One of the more serious accidents that occurred on the Allegheny Portage Railroad happened on this date, May 4, 1852. The following account is from the May 6, 1852, issue of the Ebensburg Mountain Sentinel weekly newspaper. The report is long, but deserves to be reprinted in its entirety: AWFUL EXPLOSION.--LOSS OF LIFE. On Tuesday morning, about nine oclock, one of the boilers at the head of Plane No. 6, on the Portage R. R. exploded, completely demolishing the north end of the building, the brick stack, damaging the machinery of the engine and scalding and injuring four persons, three of whom have since died. One section of the boiler, weighing about 500 lbs., was thrown a distance of 100 feet down the Plane. Mess. Owen REILLY, and Mathew PURCELL, the firemen, were severely scalded and otherwise injured, and died in the afternoon within a few minutes of each other. They were both young men, without families. Mr. Felix HANDLIN, who was a laborer about the water-station, died on Tuesday night from the effects of wounds and scalds received. Mr. Abraham WESTFALL is injured on the head, whether seriously or not, we have not learned. This sad accident casts a gloom over the community, and we can scarcely realize the fact that those industrious men, respected for their good qualities by all, have so suddenly been cut off in the midst of a life of labor and usefulness and taken from our midst. But so it is. The piercing sorrows which pervade the hearts of relations is shared in by hosts of friends. The cause of this frightful accident has no mystery about it. The boilers we understand have been in use from twelve to fifteen years and have for a long time been considered unsafe. We are informed the boiler, which exploded, was in a leaking condition on the morning of the accident and entirely unfit for use. Had new boilers been provided by those having the power we would not have been under the sad necessity of chronicling this melancholy bereavement, the hearth-stones of several families would not now be so desolate. The economy practised by the State and its agents at the expense of the lives of men, is a false and dreadfully responsible one. We hope that a close inspection will be made of other machinery on the road and that a proper means will be used to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents in all quarters. The other stationary engine at the Plane is in order, and cars passed as usual the same evening. Therefore there is no delay to passengers or freight. The first photo (from 1902) shows the engine house at Plane No. 6 as it was rebuilt after the accident. The second shows the present reconstruction of Engine House #6 in our park. (dkb)
Posted on: Sun, 04 May 2014 14:05:00 +0000
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