Bethlehem, PA Train Wreck, Sept 1926

9 KILLED, 35 HURT IN WRECK AT CROSSOVER IN BETHLEHEM

Jersey Central's “Scranton Flyer” plows into “Lehigh Limited,” ramming Steel Coach – Signals said to have been set Against It.

Bethlehem, Pa., Sept. 27 (AP) – At least nine persons were killed and 35 injured today when the “Scranton flyer” of the Jersey Central railroad plowed into the “Lehigh Limited” of the Lehigh Valley railroad at a crossover of the two roads in this city.
The dead so far identified are:
HUGH McGEE, 60, Allentown, Pa., Lehigh Valley brakeman, crushed beneath the overturned car.
H. GEORGE GEVENTHOR, New Haven, Conn.
T. DAVID BAUM, believed to have been from Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
D. J. SHOVLIN, address unknown, carried an Ingersoll-Rand company club card.
The accident occurred about 5:45 a. m., within 100 feet of the union station. The Lehigh Limited left Buffalo last night for New York. The flyer is a through train from Binghamton, N. Y., for Philadelphia.
The huge Jersey Central engine struck three cars back of the Lehigh Valley locomotive, throwing a steel coach on its side. It was in this car that all of those killed or injured were riding. Railroad men said had the can been of wooden construction they believed the killed and injured would have been far more numerous.
The injured include:
HENRY SCHMIDT, Mauch Chunk, Pa., engineer of the Jersey Central train, possible fracture of right arm and body bruises.
LOUIS C. BAER, Lehighton, Pa., body bruises and shock.
GEORGE ENGLER, Wilkes-Barre, body bruises.
THOMAS A. MEZANORSKI, University of Pennsylvania student, Erie, Pa., body bruises.
HENRY and JOHN BASTA, Parsons, Pa., body bruises.
HENRY R. DAILEY, Allentown.
DANIEL McGUIRE, Allentown, bruises.
ABRAHAM BENIOFF, Allentown.
A. CHARLES LANDIS, Lehigh University student, Newport, Pa., body bruises.
GEORGE, SELL, Allentown.
HENRY W. ROESSLER, Allentown, body bruises.
DR. GEORGE C. MITCHAN, wife and four children, DOROTHY, FRED, EDWARD and GEORGE, JR., 64 Durie street, Toronto, Canada; wife suffering from possible fractured skull, and body bruises; others only slightly hurt.
MRS. JOHN SCHRODT, sister-in-law of DR. MITCHAN, same address, body bruises.
WALTER IREST and wife, New York City, former discharged after treatment, wife slightly hurt and held at hospital.
AGNES IREST, New York, slightly hurt.
SARAH RAMAGE, Wilkes-Barre and daughters, ANNA and ELINORE, slightly hurt.
ELIZABETH, PETER and SIMON VALENTZAGE, Luzerne, slightly hurt.
FANNIE WITTEN and son, Brooklyn, slightly hurt.
SAMUEL SILPA, Brooklyn, slightly hurt.
ALLEN PEARSE, Toronto, body bruises.
An official statement given out by the Lehigh Valley railroad said:
“Running ahead of time and with witnesses agreed that the signals were set against it, a train of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, enroute to Philadelphia from Syracuse, Scranton and other western points, ran into train No. 6 of the Lehigh Valley railroad at Bethlehem, Pa., at 5:45 today. Train No. 6 was running on time and had a clear road to the station.”
“The special train ran into the Lehigh Valley train between the second and third coaches, striking and overturning the second coach, which was a steel passenger coach. Eight passengers were killed and about 40 injured. They were taken to St. Luke's hospital, Bethlehem. The passengers in the other coaches were not injured.”

Salamanca Republican-Press New York 1926-09-27

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