Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Trolley Car Wreck
October 14, 1895
TROLLEY CAR WRECK
TWO MEN AND ONE WOMAN WERE KILLED.
The Brake Rod Broke and the Car Dashed at
Terrific Speed Down a Long Hill.
PITTSBURG, Oct. 14. -- A distressing
accident happened on the Carnegie branch of the
West End street railway, resulting in the death
of three people and injury of 17 others. The
killed were RED HEISEL
and GEORGE
ROTHMAN, both of Carnegie, Pa.,
and MRS.
ELIZABETH BISHOP of this city.
The following are the injured:
MICHAEL FOLEY
and wife of West Eng, Pittsburg, badly
cut about head and body, both dangerously hurt.
Professor ALEXANDER
PHILLIPS of Pittsburg academy, head
and neck cut, serious.
O. J. BALDWIN of Youngsville, Pa.,
skull fractured.
MISS EMMA LAUGHLIN, 809 Atwood
street, Pittsburg, scalp wound, both legs
crushed.
MISS PEARL HOON, Seventh street,
Beaver Falls, scalp wound.
Unknown Boy, bruised.
ROBERT WILLEY, 10 years old, badly
bruised.
GEORGE WADDLES, motorman, leg crushed
and head cut.
FRANK McGUIRE, conductor, badly
bruised.
The names of the others injured are not
known, as they left the scene without being
recognized.
The accident happened to car No. 56 on the
long hill coming into West End on its way to
Pittsburg. Just as the car started down the
heavy grade the brake broke, and it was soon
beyond the control of the motorman, the speed
became terrific, and when a sharp curve near the
foot of the hill was reached, the car made a
wonderful leap, landing trucks uppermost in
McCarthy's run, six or eight feet below the
track grade.
The accident occurred at a lonely spot, and it
was quite awhile before assistance reached the
sufferers, who were wedged tightly in the wreck,
which was most complete.
When the conductor saw that the car was
beyond control, he lay down on the floor and
advised the others to follow his example. The
killed were found wedged under the roof of the
car, which had been smashed in upon them. The
escape of any of those on the car was
miraculous.
The dead were brought to the Pittsburg morgue
and the injured to the several hospitals.
McCartney's hill is about a quarter of a mile
long. The rules of the company require cars to
come to a full stop at the top of the hill to
test the brakes. This apparently was not done.
About eight months ago a car on the same line
jumped the track on a sharp curve on Steuben
street and running over a hill landed on the top
of a house.
Ogdensburg Advance and St. Lawrence Weekly
Democrat New York 1895-10-14
Submitted & transcribed by Stu
Beitler Thank you,
Stu!
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