West Penn, the accident

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Wide open at this point!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of John
Swindler
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 1:59 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: RE: West Penn, the accident


Looks like I need some more field work, Ed.

Hmmmmm. What does the January/February calendar look like?

John


>From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <twg at pulsenet.com>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>Subject: RE: West Penn, the accident
>Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 13:33:28 -0400
>
>The railroad overpass east of Ruffs Dale was called a tunnel, as was the
>"highway" overpass near the railroad undergrade north Alverton.  The news
>clipping refers to the former.  "Overpass" and "undergrade" refer to the
>railroad's or highway's position relative to the trolley.
>
>The clipping from 10-6-17 highlights the accident that caused West Penn to
>change to orange paint.  A green car coming out of green woods is very hard
>to see.
>
>Ed
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of John
>Swindler
>Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 11:50 AM
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: West Penn, the accident
>
>
>Trivia question number 5:  So where was the West Penn trolley tunnel in the
>coke region???
>
>You say West Penn never had any tunnels?  That's what I thought, but there
>was apparently more to the company than what has been previously published.
>
>As a follow-up to the 1918 article on the first use of orange on West Penn,
>follows is a selection of articles from the Connellsville Courier during
>1917.  Again, this is just one year out of a 60+ year history.
>
>Enjoy
>
>John
>
>
>
>
>
>
>CONNELLSVILLE COURIER, 17 December 1917
>
>WEST PENN CAR HITS TUNNEL NEAR SCOTTDALE; NEARLY SCORE OF PASSENGERS ARE
>INJURED
>
>Miss Edna Hockenberry, a Nurse, in Serious Condition at Mt. Pleasant
>Hospital
>
>WRECKED TROLLEY IGNITES
>
>Breaks Squarely in Two as It Crashes Against Stone Abutment and Broken Wire
>Sets It on Fire; Six of the Injured in Mount Pleasant Hospital
>
>One woman was perhaps fatally injured, five others so badly hurt that they
>had to be removed to the Mount Pleasant Memorial hospital, and about 10 or
>12 others bruised and cut last evening about 8:45 when a West Penn street
>car crashed against the mouth of a tunnel between Ruffsdale and Tarr, six
>miles west of Scottdale, was broken in two and was later set afire when a
>broken trolley wire fell into the wreckage.
>
>THE INJURED
>Miss Edna Hockenberry, 22 years old, of Broadway, Scottdale, internally
>injured and believed to have fractured skull; unconscious, in serious
>condition
>Edward Hunsberger, 34 years old, of Ruffsdale; contusions of the head and
>body and bad bruises
>Miss Nellie Sherrow, 23 years old, of Ruffsdale, lacerations contusions,
>several cuts on arm
>Mrs. Samuel Brown, 31 years old, of York Run; lacerations and contusions of
>head and face
>Wanter McNelly, 25 years old, of Ruffsdale; lacerations of right arm and
>head
>Andrew Bulthorn, 38 years old, colored, of Greensburg, bad body bruises
>
>The accident occurred with the brakes on the car refused to work.  The car
>left the tracks just at the entrance to the tunnel, over which run the
>Pennsylvania railroad tracks.  It swerved against the abutment, and broke
>squarely in two, the pieces being divided just at the middle of the car.  A
>broken trolley wire then fell into the wreckage, setting it afire and
>entirely destroying the car.  This was not, however, until all the
>passengers had been released from the car.
>The car goes by the lower route to Greensburg.  It arrives at Greensburg in
>time for its passengers to catch a 10 o’clock train.  It is due to leave
>Scottdale at 9.25, but was about ten minutes late last night.
>Miss Hockenberry was seated almost directly in the middle of the car when
>the accident came.  She is a nurse in training at the Columbia Hospital,
>Wilkinsburg.  Yesterday was her half holiday, and she had been visiting her
>mother, Mrs. S. K. Hockenberry of Broadway, Scottdale.  She intended to
>take
>the 10 o’clock train at Greensburg and return to Wilkinsburg.  The doctors
>are not sure that she has a fractured skull, but fear that such is the
>case.
>   Miss Hockenberry has not been conscious since the accident.
>Walter McNelly, who suffered lacerations of arm and head, is a Baltimore &
>Ohio fireman.
>Edward Hunsberger, who was very severely bruised, is hurt more badly than
>any of the others except Miss Hockenberry.
>Just how many people were on the wrecked car could not be learned.  Many of
>them, injured only slightly, were given first aid treatment by Dr. J. W.
>Shelar of Mount Pleasant, who rushed to the scene of the accident, while
>Drs. W. A. March and F. L. March made ready to receive the injured at the
>hospital.
>A shortage of doctors in Scottdale and Everson, brought about by the
>medical
>men’s enlistment for war service, made it necessary to go all the way to
>Mount Pleasant for aid.
>Mrs. Samuel Brown is the wife of the superintendent of the York Run plant
>of
>the H. C. Frick Coke company and a sister-in-law of Mrs. W. H. Clingerman
>of
>Scottdale.  She had been visiting relatives in Ruffsdale and was on her way
>home.  She was cut by flying glass
>The car was in charge of a Connellsville crew, Charles Ritenour and Sam
>Fletcher.
>
>
>
>CONNELLSVILLE COURIER, 31 December 1917
>
>WEST PENN CAR BURNED UP; PASSENGERS ARE STRANDED AT PENNVILLE TWO HOURS
>
>Comes in Contact with Broken Trolley Wire, and Short Circuit fi Formed
>
>POWER IS OFF FOR TIME
>
>Passengers on the last car from Scottdale to Connellsville were stranded at
>Pennsville for two hours yesterday morning when they had to abandon the
>street car in which they were riding after it caught fire from a broken
>trolley wire.  The car is the second burned within three weeks, a 600 type
>being completely destroyed recently at Tarr.  The car burned yesterday a
>was
>a 200 type in charge of a local crew.  Motorman Wendell Carroll and
>Conductor C. E. Bryner.
>The car caught fire when it encountered a broken trolley wire at the
>Pennsville stop.  A short circuit was formed by the broken wire, setting
>the
>car on fire.  Passengers were gotten out of the car before the fire had
>gained much headway.  It did not take long for the fire to completely burn
>the car up.
>Passengers who had been returning to the homes here on the car were without
>shelter but they secured refuge in a nearby house.  It was 3 o’clock before
>a relief car brought them into the city.
>Workmen wee immediately called out and put to work clearing away the debris
>and repairing the broken wire.  In order to repair the trolley line the
>power over the entire system had to be shut off.  The current was not
>turned
>off in time to save the car, however, nothing remaining of it expect the
>trucks.
>The workmen who were called out early in the morning to get the line
>repaired and the tracks cleared were breakfasted here later on.
>
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