Blair County Genealogical Society
431 Scotch Valley Rd.
Hollidaysburg, PA. 16648
814-696-3492
bcgslibrary@gmail.com
Meetings at the library, 7 p.m., third Thursday monthly except July & December.
Altoona Mirror, Thursday, December 31, 1903
“Worst of the year’s disasters, was the terrible dynamite explosion near Williamsburg, when eight employees lost their lives – Exact responsibility for this was never definitely ascertained.”
AIKEN, Sidney May 19, died of apoplexy.
ANTONIO, Carlo May 20, died of pneumonia in hospital.
BABALYA, Gore Sept. 22, injured in East End tunnel.
BAILEY, James July 5, of Newark, N.J., died of heart failure on passenger
train while passing Johnstown.
BARRES, Joseph May 20, run down in lower P.R.R. yard.
BECKMAN, John May 2, died of heart disease superinduced by alcohol.
BELL, Loretta April 5, 3 months old, smothered to death in bed. Accident.
BENTON, Preston June 23, committed suicide by shooting himself in the
head.
BOWERS, H. F. Dec. 1, crushed in a side swipe between engine and cabin in
the local yard. More track room for the cabin cars recommended and
practice of running engines down mountain backward asked to be
discontinued.
BRESSLER, James July 3, of Bellwood, accidental drowning.
BRINTHER, Charles March 17, 2 years old, of Spring Meadow, accidental
drowning.
BROWN, Joseph April 3, run down by passenger train at Twenty-fourth
street.
BURD, George May 25, of Tyrone, fell off P.R.R. train.
BURKHART, Harry March 5, 2 years old, of Allegheny Furnace, died from
burns of lamp explosion.
BURNS, Martin Nov. 2, of Tyrone, fell from P.R.R. train there.
CALLAN, James April 30, died in hospital from effects of old bullet
wound fired with suicidal intent.
CALPIONO, Salvatore May 16, died of pneumonia in hospital.
CARNEY, James Oct. 27, fell down stairs in the Wolf building.
CAROTHERS, William J. May 3, of Bellwood, died from suicidal shooting.
CHATAMS, Carrie May 25, died of peritonitis from burns from an explosion
at home, 307 Seventh avenue.
CHERRY, Sanford July 4, killed in P.R.R. yard between Fourth street and GD
office.
CIRANNO, Vito July 24, struck by engine near Bellwood.
CLAY, Linford April 3, squeezed between engine and cars near GD office.
COLEBAER, Any Feb. 28, fell from car at Glen White.
COLLINS, John Oct. 26, struck by an engine east of Hollidaysburg.
COONEY, Robert E. March 4, killed in jumping from runaway train six miles
west of Altoona. See R. H. Cox inquest.
COX, J. H. March 4, flagman, jolted from freight train and run over. Jury
recommended additional brakemen for all heavy trains from Gallitzin to
Altoona.
CRONIN, Henry J. May 14, killed at Twenty-fourth street gate in P.R.R.
yard.
DAUGHERTY, John H. Dec. 1, shot in the abdomen by his brother, Charles,
near Gallitzin.
DAVIS, Ira April 4, run down by passenger train near Blair Furnace.
DEEWRICK, Frank March 6, died of pneumonia in the hospital.
DELLAVERA, Dominica Sept. 5, explosion in gas plant. See Valentine Fleck
inquest.
DELOZIER, Naomi Oct. 7, struck by falling limb of tree at Juniata.
DELUGIO, Joseph Dec. 3, fell from work train.
DEVAUGHN, Heemer March 4, jumped from window of hospital’s convalescent
ward.
DIBERT, John June 7, killed by fall from embankment at Kittanning Point.
DOMENICO, Salessi April 28, (probable I. D.) run down by train near Blair
Furnace.
DUEESKI, John Oct. 23, killed on P.R.R. near Tyrone.
DUGAN, James June 16, died in hospital from fall from train at Seventeenth
street.
DUMM, Edward July 15, fell under freight train below GD tower.
ECKER, Harry April 27, fell from a wagon at Union avenue and Nineteenth
street.
ELLENBERGER, Barbara Mrs. May 7, died of consumption in hospital.
EMIGH, Annie M. Jan. 16, died of apoplexy at home, Fifth avenue and
Fifteenth street.
FAY, George May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
FISCHEN, John Edward Jan. 13, of 1431 Fourth avenue, ate drug tablets for
candy.
FISCHER, Annie Jan. 16, died in hospital of heart disease.
FORNEY, Mrs. May 20, of Bellwood, died of an unintentional overdose of
laudamn.
FOX, Frank March 21, committed suicide in City Hotel, Tyrone.
FRANK, John July 6, of Hollidaysburg, killed by car 159, on Brush Run
trolley bridge at foot of Ant Hill grade, July 5. Motorman exonerated, but
bridge builders blamed.
FRY, Harry Lyon Aug. 12, cut his throat.
FUNOK, John Sept. 11, crushed by a flat car at Red Hill on the New
Portage. No blame.
GARIS, Alice D. Aug. 13, died of pneumonia, in Newburg.
GEARHART, Clifford Nov. 11, struck by engine at Twenty-fourth street.
GIBBONY, Fannie Aug. 3, of First avenue and First street, committed
suicide by drinking laudanum.
GOOD, Samuel July 4, died of typhoid fever in the hospital.
GOODMAN, Peter May 11, died of pneumonia in hospital.
GOSS, Harry A. July 19, jolted from his train near Twelfth street.
HALTON, John Aug. 10, fell from a buggy on Juniata Gap road.
HAMOR, Charles April 11, fell from his engine while firing.
HANCOX, Thomas G. June 23, apoplexy.
HANLEER, John A. Oct. 17, shocked by wire in P.R.R. shops.
HENDERSON, Herman April 11, killed by Sam Hamm, both Negroes; Jury held
Frank Myers and Samuel Gray as witnesses.
HENRY, Daniel May 21, (not positive ID) found in woods one mile east of
Bennington, close to the new township road. Body badly decomposed. Remains
found by Marshall Plowman and Albert Shunk.
HENRY, Thomas June 25, a Coalport miner, died of pneumonia. He was struck
by a train and taken to the hospital, where he escaped and later
contracted the disease.
HINDS, Chester A. June 13, killed by breaking of an emery grindstone, June
4, in the P.R.R. machine shops. Carelessness of Hinds.
HOPKINS, William May 7, effects of falling from ladder.
HORNING, John Sept. 18, struck by scaffold timber at East End tunnel.
HUGHES, Barney April 18, of Williamsburg, injured in quarry at Wert’s
station.
HUGHES, Harry Feb. 2, died of alcoholism and pneumonia in hospital.
JOHNSTON, Thomas March 26, died in hospital of endocarditis.
KELLY, William Oct. 21, accidentally shot by Russell Butt while out
hunting.
KELLY, William July 9, died of burns from lamp explosion at home.
KENNEDY, Ross May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
KEONA, John June 22, died in hospital of blood poisoning.
KILLINGER, Donald May 1, 16 months old, ate pills for candy.
KING, Frank Feb. 19, died in hospital of alcoholism.
KNOCK, Joseph June 24, peritonitis.
KUHN, George W. Nov. 12, of Hollidaysburg, suicided by shooting.
KUHN, James H. Aug. 23, killed on railroad.
LABELLE, Paul July 23, struck by train near Williamsburg.
LANDERS, Charles April 15, run down by engine 98, at Nineteenth street.
LANTZER, Fisher May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
LATERNOLO, Michael March 26, run down in railroad yard at Sixth street.
LONG, Clarence Sept. 29, run down by street car at Eighth avenue and
Seventeenth street.
LOUISLE, Frank Sept. 11, run over by a flat car at Red Hill on the New
Portage. No blame.
LUESKA, John Jan. 24, Austrian, run down by dinkey engine in
classification yd.; no blame
LUSK, Robert E. March 1, died at hospital of pneumonia and shock from
operation of leg. Injured while jumping a train at Tyrone.
LYONS, William May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
MALONE, H. P. April 29, died from injuries received in P.R.R. yard near
GD office.
MATTIA, Panacia April 7, died of pneumonia and typhoid fever.
MCCLAIR, Grant Aug. 13, committed suicide by shooting in Juniata.
MCCLELLAN, Charles E. Sept. 29, of Bellwood, by engine running through
open switch. Carelessness of management of the P. & N. W. railroad.
MCKIERNAN, Frank May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
MCMAINS, David July 26, committed suicide by shooting.
MCQUIGG, George W. Nov. 10, of Tyrone, fell from wagon.
MERRILLS, Dorsey Feb. 13, died in hospital of paralysis.
METZ, William Nov. 23, killed on railroad near WJ tower.
METZGAR, G. W. Feb. 11, died of apoplexy in P.R.R. passenger station.
METZGAR, Peter June 18, died of alcoholism in hospital.
MILLER, Clyde Feb. 22, 13 years old, died of chorea.
MILLER, Frank May 31, committed suicide by drowning at Point View.
MILLER, C. Clyde Feb. 27, squeezed between cars in Levan’s yard; no blame
MOORE, Elizabeth Mrs. Jan. 1, died in hospital from shock of an operation,
MUNGA, Peter Sept. 14, run down by dinky engine at Mt. Etna.
MURONI, Pietro March 1, died in hospital from shock of operation for an
accident in railroad yard east of the city.
MURRI, Joe May 5, died in hospital of spinal meningitis.
NACHES, Zeth Feb. 26, died in hospital of pneumonia.
NOLLOW, Nick Aug. 24, hospital, pneumonia.
OEFFINGER, Jocob June 13, died of apoplexy in the car shops.
PAGLIECE, Giuseppi April 19, run down by City Passenger car at Sixth
avenue and Kettle street; no blame.
PARKS, Alice Mrs. Aug. 1, of Juniata, died in hospital of burns.
POETI, Leopoldi Dec. 2, killed by pistol shot from 38 caliber revolver
fired with murderous intent by unknown Negro near Bennington.
POFFENBERGER, C. H. June 16, of Tyrone, fell off his train at bridge 13.
Train went into river.
REACH, Frank Nov. 8, of Bennington, fell from second story window.
REILEY, F. J. March 4, alias Buck, struck by engine at Tyrone.
RENNER, Jacob July 24, stepped off a moving train on New Portage road and
was run down. No blame.
RIGHTER, William Jan. 7, died of alcoholism in hospital.
ROLAVEL, Willis Fleck Jan. 24, killed by draft of cars in Altoona yard;
unavoidable
ROOCHI, Alfredo June 5, fell from front of engine near Hollidaysburg.
ROSS, Charles May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
SABATINO, Pazzola April 20, run down by a shifter at Bellwood.
SAMUEL, Adam March 9, of Matthew Summit, committed suicide by hanging.
SANNI, Joseph Jan. 12, run down on railroad between Elizabeth Furnace
and Bellwood.
SARESQUALL, Leon Feb. 20, died in hospital of pneumonia.
SAUDERS, Jacob Feb. 18, died of heart failure at home, 708 Lexington
avenue.
SCHMITT, John April 28, committed suicide by hanging.
SCHMITT, Richard July 18, of Tyrone, fell off a freight train.
SEVAIR, James W. Dec. 4, killed in railroad wreck near KZ tower east of
Clover Creek.
SHAFER, Frank Jan. 18, Austrian, killed by dynamite explosion at Foot of
Eight; no blame
SHIMER, Alexander K. July 11, of Hollidaysburg, struck by lightning at
Tussey Branch.
SHIRT, James Aug. 9, of Bennington, gunshot wound inflicted by himself.
SHOPPF, L. B. April 10, of Irwin, Pa., run down by a snapper No. 162,
while flagging train.
SIMONS, George May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
SMITH, Daniel M. Feb. 5, apoplexy.
SMITH, David Jan. 1, died in hospital of peritonitis.
SMITH, William Nov. 7, of 509 Second avenue, took carbolic acid and shot
himself.
SNOIC, Sela Dec. 8, Slav., fell on ice near Cresson and died on way to
Altoona Hospital.
STADLER, Blanche Mrs. March 14, died of peritonitis in hospital.
STAHL, Elizabeth Mrs. July 21, of Fostoria, struck by fifth section of No.
19.
STEEL, Charles W. Sept. 29, of Bellwood, by engine running through open
switch. Carelessness of management of the P. & N. W. railroad.
STONER, Daniel May 29, of Hollidaysburg, died of apoplexy.
STOVER, Susan Mrs. Nov. 18, 1010 ½ Eleventh avenue, apoplexy.
STRASSER, Frank May 4; Jury said “Death caused by explosion April 30, at
7:15 a.m., in Cresent dynamite works on Piney Creek, two miles west of
Williamsburg. Unable to discover immediate cause. Superintendent A.
Taggart exonerated. Violation of rules and carelessness attributed to
employees whose names the jury could not ascertain.”
SUTTON, Thomas May 31, of Bellwood, killed by falling rocks at Collier’s
Station.
TAKAR, John Sept. 30, injured at Bennington.
THURSTON, George Jan. 26, struck on the head by his cabin near ND office,
while throwing a switch; accidental
TOBACCO, Giovanni Nov. 14, run down by engine at Blair Furnace.
TROUT, Oren F. April 14, fell off a wagon at Duncansville.
UHLAWNEY, Joseph Feb.. 21, died of lead poisoning at hospital.
UNKNOWN, Foreigner July 16, run down by train at Red Bridge.
UNKNOWN, Infant Oct. 17, found on Beale avenue near Twentieth street.
UNKNOWN, Man Oct. 16, killed on railroad below Bennington.
VAUGHN, William F. July 25, hemorrhages.
VENATSIC, John Oct. 18, injured on P.R.R. near Gallitzin.
WACKER, Joseph Aug. 23, heart failure.
WAGNER, Bernard July 21, run down by train at Ninth avenue and
Twenty-fourth street.
WAGNER, Franklin Cline March 18, squeezed between tanks at First street
while trying to couple cars.
WALTERS, Charles April 6, died of Bright’s disease.
WALTERS, Nathan July 18, died in hospital from injuries received in coal
mine.
WATTS, Wm. A. Aug. 17, died in hospital from crush of skull by falling
plank.
WELSH, John Feb. 4, 1615 Twelfth avenue, alcoholism.
WELSH, Joseph Feb. 23, died of typhoid pneumonia and erysipelas in
hospital.
WHITE, Alice Mrs. March 11, of Hollidaysburg, died of heart failure.
YOCCO, Hormick April 15, died of meningitis in hospital.
YON, Harry S. June 13, died of heart failure.
YONSEY, George June 23, of Glen White, died of alcoholism.
ZIMMERMAN, Martin Feb. 10, died in hospital from shock from operation for
gangrene.
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