Awful accident on the North Pennsylvania Rail Road on Thursday July 17th 1856. [graphic] / from [sic] a sketch by Boerum; lith. W. H. Rease n.e. cor. 4th & Chesnut sts., Phila. Rease, W. H., artist. North Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Railroad accidents -- Pennsylvania. Disaster victims -- Pennsylvania. 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. Rear cars remain unscathed and a horse pulling a buggy rears up as it approaches the wreck site. Bodies lay near an overturned car in the foreground. One train carried hundreds of children from St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church Sunday School in Philadelphia. The crash occurred due to an attempt by the "Shakamoxon" engineer to make up time for its late departure. It collided with the regularly scheduled Aramingo, before arriving at a siding pass. The boilers of the trains collided and caused an explosion that decimated the front cars, but left the rear cars intact. Around 60 persons died and 100 were injured from the crash. Not in Wainwright. Philadelphia on Stone POSP 12 Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bb 674 N 811 Gift of David Doret. Philadelphia: Printed & for sale by S. Boerum north east cor. 4th & New sts PA. Philadelphia. 1856 Boerum, Simeon. c1856 Lithographs -- 1850-1860. 1 print: lithograph, hand-colored; 26 x 36 cm.(10.25 x 14 in.) digitool:65690 Library Company of Philadelphia PRINT PRINT *BW - Disasters [P.2007.21.13] P.2007.21.13