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Title: Awful accident on the North Pennsylvania Rail Road on Thursday July 17th 1856
Description: 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.
Creator: Rease, W. H., artist
Date: c1856
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *BW - Disasters [P.2007.21.13]

Title: Conflagration of the steam boat New Jersey on the Delaware River opposite Philada. March 15 1856 in which 50 persons lost their lives
Description: Shows, under the winter night sky, in the distance, clouds of smoke rising from the Philadelphia and Camden Ferry Co. steamboat as rowboats race to the wreck. In the right of the image, a partial view of the ferry "Dido" traveling to the rescue is visible. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as the result of defective boilers. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river., Reduced variant of print issued by the same artist and publisher [Wainwright 81]. Title altered from "60 persons" to "50 persons.", POS 155, Philadelphia on Stone, Wainwright retrospective conversion project, edited.
Creator: Heiss, George G.
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department W82 [P.2026]

Title: Terrible conflagration and destruction of the steamboat "New Jersey," on the Delaware River, above Smith's Island, on the night of March 15th, between 8 and 9 o'clock, in which dreadful calamity over 50 lives are supposed to have been lost
Description: Dramatic view of the steamboat, its nameplate visible, engulfed in flames and smoke, as the passengers escape into the icy river. Panicked passengers huddle, jump and dive into the water already teeming with disaster victims. The river-bound men and women bob; swim; and lie on, attempt to stay upon, and assist others onto cakes of ice and debris. In the lower right of the image, a rowboat containing a rower and a man holding a baby as well as a victim hanging on to the rear of the vessel arrives at the nearby wharf. The rescuer hands the limp baby to its mother, next to whom a man stands with a look of concern. In the left background, signage for "Baths" adorns the riverbank. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as a result of defective boilers, a fireplace, and brick work. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 745, Wainwright retrospective conversion project, edited., Free Library of Philadelphia: Castner 19:33
Date: 1856
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W366 [P.2202]

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
Description: 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. In the lower left, a man wipes his face with a handkerchief as he stands over a legless body on a mattress. Nearby another man holds a body in his arms. Also contains the names of "The Killed" and "The Wounded" printed below the image as well as notice that "Many of the wounded are in a very precarious condition, and the death of several is hourly looked for." 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., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 191, Duplicate of 7663.Fa., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
Creator: Magee, John L.
Date: c1856
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *BW - Disasters [P.8970.8]

Title: Terrible conflagration and destruction of the steam-boat "New Jersey," On the River Delaware, opposite Philadelphia, on the night of Saturday, March 15th, 1856, between 8 and 9 o'clock, by which dreadful calamity sixty-one lives were lost. Names of all on board
Description: Dramatic view of the steamboat engulfed in flames and smoke, the captain still at the helm as the passengers escape into the icy river. Panicked-looking passengers jump into the water already teeming with disaster victims, including an African American man, who thrash, swim, and attempt to stay upon and assist others onto cakes of ice, debris, and a single rowboat. Rescuers from the nearby wharf, including firemen, work in a frantic manner and desperately throw a rope to a white woman standing on an ice floe. Also shows a horse on the fire engulfed deck and a white woman propelled by a flame off of the rear of the boat. A sign for "Baths" is visible on the riverbank in the background. Contains the names of the 107 white and "colored" dead, missing, and saved passengers in three columns below the image. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as a result of defective boilers, a fireplace, and brick work. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river., Title from item., Date supplied by Wainwright., Copyrighted by A. Pharazin., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 744, Accessioned 1982., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W478 [P.2252]

Title: Terrible conflagration and destruction of the steam-boat "New Jersey," On the River Delaware, opposite Philadelphia, on the night of Saturday, March 15th, 1856, between 8 and 9 o'clock, by which dreadful calamity sixty-one lives were lost. Names of all on board
Description: Dramatic view of the steamboat engulfed in flames and smoke, the captain still at the helm as the passengers escape into the icy river. Panicked-looking passengers jump into the water already teeming with disaster victims, including an African American man, who thrash, swim, and attempt to stay upon and assist others onto cakes of ice, debris, and a single rowboat. Rescuers from the nearby wharf, including firemen, work in a frantic manner and desperately throw a rope to a white woman standing on an ice floe. Also shows a horse on the fire engulfed deck and a white woman propelled by a flame off of the rear of the boat. A sign for "Baths" is visible on the riverbank in the background. Contains the names of the 107 white and "colored" dead, missing, and saved passengers in three columns below the image. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as a result of defective boilers, a fireplace, and brick work. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river., Title from item., Date supplied by Wainwright., Copyrighted by A. Pharazin., Philadelphia on Stone, Purchase 1965., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W478 [7541.F]

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