It was 7:45 PM December 23 ,1903 and the pride of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad the Duquesne Limited only 3 years into its routes service ,was on its exclusive run from Pittsburgh to New York with an important stop in Connelsville which it never made it would meet its fate in the Laurel Run area curve about 2 miles from Dawson when a train going the opposite direction or directly in front of it lost its load of lumber and was blocking the tracks . The engineers running the train full bore at 60 mph into the sharp curve never had a chance to stop it the entire crew was killed instantly and engine and cars scattered all over the tracks in a mass of busted wood and the fire which resulted from the engine crashing. It was a horrific scene for the survivors and those who attempted to rescue those hurt.
This was one of just many horrific Train, Trolley and Coal Mine accidents to happen that year as America was expanding and the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and people paid for it in sweat and blood and some times even their lives.
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| Grave of Priest Killed while Traveling on the train |
I do not know if you can visit the site,the tracks are still active in that remote area but you can view it from across the Yough River on the Great Allegheny Rails Trail I could find no info on a memorial of any kind about the wreck I can find. .Such a horrific act you would think it would have been better remembered like the nearby Darr Mine explosion.
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