Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Ligonier Echo
Wednesday, July 11, 1900
Terrible Accident
Engine On The P. W. & S. Railroad Runs Away
W. B. Duncan's Leg Crushed
Two Other Men Hurt Engine Wrecked Cars Smashed Track Torn Up A Heavy Loss To The Company
Thursday morning June 28th as the recently purchased engine known in railroad circles as the "stem winder," an engine constructed for steep and crooked roads on the mountains, was being brought down the steep branch of the P. W. & S. railroad on the mountain about five miles south of Rector by engineer W. B. Duncan, the engine refused to work properly and became unmanageable rushing down the steep grade at a tremendous rate of speed. The men knowing a P.R.R. car to be standing on the track into which their train must crush saw that to jump off the train was their only hope of escaping death. In jumping from the engine and train Pat O'Brien received several injuries about his body; W. H. Green had his collar bone broken; the others escaped without injury excepting Engineer W. B. Duncan who was the most seriously hurt. He was very badly cut and bruised on the head and face and his left foot and ankle was crushed by the wheels of the car following the engine passing over it.
The injured men were brought to Ligonier on a hand car. Mr. Duncan's wounds were temporarily dressed by Dr. Miller of town and he accompanied by his wife was taken to the West Penn hospital the same afternoon where his leg was amputated below the knee. He is still at the hospital where he will have to remain considerable time yet but a letter from his wife states that he is getting along very well. It was a sad accident to Mr. Duncan and he has the sympathy of the entire community.
The loss to the company in the damages to the engine, cars and track and the delay in bringing down logs from the mountain is considerable. The engine was broken to a great extent but has been shipped to Lima, Ohio, where it will undergo repairs.