A West Side Avenue resident, James G Henry, is one of the last surviving persons who can remember the awful sights that resulted from this area's worst railroad accident.
June 17 marks the 69th anniversary of the day when a Western Maryland Railway crash 8 miles east of Westminster cost the lives of about 30 men. The 14-year-old Jim Henry, who was living in Westminster, got to the scene early the next morning after the 5:57 pm Saturday crash.
The two crashed trains still lay sprawled over the tracks where they had collided at Ransom, a point which shouldn't be confused with the West Virginia town near Charles Town named Ranson.
Old photographs show sightseers who had flocked to the scene of the tragedy carrying umbrellas. It wasn't raining but the temperature hit a phenomenal 108 degrees that Sunday in this part of Maryland.
A freight train pulled by two locomotives and a passenger train had hit head-on. By some quirk of fate, every victim of the crash was a railroad man, with the passengers escaping serious harm.
Most members of the passenger train crew were killed. Death also took several members of the freight train crew. Many other victims of the tragedy were wrecking crew men riding on a baggage car immediately behind the passenger train's engine.
Henry, who has been interested in railroad history all his life, has compiled a list of the fatalities which differs slightly from the first published in newspapers, but seems to be the most accurate available.
Casualties occurred to these firemen with engine 94 of the passenger train, George B Covell, engineer, John J St Ledger, fireman both of Baltimore, both killed: Claggett D Miller, postal clerk, and B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown, both injured.
The list of dead among the freight engines 41 and 43 included: John C Crouse, engineer, William H McNamee, fireman, Lewis D Rice, engineer, J P Ripple, fireman, VERNON O DERR, all dead, all residents of Hagerstown.
Fatally injured men from other communities were:
E R Scott, brakeman, Cumberland; and these laborers, H Sweeney, W T Sweeney, M Kelley, Frank Sweeney, Harry Sweeney, J M Shuff, James Crushon, Joseph Stitely, WIlliam Brenner, James Brenner, all of Catoctin; George Stimmel, Nelson Fraley, John Williard, Edward Martin, Charles Greeble, Calvin Brenner, all of Thurmont; and Daniel Myers, Highfield.
Among the seriously injured railroaders were:
Claggett D Miller, a mail clerk, B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown; and these wrecking crew members: Peter Frehert, Union Bridge; Milton Stumbaugh, Double Pipe Creek (better known today as Detour); Clayton Troxell, Rocky Ridge; William t Hahn, John Whitmore, John Davis, Edward Fuss, Thurmont; and A M Willard, Sabillasville.
***
Daily Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
June 17, 1974
June 17 marks the 69th anniversary of the day when a Western Maryland Railway crash 8 miles east of Westminster cost the lives of about 30 men. The 14-year-old Jim Henry, who was living in Westminster, got to the scene early the next morning after the 5:57 pm Saturday crash.
The two crashed trains still lay sprawled over the tracks where they had collided at Ransom, a point which shouldn't be confused with the West Virginia town near Charles Town named Ranson.
Old photographs show sightseers who had flocked to the scene of the tragedy carrying umbrellas. It wasn't raining but the temperature hit a phenomenal 108 degrees that Sunday in this part of Maryland.
A freight train pulled by two locomotives and a passenger train had hit head-on. By some quirk of fate, every victim of the crash was a railroad man, with the passengers escaping serious harm.
Most members of the passenger train crew were killed. Death also took several members of the freight train crew. Many other victims of the tragedy were wrecking crew men riding on a baggage car immediately behind the passenger train's engine.
Henry, who has been interested in railroad history all his life, has compiled a list of the fatalities which differs slightly from the first published in newspapers, but seems to be the most accurate available.
Casualties occurred to these firemen with engine 94 of the passenger train, George B Covell, engineer, John J St Ledger, fireman both of Baltimore, both killed: Claggett D Miller, postal clerk, and B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown, both injured.
The list of dead among the freight engines 41 and 43 included: John C Crouse, engineer, William H McNamee, fireman, Lewis D Rice, engineer, J P Ripple, fireman, VERNON O DERR, all dead, all residents of Hagerstown.
Fatally injured men from other communities were:
E R Scott, brakeman, Cumberland; and these laborers, H Sweeney, W T Sweeney, M Kelley, Frank Sweeney, Harry Sweeney, J M Shuff, James Crushon, Joseph Stitely, WIlliam Brenner, James Brenner, all of Catoctin; George Stimmel, Nelson Fraley, John Williard, Edward Martin, Charles Greeble, Calvin Brenner, all of Thurmont; and Daniel Myers, Highfield.
Among the seriously injured railroaders were:
Claggett D Miller, a mail clerk, B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown; and these wrecking crew members: Peter Frehert, Union Bridge; Milton Stumbaugh, Double Pipe Creek (better known today as Detour); Clayton Troxell, Rocky Ridge; William t Hahn, John Whitmore, John Davis, Edward Fuss, Thurmont; and A M Willard, Sabillasville.
***
Daily Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
June 17, 1974
A West Side Avenue resident, James G Henry, is one of the last surviving persons who can remember the awful sights that resulted from this area's worst railroad accident.
June 17 marks the 69th anniversary of the day when a Western Maryland Railway crash 8 miles east of Westminster cost the lives of about 30 men. The 14-year-old Jim Henry, who was living in Westminster, got to the scene early the next morning after the 5:57 pm Saturday crash.
The two crashed trains still lay sprawled over the tracks where they had collided at Ransom, a point which shouldn't be confused with the West Virginia town near Charles Town named Ranson.
Old photographs show sightseers who had flocked to the scene of the tragedy carrying umbrellas. It wasn't raining but the temperature hit a phenomenal 108 degrees that Sunday in this part of Maryland.
A freight train pulled by two locomotives and a passenger train had hit head-on. By some quirk of fate, every victim of the crash was a railroad man, with the passengers escaping serious harm.
Most members of the passenger train crew were killed. Death also took several members of the freight train crew. Many other victims of the tragedy were wrecking crew men riding on a baggage car immediately behind the passenger train's engine.
Henry, who has been interested in railroad history all his life, has compiled a list of the fatalities which differs slightly from the first published in newspapers, but seems to be the most accurate available.
Casualties occurred to these firemen with engine 94 of the passenger train, George B Covell, engineer, John J St Ledger, fireman both of Baltimore, both killed: Claggett D Miller, postal clerk, and B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown, both injured.
The list of dead among the freight engines 41 and 43 included: John C Crouse, engineer, William H McNamee, fireman, Lewis D Rice, engineer, J P Ripple, fireman, VERNON O DERR, all dead, all residents of Hagerstown.
Fatally injured men from other communities were:
E R Scott, brakeman, Cumberland; and these laborers, H Sweeney, W T Sweeney, M Kelley, Frank Sweeney, Harry Sweeney, J M Shuff, James Crushon, Joseph Stitely, WIlliam Brenner, James Brenner, all of Catoctin; George Stimmel, Nelson Fraley, John Williard, Edward Martin, Charles Greeble, Calvin Brenner, all of Thurmont; and Daniel Myers, Highfield.
Among the seriously injured railroaders were:
Claggett D Miller, a mail clerk, B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown; and these wrecking crew members: Peter Frehert, Union Bridge; Milton Stumbaugh, Double Pipe Creek (better known today as Detour); Clayton Troxell, Rocky Ridge; William t Hahn, John Whitmore, John Davis, Edward Fuss, Thurmont; and A M Willard, Sabillasville.
***
Daily Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
June 17, 1974
June 17 marks the 69th anniversary of the day when a Western Maryland Railway crash 8 miles east of Westminster cost the lives of about 30 men. The 14-year-old Jim Henry, who was living in Westminster, got to the scene early the next morning after the 5:57 pm Saturday crash.
The two crashed trains still lay sprawled over the tracks where they had collided at Ransom, a point which shouldn't be confused with the West Virginia town near Charles Town named Ranson.
Old photographs show sightseers who had flocked to the scene of the tragedy carrying umbrellas. It wasn't raining but the temperature hit a phenomenal 108 degrees that Sunday in this part of Maryland.
A freight train pulled by two locomotives and a passenger train had hit head-on. By some quirk of fate, every victim of the crash was a railroad man, with the passengers escaping serious harm.
Most members of the passenger train crew were killed. Death also took several members of the freight train crew. Many other victims of the tragedy were wrecking crew men riding on a baggage car immediately behind the passenger train's engine.
Henry, who has been interested in railroad history all his life, has compiled a list of the fatalities which differs slightly from the first published in newspapers, but seems to be the most accurate available.
Casualties occurred to these firemen with engine 94 of the passenger train, George B Covell, engineer, John J St Ledger, fireman both of Baltimore, both killed: Claggett D Miller, postal clerk, and B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown, both injured.
The list of dead among the freight engines 41 and 43 included: John C Crouse, engineer, William H McNamee, fireman, Lewis D Rice, engineer, J P Ripple, fireman, VERNON O DERR, all dead, all residents of Hagerstown.
Fatally injured men from other communities were:
E R Scott, brakeman, Cumberland; and these laborers, H Sweeney, W T Sweeney, M Kelley, Frank Sweeney, Harry Sweeney, J M Shuff, James Crushon, Joseph Stitely, WIlliam Brenner, James Brenner, all of Catoctin; George Stimmel, Nelson Fraley, John Williard, Edward Martin, Charles Greeble, Calvin Brenner, all of Thurmont; and Daniel Myers, Highfield.
Among the seriously injured railroaders were:
Claggett D Miller, a mail clerk, B Frank Tierney, baggageman, both of Hagerstown; and these wrecking crew members: Peter Frehert, Union Bridge; Milton Stumbaugh, Double Pipe Creek (better known today as Detour); Clayton Troxell, Rocky Ridge; William t Hahn, John Whitmore, John Davis, Edward Fuss, Thurmont; and A M Willard, Sabillasville.
***
Daily Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
June 17, 1974
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