumed to have been standing on the rear platform with his 
little boy, was thrown under the wheels of the train.  One car passed over 
him, mangling one of his legs near the hip joint.  He scramble out, 
screaming with agony.  He was hastily sent to the Hospital.  His leg was 
amputated, and he died under the surgeon's knife.  His little boy was thrown 
violently against the end of the ties.  When found, his head was a mass of 
blood and he was thought to be seriously wounded.  His injuries, however, 
proved to be mere scalp wounds.  The other passengers injured were as 
follows:  Thomas Costoda, foot mashed; Minnie Worsel, bruised; Bridget 
Hennesy, back sprained; Lizzie Matthews, colored, three ribs broken, child 
of Mike Strueboch, bruised.  These parties all live at Leisenring.  Mrs. 
Gibbons, of Yowlerville, had several ribs broken and was bruised.
   When the collision occurred, Watson, who had bravely stuck to his post, 
jumped from the front end of the car and ran around to the rear to rescue 
the inmates.  Miss Worsel and Bridget Hennesy had fainted.  He dashed one 
out the window and dragged the other out the door.  The Hungarian baby was 
found under the roof of the vestibule of the car, which had been torn off.  
How the baby got there is a mystery.  Mrs. Matthews, who was caught under 
the wreckage, was rescued by her husband.  He had been a passenger with her 
and their two little children, and had jumped off with the children.
   Superintendent Gans, being interviewed as to the cause of the accident, 
said:  "I think the brake was applied too tightly.  Had it been applied so 
as to allow the wheels to revolve slowly more friction would have been 
secured and the car stopped.  Or if the motor had sooner been reversed the 
car would have stopped in time.  The wheels and rails are new and the 
bearings very small, hence when the car began to slide there wasn't much 
friction.  The recurrence of such a calamity will be guarded against by the 
construction of a siding along Ninth Street with a sharp ascending grade.  
Upon this siding all descending cars will run unless the conductor goes 
ahead and turns the switch.  He will be careful not to do this when there 
are any trains in sight.  The car will only be allowed to pass down when the 
crossing is clear."
  The wrecked car has its rear end torn out and will have to be rebuilt.  
One of the other cars was also disabled.  This left the company with but one 
car.  Operations were consequently suspended until Wednesday noon, when the 
road resumed again.  During the afternoon 600 passengers were hauled.  Over 
1,000 passengers were hauled yesterday.  The officers of the company say the 
road is still in the hands of the Edison company and that they are 
responsible for the damages.
  Deputy Coroner Cavender impaneled a jury of inquest composed of Burgess, 
J. Stillwagon, Q. Marietta, J. McCalab, J. C. Lytle and J. Martin.  They met 
Tuesday evening and took the testimony of Joseph Watson, the motorman, Dr. 
M. B. Shupe, who amputated McMurray's leg,; Lewis Cover, Wm Rowland and 
Samuel Goldsmith, three passengers, S. L. Tone, the engineer under who's 
supervision the road was built, who said the grade on the hill was steep, 
but not excessive, and G. L. Schermerhorn, the electrical engineer who had 
charge of the installation of the plant, who testified that all the cars in 
use had been tested and were in perfect condition.


(Part 2 on 739 to follow later)
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