A relative was involved in a railroad accident back in june 1948. Here is a transcription of the newspaper article minus the photograph. Craig Bathurst Democratic Watchman Volume 67 Bellefonte, PA., Thursday, June 24, 1948 Number 26 Freight Trains Collide, Two Trainmen Are Killed Nine Others Injured When Trains Meet On Curve Near Pleasant Gap; Cabin Car Crushed Into 2 ft. Space; 4 Inquires Into Crash Expected to Get Under Way. Two Pennsylvanian Railroad freight train crew members were killed virtually instantly and nine others were injured, none of them seriously, about 5:30 p.m. Ray J Miller . . . Train wreck victim as he appeared while in service during the war. Tuesday (June 22) when two freight trains on the Lewisburg and Tyrone branch of the Pennsylvania railroad meet on a curve between Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap, about four miles south of Bellefonte. The dead are: Ray J. Miller, 34, of Blanchard, World War II veteran and brakeman on a shifting engine crew which had gone to Pleasant Gap to bring loaded cars to Bellefonte from Whiterock Quarries. James S. Bathurst, 58, of Bellefonte, conductor on the same train. Both men were in a cabin car (caboose) which was completely "feathered" or collapsed when it bore the brunt on the impact between the two trains which were traveling in opposite directions. The injured were: Milford W. Gardiner, Blanchard, brakeman on the Whitrock train, who is in the Centre County Hospital with chest injuries, injuries of the left knee, and a head and jaw injury. Thomas Kane, Chief Hotel, Bellefonte, engineer of the quarry train, injuries of the right leg. He did not require medical attention. H.R. Bish, Unionville, fireman on the quarry train, scalds of both hands and arms, and hip and nose injury. He underwent treatment at the same hospital dispensary. Also injured were these crew members of a special freight with which the quarry freight collided. Norman W. Braucht, Coburn, pilot, admitted to hospital for treatment for shock. Anthony L. Cellini, Williamsport, fireman, admitted to hospital for injuries of the head, nose, left foot and for numerous lacerations and bruises. C.D. Packer, Blanchard, treated at dispensary for brush burns of the right thigh and shoulder. L.W. Shilling, of Blanchard, a brakeman; B.T. Goodlander, of Coburn, engineer, and Gut Lucas, Pleasant View, Conductor, suffered minor injuries which did not require medical treatment, although Lucas underwent x-ray examination at the hospital yesterday morning ( Wednesday 23rd.). The accident happened on a curved section of track between the Ring Brothers auto garage and the "Black Barn." The single track at that point is boarded on the west by a hill, which rises sharply from the track edge, and on the east by Logan Branch (stream). The shifter; which had gone to Whitrock Quarries on its daily run to bring loaded cars to Bellefonte; was returning to Bellefonte, while the special freight, consisting of a locomotive, three box cars, and a cabin car, was en route to the Oak Hall cannery with a load of supplies. The special was operating in normal fashion, with locomotive at the head of the train. The shifter was made up in odd fashion. First came the locomotive, which was running backwards; then a cabin car; then nine cars loaded with limestone and crushed limestone. The rear of the tender of the shifter and the front of the locomotive of the special collided with a crash that could be heard for some distance. Both locomotives were derailed, but did not leave the roadbed nor overturn. The main force of the impact, however, was taken up by the wooden cabin car, which was located between the shifting engine and the loaded stone cars. The stone cars kept moving, the foremost riding up over the cabin car chassis and jamming the body of the 25-foot car into a space not more than 2 feet thick against the front of the locomotive. Miller and Bathurst, who were riding in the cabin car, were crushed in the 2-foot space and it required hours of work to extricate them. Millers body was freed about 8 p.m., while Bathurst's remains were not freed until shortly after midnight when a wreck train from Sunbury pulled the stone cars backward to ease pressure. Gardiner, the other brakeman on the shifter, also was riding the ill-fated cabin car but was not on the platform and leaped or was thrown clear. The impact damaged steam lines in both locomotives, and Bish, fireman on the shifter, was scalded even though he jumped from the cab an instant before the crash when the engineer, Tom Kane, seeing the special approaching, shouted a warning. Kane couldn't leave the cab because of the sharp hill on his side of the track. Members, of the crew of the special were injured principally from being thrown about by the impact. The injured men waited nearby Logan Branch and reached the Bellefonte-Pleasant Gap highway on the either side where they obtained transportation to Bellefonte. It was at once apparent that the two men trapped in the cabin-car were beyond aid, even though Miller is believed to have lived a few minutes after the crash. Within a matter of minutes after the accident the highway was jammed with cars as word of the mishap spread. State Police from Pleasant Gap and Rockview substation and fire police from Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap were on duty most of the evening directing traffic past the scene. Members of the Undine and Pleasant Gap Fire Companies and others were on hand soon after the accident. They provided portable electric lighting equipment, boots for carrying tools across the Logan Branch, and also carried officials and others back and forth across the stream. Spectators lined the road, and the hill overlooking the scene was crowded with men, women and children who watched the rescue operations. The hill was liberally covered with poison-ivy plants, which no one-not even bare legged women and children, seemed to mind. Ordinarily the traffic over the L & T branch is quite limited. About 11:30 a.m. The combination freight from Lewisburg arrives in Bellefonte and it begins the return trip about noon. The Whiterock shifter which runs out of the quarries between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. daily, is the only other regular run on the road, hence the danger of collision is quite remote. Movement over the branch is controlled jointly from and Lewisburg; railroad men said. It was reported that the Whiterock shifter, coming out of the quarries, Tuesday afternoon, halted at the foot of Whiterock hill and received word from Lewisburg that it was all clear. They proceeded accordingly onto the main track. Cause of the wreck probably will be the subject of four separate investigations, railroad men said. The Interstate Commerce Commission, the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, and the railroad itself usually conducts probes into train wrecks. In addition, Centre County Coroner Charles Sheckler of Milesburg, has indicated that he will conduct an inquest into the two fatalities. No date has been set for the inquest beyond that fact that it will not be held before the latter part of next week, at least, the coroner said. Coroner Sheckler was on the scene soon after the accident and remained there until the bodies were removed. The wreckage was cleared away from the scene yesterday morning (Wednesday, June 23rd) and one of the damaged locomotives is now parked on a siding near Gamble mill, West Lamb Street, Bellefonte. The other is parked in the local PRR yards. It is reported that both locomotives will have to be taken to the shops in Altoona for repairs. Miller Was Veteran Ray J. Miller, who lost his life in the crash was the son of Mr. And Mrs. Ray C. Miller and was born at Howard, R.D., on March 24, 1924, making his age 24 years, 2 months and 29 days. On March 19, 1943 he entered the armed forces and was assigned to the air force. He was sent to England in December of that year and served a total of 2 ½ years during World War II. For the past two years he had been employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, working out of Bellefonte. He was a graduate of the Blanchard High School, class of 1941, and had been employed by the railroad prior to his induction into the armed forces. On March 17, 1947, he was united in marriage with Pauline Wian of Loch Haven, who with the deceased's father, Ray C. Miller, of Blanchard, two sisters and a brother, Mrs. Grant Boone, of Howard, R.D. And Lois and Duane Miller of Blanchard, and his grandmother, Mrs. Emma James, also of Blanchard. He was a member of the Blanchard Baptist Church. James S. Bathurst James S. Bathurst of East Lamb Street, Bellefonte, was the son of Sylvester and Lyda Wyble Bathurst and was born at Howard on January 23, 1890. Surviving are his mother, who has made her home with him here, his second wife, Anna Bumbarger, formerly of Wingate; a son James ages 4, of the second marriage, a stepson Delbert Bumbarger, and these children of the first marriage; Mrs. David Pahl, of New Columbia; Mrs. Derwood Monahan, Ramsonville, N.Y.; George E. of Niagara Falls, N.Y.; and Harry Bathurst, of Bellefonte. Also surviving are a brother, Edward Bathurst, of Howard, and 8 grandchildren. Mr. Bathurst was a member of the Elks Lodge and the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. He had been a resident of Bellefonte for 15 years. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday (June 26 th) at the home, 318 E. Lamb St., with Rev. L. L. Owens of the Methodist Church officiating. Note: Items in Italics are only for clarification and are not part of the text. This article was transcribed by Craig R. Bathurst from a photograph taken of the newspaper. James S. Bathurst is the third cousin twice removed of Craig R. Bathurst. Our common ancestor is Sgt. Lawrence Bathurst a Revolutionary War Veteran. We both descend from two sons of Lawrence Bathurst. I, Craig R. descend from Henry A. Bathurst and James S. descends from Thomas Bathurst.