How Cheap Steel and Wooden Cars Killed 64 People in Pennsylvania

On October 10, 1888, sixty-four people died on a curve in the Lehigh Gorge of eastern Pennsylvania. Most of them Irish coal miners and their children, riding home from a temperance parade in borrowed wooden cars behind steel locomotives that weighed over a hundred tons. The flagman responsible for protecting the rear of the stopped train walked 400 feet into the dark and stopped. Regulations required 1,900. At the coroner's inquest the next morning, he said he didn't know about the rule. His signature was on the sheet that said he did. This is the story of the Mud Run disaster — the steel that held, the wood that didn't, and the company that recorded the tonnage hauled in its annual report but not the names of the dead. Portions of this video contain edited or simulated visuals for illustrative purposes. Disclaimer: The pictures and clips used in the videos on this channel are a mix of illustration, royalty-free, public domain, or otherwise fall under the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended. All rights belong to their respective owners. #IndustrialHistory #AmericanHistory #RailroadHistory #IrishAmericanHistory