The dreadful accident on the North Pennsylvania Rail-road : About 14 miles above Philadelphia, on Thursday, July 17, 1856, at about 6 a.m., which resulted in the death of over sixty, and terribly wounding about one hundred persons, excursionists of St. Michael's R.C. Church, Kensington. The collision took place at Camp Hill Station, destroying both locomotives and burning up several cars, in which a number of people were consumed.
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- Title
- The dreadful accident on the North Pennsylvania Rail-road : About 14 miles above Philadelphia, on Thursday, July 17, 1856, at about 6 a.m., which resulted in the death of over sixty, and terribly wounding about one hundred persons, excursionists of St. Michael's R.C. Church, Kensington. The collision took place at Camp Hill Station, destroying both locomotives and burning up several cars, in which a number of people were consumed.
- Notes
- Chaotic disaster scene showing the "Picnic Train Tragedy", the worst rail disaster at that time. Shows the burning wreck near Ambler, Pa. from the collision of North Pennsylvania excursion trains "Shakamoxon," departed from the Cohocksink depot, and "Aramingo" departed from the Wissahickon station. Burning tangled engines and train cars pile up on the single track line in the middle of farmland. People are propelled and jump from the burning railcars. In the foreground, bodies lay within the wreckage as rescuers rush in buckets of water. Others attempt to catch individuals jumping from a burning train car in the rear, carry children's bodies on a gurney, and comfort the grieving. Also contains the names of "The Killed" and "The Wounded."
- "Entered according to Act of Congress in the Clerk's office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, by JOHN L. MAGEE, No. 48 Passyunk Road, below German street, Phila."
- Names and Subjects
- North Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
- Railroad accidents--Pennsylvania--1850-1860.
- Disaster victims--Pennsylvania--1850-1860.
- Rescues--Pennsylvania--1850-1860.
- Historic events.
- Prints shelf.
- Magee, John L.,--distributor.
- ID
- 1683
- Barcode
- B5877985
- Physical Description
- 1 print : lithograph, hand colored ; 30 x 38 cm.
- Repository
- William L. Clements Library
- Date Added/Updated
- 2017-07-07 15:44:03
Technical Details
- Collection
- William L. Clements Library Image Bank
- Image Size
- 7947 x 7191
- File Size
- 5 MB
- Record
- 1683
- Link to this Item
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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wcl1ic/x-1683/wcl001773
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- Manifest
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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/wcl1ic:1683
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- Full citation
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"The dreadful accident on the North Pennsylvania Rail-road : About 14 miles above Philadelphia, on Thursday, July 17, 1856, at about 6 a.m., which resulted in the death of over sixty, and terribly wounding about one hundred persons, excursionists of St. Michael's R.C. Church, Kensington. The collision took place at Camp Hill Station, destroying both locomotives and burning up several cars, in which a number of people were consumed.". https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wcl1ic/x-1683/wcl001773. In the digital collection William L. Clements Library Image Bank. William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. May 01, 2025.