Lockheed Constellation Crash Reading Pa. 1946

Lockheed Constellation Model 049 the type that crashed in Reading


This is the story of an airliner that crashed near Reading Airport, 62 years ago. Although Reading isn’t really in the coal region of Pennsylvania, it is close enough for this story. I'll put it in this blog for two reasons, it contains some good eastern Pa. history and it satisfies my passion for writing and talking about old prop driven airliners.
The “Star of Lisbon” the name stenciled on the nose of the Aircraft by TWA was the third Constellation to catch fire and crash land in the last 10 months. The first was an Army plane manned by a Pan American Crew and went down near Linn, Kansas in September. Another Connie owned by Pan American lost an engine and just made it into Willimantic, Conn.
In both f these accidents fire had been caused by a broken drive shaft in the cabin pressurizing system requiring all Connies to fly 10,000 feet or below. There were also other incidents involving the Connie. One an engine blazed up as a result of fire in the fuel induction system. All of these incident s were brought under control quickly. This type of problem brought out a new safety device for the Constellation ,in an elaborate fire detection and extinguishing system within the engine nacelles.


TWA 049 "Connie"

The Star of Lisbon

The big silver four engine Model 049 Constellation took of from Reading airport at 11:21 a.m. on a routine instrument training flight for flight personnel of its international Division at Reading, Pa. The flight school consisted of both ground and flight curriculums on the Constellation type aircraft.
The big constellation was owned by Transcontinental and Western Air, later known as TWA. The aircraft NC 86513, known as “The Star of Lisbon” a Lockheed Constellation 049, was manufactured in February, 1946, and had accumulated a total of 959 hours of flying time. The aircraft was equipped with Wright R-3350-35 engines incorporating Hamilton Standard propellers. The total time accumulated by each engine was 597 hours for No. 1, 848 hours for No. 2, 848 hours for No. 3, and 377 hours for No. 4. The time since the last major overhaul was 374 hours for Nos. 1, 2, and 3 engines, and 377 hours for No. 4. During the local training flight at Reading, Pennsylvania, the aircraft total weight was within its maximum gross load limits and the load was distributed with respect to its center of gravity within approved limits.
On board the aircraft were six crew members, lead by Captain Richard Farrow Brown, age 27, of Cocoa, Florida, he was pilot instructor in command of the aircraft. He had accumulated a total of 2,477 hours flying time, of which 196 hours were obtained in Lockheed 049 aircraft. Captain Arthur Normal Nilsen, age 33, Norfolk, Massachusetts, was student pilot, receiving transition training, he had accumulated a total of 5,520 hours, of which approximately 15 hours were obtained in this model aircraft. John Jacob Staufer, age 36, Alexandria, Virginia, was flight engineer and Charles Carmon Semola, age 32, of Arlington, Virginia, was a student flight engineer, receiving familiarization instruction in 049 aircraft. William Eugene Anther, age 29, of Washington, D.C., and Douglas Lee Herrin, age 25, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, accompanied the flight as assistant first officers. All flight crew personnel were properly certificated and otherwise qualified for their respective duties.
At 11:40 a.m. things went horribly wrong. The Star of Lisbon lost control and crashed in a field about one mile north of the Reading airport. A farmer by the name of George Boeshore was interviewed by Time Magazine and gave this first hand account of the crash. “A plume of black smoke trailed from the plane, then burst into red flame. Farmer Boeshore saw the big craft drop into a glide and head for the field two miles away. It never made it. With a tearing crash the plane ripped into the Boeshores' wheat stubble. It skidded a full 1,000 feet across the road, plowed into another wheat field and crashed into flaming junk. Racing up, George Boeshore found T.W.A. Captain Norman A. Nilsen, thrown clear of the crash, but mortally injured. Another farmer, passing by in his truck, found T.W.A. Captain Richard Brown, dazed by the side of the road, took him to a hospital. He was the sole survivor. In the blazing, gutted carcass of the Lockheed Constellation "Star of Lisbon," four other TWA airmen died.
The Lockheed 049 Constellation, known forever as the “Connie” is a four engine, prop driven airliner built by the Lockheed Aircraft Company . The 049 version came in to being by an order from Transcontinental And Western for a four engine transport having the range of 3,500 miles. The original “Connie” made for the military came out in 1943, and the TWA version in 1945. TWA made its first flight with the 049 on February , 6, 1946. This accident happened only five months after the 049 was in service.
The “Connie” has always been one of my favorite aircraft; it has some of the most flowing lines that you will ever see in an aircraft. I can remember as a kid seeing them at Harrisburg Airport, or flying over head on V30 airway over Pottsville and being able to distinguish the three tails.
Her vital statistics read:
On the day of the accident “The Star of Lisbon” was stationed at the Reading Airport for use in transition training for Constellation crew members in the International Division of TWA. The aircraft had student Captain A.N. Nilsen at the controls, they took of from Reading at 11:21, to practice some instrument approaches. Sitting in the right seat was Instructor Captain R.F. Brown.
Shortly after takeoff from Reading’s Runway 13 witnesses on the ground said the aircraft looked to be about 300 feet in the air and was seen to yaw to the right in a manner that indicated that one of the engines had lost power. Well the one of the engines was throttled back to simulate a power failure on take off, a common training method, pre sophisticated electronic flight simulators. As weird as this sounds the witnesses stated that the aircraft descended to an extremely low altitiude over western Reading and turning about 45 degrees off the runway take off course the aircraft pulled up into a steep climbing attitiude and then resuemd its normal climb out toward the south.
Captain Nilsen climbed the aircraft to an altitude of 3,000 feet and flew to an area approximately four miles east of Reading where Captain Brown requested that they practice some instrument approach procedures.
While flying the approach procedures the crew sensed the smell of burning insulation, puzzled they did not fully recognize what was burning. At 11:37 the Flight Engineer went aft in order to try and find out what the origin of the smell and smoke was. When he opened the galley door, he saw that the entire cabin was engulfed in very dense smoke, he went back to the flight deck and informed the Captain that “The whole cabin is on fire.”
The crew attempted to combat the fire with the fire extingushers located on the flight deck, but were unable to enter the cabin because of the intense heat and smoke. A fast moving smoke quickly filled the cockpit through the open galley door, rendering visibility extremely poor and making it difficult for the pilots to observe the instruments. The student flight engineer opened the cockpit crew hatch in an attempt to clear the cockpit of smoke, however, the opening of the hatch increased the flow of smoke from the cabin toward the cockpit and shortly thereafter it became impossible for Captain Brown to observe any of the instruments or to see through the windshield. The aircraft was now in extreme peril.

Captain Brown opened the window on the right side of the pilot compartment and attempted to fly the aircraft back to the Reading Airport for an emergency landing while descending with the engines throttled and with his head out of the side window. With the increased intensity of the heat and denseness of the smoke in the cockpit, it became impossible for the pilots to maintain effective control of the aircraft. At an altitude of approximately 100 feet, two miles northwest of the airport, Captain Brown withdrew his head from the window and attempted to "ditch" the aircraft "blind". The aircraft contacted two electric power wires strung about 25 feet above the ground, and the left wing tip glanced against scattered rocks and struck the base of the large tree. The aircraft settled to the ground, slowly rotating to the left, as it skidded approximately 1,000 feet across a hay field, causing disintegration of the left wing panel, flaps and aileron. The aircraft continued to yaw to the left and, after having rotated more than 90 degrees, it plunged through a row of trees and telephone poles lining a road bordering the field, coming to rest in a pasture at a point approximately 150 feet beyond the road and pointing approximately 160 degrees from its original heading at the time of initial impact. Gasoline was spilled from the ruptured tanks and fire broke out consuming the major portion of the wreckage. When local farm workers arrived at the scene approximately one minute after the aircraft had come to rest, Captain Brown was observed walking away from the wreckage and Captain Nilsen was seen lying on the ground to the rear of the trailing edge of the right wing about six feet from the burning fuselage. Both pilots were taken to the Reading Hospital where Captain Nilsen died shortly afterwards. The remaining four crew members died in the crash.
THE INVESTIGATION
Following this accident the C.A.A. Civil Aeronautics Administration ordered that all Lockheed Constellations would be grounded for a period of thirty days. This was the first time a major airliner was grounded by a Government order. This order halted some 2,500 passengers a week in overseas flights and some 4,000 in domestic flights to be grounded causing a lot of money loss to the airlines who flew the “Connie”
An interesting side note to this accident is the fact that the Airline Pilots Association had twice complained to the CAA that their member pilots who flew the “Connie” believed that “The planes were dangerous and unsafe for commercial airline use.” On the other hand, the airline industry rallied behind the “Connie” calling it “The most “outstanding transport plane in the industry’s service.” But both sides agreed that the aircraft should remain grounded until the bugs were found and repaired.
The “Connie “ was a fast, comfortable and easy to handle aircraft, but was to quickly rushed in to production at the end of WW2 in the effort to try and skim the cream off the four engine motor market. Like almost every aircraft, it suffered from operational bugs.
The wreckage of the aircraft was lying approximately one-half mile northeast of the Reading Airport in a pasture, the southwestern extremity of which lay adjacent to the airport. Although extensive disintegration had occurred before the aircraft came to rest, the major portion of the fuselage and wings were oriented toward the north with various parts of the aircraft scattered back along the path of motion for a distance of approximately 1200 feet. A series of scars had been out across the field from the point of initial contract with the ground extending south southeast to the point at which the aircraft came to rest. Indications of a flash fire observed adjacent to the ground path of the aircraft at a point at which gasoline spilled from a ruptured fuel tank and ignited, burning the hay stubble as the aircraft skidded across the field.
The entire empennage had been severed from the fuselage aft of the rear pressure bulkhead. The left wing had disintegrated from the tip inboard to the vicinity of No. 1 engine nacelle before the aircraft came to a stop. Although still attached to the fuselage, the remaining portion of the left wing had been subjected to intense heat and the area forward of the rear spar was almost completely destroyed by fire. The right wing remained relatively intact, however, large areas were burned inboard of the No. 4 engine nacelle. All six sections of the right wing flap and the three inboard sections of the left wing flap were attached and in the retracted position. The right main gear and the nose gear were found in the retracted position. The fuselage was almost entirely consumed by the fire.
Although seriously injured, Captain Brown was able to make three statements concerning the nature of the difficulties encountered in flight and the information provided proved extremely valuable in the conduct of the investigation. He explained that the take-off was accomplished by Captain Nilsen who was under the instrument flying hood and that both right engines were throttled in order to simulate engine failure during take-off. Shortly thereafter, a climb was established using normal climb power on all four engines. After leveling off at 3,000 feet, simulated QDM approach procedures were initiated*. Captain Brown stated further that, immediately prior to starting the approach procedures, he had been requiring Captain Nilsen to maneuver the aircraft with No. 4 engine throttled. Shortly after the smoke was discovered, the flight engineer called out; "Feather No. 4", to which Captain Brown replied that it was No. 3 engine which was "backfiring" and that there was no need for feathering No. 4 propeller. No explanation was contained within these statements as to the association between the alleged backfiring and the fuselage fire, nor were the reasons indicated for the flight engineer's desire to feather No. 4 propeller. At the time the flight engineer had discovered smoke in the cabin, the descent to the field was started. It was the opinion of Captain Brown that he had escaped from the aircraft after it come to rest by crawling through the side window.
Numerous witnesses in the vicinity of Reading Airport were located who observed the flight immediately prior to its crash. Among these witnesses were two pilots of a TWA., DC-3, which was flying in the traffic pattern at the time the accident occurred, and several company personnel who were at the airport and observed the last few moments of flight. All witnesses agreed that the aircraft approached Reading Airport in a relatively steep descent from the northeast and in a shallow left bank, appearing as though a landing was contemplated at Reading Airport. Several of the lay witnesses reported engine noise, which they identified as backfire, and smoke from various portions of the aircraft. The majority of observers, including the DC-3 pilots, observed light smoke streaming behind the No. 3 engine nacelle; other witnesses observed smoke from the No. 2 engine nacelle and, still others, directly behind the fuselage. Among the numerous witnesses from whom statements were obtained, none observed any visible fire while the aircraft was in flight.
Examination of the powerplants revealed no evidence of fire while in flight. Engines Nos. 1 and 2 were torn from their respective wing positions before the aircraft came to rest. No. 3 engine was detached from the aircraft but located within five feet of its normal position. Engine No. 4 was found in its normal position but detached from the wing. Inspection of the remains of the induction systems of all four engine including the thermocouples and the "mitey midget" fire detectors disclosed no evidence of an induction fire. Examination of the power sections and cylinders in all four engines and such pertinent steel parts as the propeller shaft, crank shafts, reduction gears, and accessory drive shafts and gear assemblies revealed no evidence of mechanical failure other than that caused by impact. However, power-plant units Nos. 3 and 4 had been subjected to intense heat as a result of the fire on the ground. Almost all aluminum and magnesium parts were either completely or in part melted or reduced to ashes and much of their steel components bore evidence of intense heat. It is therefore impossible to state conclusively that no malfunctioning had occurred in those engines prior to impact. From the examination of No. 1 engine, however, it was determined that no malfunctioning had occurred in this powerplant while in flight. Nothing was found in the remains of the aircraft to suggest malfunctioning of the control system, the hydraulic system, the fuel system, the oxygen system, or the alcohol system prior to impact. No evidence was disclosed which indicate that the flares with which the aircraft was equipped had in any manner contributed toward the accident. Again it must be remembered that the aircraft had been so badly burned that the condition of parts of the above systems could not be determined in many instances. However, the testimony of maintenance personnel reveals that these systems were functioning normally prior to departure from Reading Airport and the statements of Captain Brown contain no reference to indicate malfunctioning of these systems while in flight. The cabin supercharger and drive shafts had been removed from this aircraft prior to the accident in accordance with instructions from the Civil Aeronautics Administration as a result of a previous accidents which had occurred to this model aircraft


Another view of a magnificent aircraft

In order to facilitate investigation of the wreckage, a serviceable Constellation was brought to Reading by *** and made available to the Board. The use of this aircraft made it possible to determine more accurately and quickly the relative positions of various components, and to determine their possible location within the wreckage. It was observed that specially designed bolts were installed throughout various parts of the aircraft in order to provide relatively air-tight electrical conductors through the skin of the pressurized fuselage. Three such bolts are located on each side of the forward baggage compartment and lead into each wing root section. These bolts are commonly referred to as through-studs. Inspection of the generator and starter leads and the fuselage through-studs in the forward baggage compartment of the serviceable aircraft disclosed that some of the Irvolite coverings of the cable lugs and studs were severely charred. in view of the fact that high external temperatures- could not have been present in this area, it was obvious that this charring had resulted from internal heating. It was further observed that the glass wool lining of the baggage compartment in the proximity of the through-studs was saturated with hydraulic fluid. Because hydraulic lines pass through the forward baggage compartment, it is apparent that the leakage had occurred front hydraulic line fittings.
The remains of the six through-studs from Aircraft 513 were subsequently located and it was noted that some of them appeared to have been subjected to local burning suggestive of electrical arcing. These studs were sent to the National Bureau of Standards for closer inspection in order to determine their condition prior to the crash. The National Bureau of Standards subjected the six through-studs to extremely detailed study immediately upon their receipt. The conclusions of this investigation established the fact that all of the through-studs from Aircraft 513 contained evidence of arcing and that at least two of these studs were sufficiently burned due to arcing as to have caused a fire while in flight.
All six of the through studs recovered from the wreckage bore indications of intense local heating attributable to electrical arcing. The consumed portion of the three studs illustrated indicate the extensiveness of the arcing (arrows). The localized nature of the burned areas and the sharpness of the threads on the remainder of the bolts dispel the possibility of the damage having resulted from external heating.
Testimony of maintenance personnel disclosed the fact that No. 2 generator had become inoperative during a previous flight and that inspection of the aircraft the day before the accident revealed a generator lead burned away from the cable lug at the generator terminal box. Approximately 10 inches of insulation had burned off the cable from the terminal box rearward. Inasmuch as replacement parts were not available at Reading at the time, all three leads to the box were disconnected and each terminal insulated with friction tape. The three leads were then taped together and secured to the rubber vacuum line to prevent contract with other parts in the nacelle. No other portion of the electrical system was checked. The corrective measures taken by the mechanic were noted on the aircraft log. Testimony of electrical engineers indicates that the corrective action accomplished by the aircraft mechanic might have reduced the system voltage sufficiently to have hampered recharge of the batteries slightly if the No. 2 generator switch were inadvertently placed in the "On" position, but that such a condition could not be regarded as hazardous. Possible reduction in the system voltage could have been averted by disconnection of the equalizer lead in the No. 2 nacelle junction box which, in this instance, had not been accomplished.
Findings

Upon the basis of all available evidence, the Board finds that:

1. The company, aircraft, and crew were properly certificated for the flight.

2.
Aircraft 513 departed Reading Airport at 1221 for a local instrument training flight with the student pilot under the hood and, during the course of the take-off, both right engines were throttled to simulate engine failure.

3.
Following take-off, a normal climb was established to 3,000 feet and after leveling off, engine failure was again simulated by throttling of engines No. 4 and 3 in that sequence while the student pilot was still "under the hood."

4.
The operation of the powerplants in the manner indicated above would not have been likely to induce engine malfunctioning nor had it contributed toward the accident in this instance.

5.
Approximately 16 minutes after take-off, the crew members detected an odor resembling burning insulation.

6.
The flight engineer opened the galley door and found the cabin filled with dense black smoke and reported this condition to the captain.

7.
Fire extinguishing efforts were not possible due to the denseness of the smoke within the cabin and the hand fire extinguishers were not discharged in flight.

8.
The flight engineer, upon hearing after-fire from one of the right engines, erroneously associated this after-fire with the smoke in the cabin and requested that No. 4 engine be feathered.

9.
The pilot immediately initiated a descent toward Reading. Airport with all engines throttled.

10.
Hearing the sound of the throttled engines during the descent, ground observers erroneously interpreted normal powerplant after-fire as back-fire.

11.
During the descent, the student flight engineer opened the crew hatch in an attempt to alleviate the smoke condition within the crew compartment.

12.
Opening of the crew hatch increased the rate of flow of smoke from the cabin through the galley door into the cockpit, rendering it impossible for the pilots to observe the flight instruments or to see out through the windshied.

13.
Captain Brown opened the window on the right side of the crew compartment and attempted to fly the aircraft with his head out of this window.

14.
Shortly before contract with the ground, Captain Brown reseated himself in the co-pilot's seat, pulled back on the controls and "ditched" the aircraft "blind".

15.
The aircraft was extensively damaged as a result of impact and, after coming to rest, gasoline and other inflammable materials from ruptured tanks ignited and the aircraft was almost completely consumed by fire.

16.
All six through-studs in the forward baggage compartment contained some evidence of arcing and at least two of these studs were sufficiently burned during flight to have ignited the fuselage insulation.

17.
Inspection of other 049 aircraft indicated that sufficient hydraulic fluid leakage into the forward baggage compartment to saturate the fuselage insulation could be expected in this model.

18.
No Lire or smoke-detectors were located in any section of the fuselage.

19.
The baggage compartments are not readily accessible to the flight crew in flight for purposes of fire control.

20.
No fire-extinguishing equipment was available for use within the forward baggage compartments.

21.
The flight crew was uninformed as to the nature of air flow in the fuselage and the possibilities of controlling such air flow.

22.
It was determined that no possible engine malfunctioning could have contributed to this accident although the absence of engine malfunctioning could not be completely confirmed.

Probable Cause

The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was failure of at least one of the generator lead through-stud installations in the fuselage skin of the forward baggage compartment which resulted in intense local heating due to the electrical arcing, ignition of the fuselage insulation, and creation of smoke of such density that sustained control of the aircraft became impossible. A contributing factor was the deficiency in thc inspection systems which permitted defects in the aircraft to persist over a long period of time and to reach such proportions as to create a hazardous condition.

A Schuylkill County Ghost Story

The Mahanoy Plane Ghost
Found this story in the Miners Journal, July 28, 1891. I wonder who this is, sort of sounds like a summertime Ghost of Marley? Weird though!
Or it could be emenating from the old Bear Ridge Colliery!

A Schuylkill County Ghost Story


A house occupied by a railroader named Reichelderfer at Mahanoy Plane is haunted, and has driven its tenant from the building. The sights the members of the family claim to have seen during their residence in the house are calculated to make the flesh crawl. They say the nightly revels commence at about the hour when the church yards yawn and graves give up their dead, at which hour there emanates from the cellar a series of unearthly groans and wails, after which there is silence followed by the sounds of ghostly footfalls slowly climbing the cellar stairs and passing along the hallway. Then they proceed upstairs to the attic, accompanied all the way by a clanking as of rusty chains dragged across the floor in the attic.
The soul harrowing groans are renewed with an occasional interlude of demoniac laughter that would freeze the blood of the bravest man. This is followed by a sound of muffled sobs and wails and then the foot falls are heard again coming down, and passing from room to room, finally reaching the cellar, where the performance ends with a series of hair curling sounds too horrible for description.

Pottsville Miners Journal July 28, 1891.

SPARKS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE

iF YOU ARE IN THE AREA SEPTEMBER, 3, 4, 5, AND 6 CHECK OUT THIS EVENT IT WILL BE FUN.

Sparks Around the Campfire
The Story of Schuylkill County in the Civil War

Patriotic Rally
Wednesday, September 3, 2008—7:00 p.m.—Sovereign Majestic Theater
Admission—5 cents. Call 628-2833
Join us at the Sovereign Majestic Theater and relive the sights and sounds of a Patriotic Rally during the Civil War Era. Speeches, music, lectures and more.

Civil War Show and Tell
Thursday, September 4, 2008—5:30 p.m.—Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Admission—Donation Accepted. Call 622-7540
Bring your Civil War artifacts for appraisal or to discuss with other Civil War aficionados. The Civil War Exhibit in the Historical Society will be open for tours.
Marty Hupka will be in attendance with several Civil War Era photographs…he is offering a reward of $50.00 for the positive identification of specific people in the photos.

Meet General Meade, Victor of the Battle of Gettysburg
Anthony Waskie, Philadelphia - Professor of Languages & Member of the Civil War & Emancipation Studies Forum, Temple University
Thursday, September 4, 2008—7:00 p.m.—Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Admission—Donation Accepted. Call 622-7540
Using Meade's own words and extensive background research, Anthony Waskie, speaking as General Meade, will recount the General's career and services to the nation. From his work as an engineer and lighthouse builder, to combat in the Seminole and Mexican Wars, to his assuming command of the Union Army on the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg (where he handed Lee his first defeat), Meade was integral to the survival of the Union. Not only successful in war, Meade also designed Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, founded two schools for orphans of Civil War veterans and helped integrate surviving veterans back into peacetime pursuits.
Participants are encouraged to ask “General Meade” questions about his life and work.

Torchlight Vignettes
Friday, September 5, 2008—Schuylkill County Council for the Arts
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. – Mingle and Dine
8:00 p.m. – Till? – Torchlight Vignettes
Admission—$8.00. Call 622-2788
Enjoy a Civil War Era evening featuring strolling musicians, choral groups, living historians, food vendors followed by Torchlight Vignettes where various Civil War scenes are brought to life by living historians.

Grave Tours
Saturday, September 6, 2008—10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon.—Meet at Presbyterian Cemetery (Howard Avenue and 12th Street)
Admission—Free to all
Tour Presbyterian Cemetery led by John Hoptak, Author and US Park Ranger and Tom Shay, Local Historian, to see the final resting place and hear the stories of the lives of Civil War Notables, including Brigadier General James Nagle, Colonel Daniel Nagle, Medal of Honor Winner Colonel Jacob Frick.

Lectures
Saturday, September 6, 2008—12:00p.m.-1:00p.m.
Admission – Free, Donations Accepted
Barry Berkey - Historian, Weapons Expert - “Weapons of the Civil War”—Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Jim Corrigan - Author, Historian—”Schuylkill County Coal Miners and the Battle of the Crater”—Sovereign Majestic Theater
Danielle Richards - Historian, Educator - “Arrest the Women at Once and Dispose of Them” - The War & Schuylkill County Irish Women—Historical Society of Schuylkill County.

Saturday, September 6, 2008—2:00p.m.-3:00p.m.
Admission – Free, Donations Accepted
Stu Richards - Author, Historian. - “From the Prison Pen, Schuylkill County Soldiers and Civilians in Rebel Prisons.”— Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Mark Major – Historian, Author - “Schuylkill County in the Civil War: A Collection of Highlights, Unique Stories and Random Insights—Sovereign Majestic Theater.

Saturday, September 6, 2008—3:00p.m.-4:00p.m.
Admission – Free, Donations Accepted
John Hoptak - Author, Historian, Park Ranger Antietam battlefield. “Schuylkill County's Veteran War Horse: The Life and Forgotten Service of Brigadier General Nagle.”—Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Tom Shay - Historian, Antietam Battlefield guide. - “The men and the Units from Schuylkill County and the battles they fought in”—Sovereign Majestic Theater.

Book Signing
Saturday, September 6, 2008—12:00p.m.-4:00p.m.—Historical Society of Schuylkill County
Admission – Free, Donations Accepted. Call 622-7540
The Research Room of the Historical Society will be open for meet and greet and book signings by authors John Hoptak, Jim Corrigan, and Stu Richards.

Premiere of Movie “The Color Bearers”
Saturday, September 6, 2008—7:00 p.m.—Sovereign Majestic Theater
Admission—$5.00. Call 628-2833
The Color Bearers is an enlightening, entertaining look at American Patriotism’s evolution as embodied by its iconic symbol the American Flag.
While the film explores the familiar themes in that great American Story – Francis Scott Key and the flag planted atop Iwo Jima – it also explores lesser known but no less deserving subjects such as Mary Pickersgill, maker of the Star Spangled Banner that flew over Ft McHenry and inspired the Star Spangled Banner – Sgt William H Carney, the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallant bravery and defense of the flag with the 54th Massachusetts at Fort Wagner, and who later inspired the film “Glory”. Alongside these heroes of America’s past, the program features modern day patriots – common Americans doing uncommon things to honor their flag and their country – such as NY Artist Scott LoBaido who traveled the United States painting one large American Flag mural on one rooftop in each of the fifty states. This he did with no corporate sponsorship, and as he put it –”I’ll get back to New York with about a hundred bucks left to my life.”
We meet a descendent of Sgt William Carney – and also the descendents of two other Civil War Flag-bearing heroes – and hear how the bravery of their gallant ancestors has affected and helped shape their lives today.

THE MINERS DINNER CAN AND BOTTLE

A Miners Can and Bottle from my collection.

Found this little article in an 1896 Pottsville Journal newspaper. It is about the famous Miners “CAN”

The Dinner Pail

The dinner pail of song and story is known throughout the anthracite coal regions as the “Can”. Foolish workmen in the giddy metropolises may shape the style of their lords and corporations masters an call it the “Dinner Pail” or “Dinner kettle” but until the last Italian, and the Hunkey have driven out the last Irishman, Welshman, or Englishman. It will continue to be called the “Can”,
The meaning of the phrase “pick up your can and go home” is much clearer to a breaker boy who has broken three panes of glass with a piece of “boney” coal than the more exact one of “you are this day discharged.”
The can and bottle are not to be messed with anywhere but in the Anthracite mining region and even there new fangled notions are slowly changing their shapes. The new can was made something like this:
All cans were invariably the same size. Few men felt safe from the laughter of the fellows if they carried a “butter kettle” to the mines. They were looked upon as either dudes or gluttons and the man around the mines is sensitive in the extreme, fearing to break a fashion.
The “Butter Kettle” was made like this, the lid being a compartment which held the drinkables.
Brakemen were excusable for carrying butter kettles, but since the plain unfrilled “can” came out 25 years ago, it has held popular favor. Fifteen years ago a can sold for 5o cents, now you can get it for 15 cents. Men like McKinley make such things possible.
The miner’s bottle came into life about 1843. It was born of necessity, the parent of so many things, and is a modification of the water bottle of the Arab in the desert. It is made like this cut. The “stopper” is made of wood or cork or paper. Many men on their way to work have been unjustly accused of “bouncing snipe” (I.e. cigar stumps) when in fact they were just stooping in the gutter in front of a saloon to pick up a cork. The quart bottle of 1872 cost 50 cents. Now you can get for 12 cents, which is all on account of McKinley.
The woeful want that often prevailed in the coal regions made the can play its part of deceit. The bottle has been filled with water instead of coffee. Lard masqueraded as butter, an often is the can taken into the mines empty, and filled on the return from the shift at the local watering hole.

Pottsville Journal 1896





A later model "CAN"

Shenandoah Coal Miner Sent To State Convention

HOWARD ADAMS..... SHENANDOAH.... COAL MINER

Note the boots, the soft cap with an electric lamp, and the Kohler safety lamp.


Just found this great picture and story in the May 23, 1930 issue of the Pottsville Journal. It deals with the sending of a coal miner to the Pennsylvania Retail Coal Merchants Association convention in Wilmington, Delaware.

REPRESENTATIVE MINER AT COAL CONVENTION

Howard Adams, of 302 South Jarden St., Shenandoah, chosen by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company as an outstanding and representative coal miner of Reading Anthracite, left today for Wilmington, Del. Where he will attend the convention during the remainder of the week. Mr. Adams will wear his mining clothes and will explain to the coal merchants and the general public attending the exhibit the highly skilled profession in which he is engaged and the many careful preparations, cleanings and washings which are given to anthracite before it reaches the market.
Mr. Adams was born in Llewellyn, Schuylkill County, on March 31, 1899, the son of Mr. And Mrs. Levi Adams. He attended the public schools in Llewellyn and began work in the collieries in 1916, starting as a breaker boy in the P&R Phoenix Park operation. He was promoted steadily to better positions, serving successively as outside and inside laborer, miner, assistant Foreman and traveling foreman in the Mahanoy Division. He is now the inside foreman at the Shenandoah City Mine. Mr. Adams is a graduate of the night mining school Shenandoah.

Note: the night mining school was a P& R program to give the miners who wanted it an education.

Salem Hill Photo, St Clair Colliery Photo

Sometimes I am very fortunate. While performing with the Breaker Boys and trying to keep our anthracite heritage alive through music and stories. People will give me wonderful photographs from our mining history here in Schuylkill County.
In today’s blog I want to share these two photo’s given to me by Edward and Ethel Schappell, Pottsville. Edwards father, George Schappell pictured, was killed in Salem Hill May 21, 1935 at the age of 27, he left a wife, Veronica, age 25 and two children, Evelyn, age 9 and Edward, age 7.


Tag on photo to enlarge

The First Photo is the entrance to the Salem Hill Mine, which is located between Pottsville and Port Carbon along Rt 209, the photo was taken in the 1930’s.
Kneeling on the left is John Sabol, from 5th St. Schoentown, Port Carbon, PA.
Standing behind him the 3rd from the left is Peter Steranko from Park Avenue Schoentown, Port Carbon.
Standing 2nd from the right is George Shappell from Mill Creek Avenue, Norwegian Township, Pottsville.
Standing 3rd from the right is Bob Garland from Pottsville St. Mechanicsville, Pottsville PA.
Standing 4th From the right is Charles Frantz from Mauch Chunk and Anderson Sts. Pottsville, Pa.
The others are unknown.

John Sabol, Peter Steranko and George Schappell were brothers in law, George Schappell and Bob Garland were close friends.




John Sabol didn’t go back in the mines when George Schappell was killed, as they were close friends and neighbors growing up together on 3rd St. in Schoetown, Pt. Carbon, Pa. And they were also brothers in law.

This info was provided by Edward Schappell, the son of George Schappell.

This is a picture of the same entrance to Salem Hill taken by myself a few weeks ago, as you can see it is quite flooded with water coming out and running into the Schuylkill River across the road.






Another view of the same entrance.


Here is another fabulous photo. I love to look at the photo’s of these men, men who knew hardship toil and danger that we will never know. Men who worked in the dark and the damp of the anthracite mines. Men who spent years breathing in coal dust and if they survived the years of working in continues danger under ground they usually died suffering from black lung. This is A fabulous study of how they looked, soft caps, carbide lamps, drills, picks, dirty faces and some great moustaches. And check out the poses, these are some of the greatest pictures around. Sorry if I ramble on but these men are my heroes.



Tag on Photo to enlarge.

This photo was given to me by Ethell Schappell, Pottsville who's father, John Lutza was severly injured in this mine and could not work any longer.

The mine is the St. Clair Coal Company Mine, which was located on the North End of St. Clair, along Route 61, in the 1930's.
Sitting 2nd from the left holding the brace drill is George Timko, 402 W. Carroll St. Shaft Hill, St. Clair Pa.
Standing on the left is John Lutza 404 W. Carroll St. Shaft Hill, St. Clair. Pa.
The others are unknown.
George Timko was killed in this mine on May 25, 1931, he left a wife, Justine and three children, Andrew, Helen, and John.

Thank you Ethel and Edward for this look back to our anthracite mining history.

Deadly Locomotive Explosion Mahanoy City 1878

The total destruction of a train boiler


This is one of the most terrible accidents I have ever read about. It happened at the railroad depot in Mahanoy City, on November 16, 1878.
I was fortunate that a friend gave me the original copies of two Philadelphia news papers.
I hope that some one who has researched the Reading Railroad would be able to supply me with a photograph or drawing of what these little company engines looked like, and I can then post them on the blog.



EXPLOSION OF THE PHILADELPHIA AND READING RAILROAD ENGINE “GEM”

November 16, 1878

Mahanoy City, The Most serious accident that ever happened on the P&R Railroad occurred yesterday afternoon, when the Engine Gem exploded, killing five persons and injuring from to fifteen others. The Gem was one of five dummy engines used by the officers of the road for their official business. It was about half as long as a passenger car, was placed on low wheels, and was fitted up with an engine room in one end and a parlor compartment, with chairs for four, in the other. It was rebuilt in 1864, weighed eleven tons, and was the special engine of J.H. Olhousen, Superintendent of the lateral roads from Shamokin to Tamaqua and Pottsville. He was riding in it yesterday, and had just arrived at Mahanoy Plane, remained there a few minutes and boarded his engine again, when he decided to send a dispatch on some business of the road, and went into the telegraph office for that purpose. Tat act saved his life. He had not written, more than a half a dozen words when the engine blew up with a tremendous report, and he was knocked down by the shock. He escaped, covered with dirt from the shattered walls and ceiling, but without a scratch. Others however, were not so fortunate. The engineer, Frank Brosius, of Mahanoy Plane, was blown into the air and shot over the roof of the depot against a bank beyond. He was instantly killed and the clothing stripped from his body. Jacob Trout, of Tamaqua, conductor of a coal train, was in the act of stepping out of the door of the telegraph office. He was struck on the upper part of the chest by a missile and pieces of him were blown away, with the contents of his body scattered on the platform. Singularly enough what caused his death saved the lives of one, if not two persons. The explosion started by the steam escaping out of a staybolt, and steam rushing out of the grate and made a hissing, made for a second or two before the noise of the explosion came. Trout heard the noise and started for the door to see what it was. Michael O’Connor, the telegraph operator was attracted by it and glancing out of his window he saw that something was wrong. He instantly dropped on the floor, and escaped uninjured, though his office was wrecked. The same noise attracted the attention of the fireman of the Gem., John Finley, and he jumped to the ground; but had not time to run more than a step or two when the explosion came, hurling him forward some fifteen or twenty feet against a truck. His only injury was a slight bruise on the head, but when a the bystanders rushed up to ask if he was hurt he seemed utterly dazed and realized that something knocked his hat off and he was looking for it.. Around the engine were several boys looking and admiring it, and it burst right in amongst them. Calvin Lutz was instantly killed. George Hagenbush and Willie Wenrick were so severely hurt that they died in a few hours and Charles Conrad, Harry Hagenbush and several others whose names have not been ascertained, were wounded moiré or less severely. A young man named Mader, of Patterson, near Middleport was on the depot platform, with a friend, waiting for a train. He was struck over the eye by a missile of some kind and badly scalded by escaping steam, while his friend who stood beside him was uninjured. Madder was cared for by friends in Mahanoy City, and is today reported to be dangerously hurt. The explosion did a great deal of damage to the depot. Buildings. The roofs of the depot proper and on the telegraph office, which stood about 10 feet away. All the windows were blown in and the wires were twisted and wrapped around each other. On the platform stood a couple of barrels of coal and whale oil, and these were burst open, their contents flowing over the victims, and covering the platform with a horrible mixture of oil, blood and brains. The scene was, and is yet, sickening in the extreme; although the dead and wounded were removed as quickly as possible, and at this writing the disabled engine has been taken away, and the damage repaired as far as practicable. The cause of the explosion has not been ascertained and perhaps never will be. There was so little steam in the boiler when the engine reached Mahanoy City, that the engineer had trouble keeping ups its speed. By the time it reached the station, however, it was making steam rapidly and had accumulated a heavy pressure for the ten minutes it stood there. The fireman says the boiler was full of water, and his theory is that the safety valve became dislodged in some way and held in the steam until it reached the bursting point. He thinks the engine was trying to get it loose when the explosion occurred. The explosion made a horrible gap between the boiler and the fire box on the engineer’s side, destroyed the upper works of the Gem, but did not injure the running gear, nor even tear up the floor of the passenger compartment which was situated over the boiler. All the clocks at the depot stopped at 3:13 p.m., the precise moment of the accident.

From the Newspaper ,The Press, Philadelphia, Monday, November 18, 1878. 3 cents.


FROM POTTSVILLE
SATURDAYS FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT- THE BOILER OF A LOCOMOTIVE EXPLODES KILLING SIX PERSONS.

Special dispatch to the Evening Bulletin.
Pottsville, Nov, 18- The explosion of the P&R engine “Gem” at Mahanoy City, on Saturday afternoon, was the subject of conversation through the region yesterday. The Gem was the special engine of J.H. Olhousen, Division Superintendent. People living along the line of the reading railroads are familiar with the sight of the graceful little machines, half palace car, half Locomotive, prettily painted without, comfortably furnished within, in which officers of the road go flying from point to point without the delay of waiting for regular trains or the expense of ordering extras. The company has, or had five of these convenient little engines in use. One of these engines is President Gowens private car. But it is so often placed at the disposal of the company’s guests that its recorded mileage is twice that of any of the others. The “Transit” is stationed in Pottstown; The “Stag” at some other point; The “Witch” at Pottsville, in the service of the Coal and Iron Company, and the “Gem” was stationed at Mr. Olhousens headquarters, at Mahanoy Plane. They are all of the same type-are short, compact, set very low, weigh from eleven to thirty tons, and run very fast; but though very convenient, they are neither very smooth nor very safe to ride in. Their low wheels report faithfully every uneven point in the rails, and their light weight causes them to develop a skittish tendency to jump the track when running at full speed. The Gem had a long list of escapades scored to her account but never anything as serious as the disaster at Mahanoy City.
A TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE
Three clocks in and about the depot, which stopped at the moment of the explosion marked the precise time at 3:13 p.m. when there came from the Gem, standing quietly on the track in front of the depot, the sharp crack of breaking iron, then a rush of steam, and a tremendous deafening roar, as the after sheet of the boiler blew out, the fire box was torn off, and fragment s of wood, iron , glass and men were sent flying through the air. An eyewitness declares that he saw the body of Frank Broscious, the engineer, thrown entirely over the depot and dashed against the mountain side behind it. It was picked up at the foot of the hill, entirely naked and pounded to jelly. The fireman, Robert Finley, was fortunate; he started to run at the first warning.
THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION
Threw him quite a distance, but he only received a slight wound in the head. Superintendent Olhousen had at that moment left the engine and stepped into the telegraph office to write a dispatch. He escaped uninjured, as did the telegraph operator, who dropped to the floor at the first warning. The only other person in the office was Jacob trout, a coal train conductor, living in Tamaqua. He stepped to the door just as the engine exploded, and was struck by a heavy missile which mutilated him horribly and killed him instantly. He leaves a wife and nine children. Brosious leaves a wife. All the others killed were boys living in Mahanoy City. George and Horace Hagenbush, sons of an employee at the depot, had been engaged to distribute a quantity of handbills, and were followed by a crowd of boys. They were gathered about the engine, admiring it, as boys will, and were thrown in an indiscriminate heap by the explosion. Willie Wenrich, aged seven was instantly killed. George Hagenbusch, aged 8 died in a few minutes. Calvin Luts was picked up in a dying condition by his own father, but was so covered with blood and dirt that he was not recognized until his face was washed. Horace Hagenbush lingered until yesterday afternoon, when he to died, closing, it is hoped the list of victims. Several others were more or less severely injured, but none seriously, except William Maeder, a young man, who was standing on the platform and who was scalded by steam bawdily and cut on the head. The engine and part of the depot were badly wrecked, and the telegraph office was shattered.
THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
Has not been discovered, and experts who have examined the wreck can only give a guess. The Coroner’s inquest will be held this afternoon and may succeed in throwing some light on the subject. This is the most serious accident that has ever happened on the reading railroad or its branches.

TAKEN FROM

THE PHILADELPHIA EVENING BULLETIN
November 18, 1878.