View of the Susquehanna River from Chickies Rock. |
Photo circa 1894 which shows Pennsylvania Traction Company car No. 2. The destination sign reads, "Lancaster and Columbia" and "Chickies Park - Marietta." |
The red marking shows where the accident happened. Chickies Park is center-right, to the north of Klinesville. Columbia is bottom right. Click on the image to enlarge. |
The worst trolley accident in Lancaster County history killed six and injured 68 people on August 9, 1896. |
As you have read, this was a terrible tragedy for Lancaster County I was born in the mid-1940s, about 40 years after the accident happened. In the 1930s, trolleys were being discontinued and by the 1940s the pattern continued until trolleys were obsolete by the end of the decade. I was a young child when trolley transportation was stopped and most tracks were removed from the streets of Lancaster. Never once did I ever hear about this terrible accident in nearby Columbia/Marietta. The photographs that exist to document the story are amazing and the only link I have to what happened when I was a young child. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Interesting post - never knew of this accident. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI ran across another local tragedy unknown to myself some time back... perhaps you might find interesting.
http://www.gendisasters.com/pennsylvania/1354/lancaster%2C-pa-train-wreck%2C-oct-1865
Regards