Valley Girl Views: 1892 Train Wreck, Selinsgrove

April 18, 1892 Freight Train Wreck

"On Monday afternoon at about half-past 5 o'clock as a double was coming east when reaching the match factory sidling in this place, the switch having been left open when the shifter was ran out, was run out and and had not been turned back, the train left the main track and run in on the sidling.

Selinsgrove Station on the left, Match factory on the right

As the train passed the water plug, Conductor Bickle discovered the mistake and gave the alarm. The Engineers reversed their engine but the space was too short to stop the heavy train. The men in the cabs jumped out and the front locomotive went crashing into the heavy backstop attached to the sidling, crushing it as easily as an egg shell, and went plunging across the gutter, over the fence into the field, where it sank into the soil almost to the depth of the driving wheels, the second locomotive did not leave the track.

The wreck train was sent for and by half-past 4 o'clock on Tuesday morning the wreck was cleared up - Two of the shifter crew were granted a short vacation

Selinsgrove Station, Match Factory Ahead on the right

R.L. Ulrich, our enterprizing Photographer, has taken a photograph of the above wreck and will sell copies at 25cts. " - The Snyder County Tribune

From Sanborn Fire Map in 1890

On the 1899 map, this location is the Hains and Son Sash & Door Factory

In The Chronology of Selinsgrove, the factory is referred to as the Keystone Match Factory in January, the Star Match Factory in April, and all future mentions call it simply "The Match Factory", or "The Old Match Factory."

Dunkleburger's history of Snyder County [1948] Tells us that the factory was built in 1888, and that Hendricks Hardware Storage occupied that exact spot in 1948. The Match Factory Building was destroyed in a fire February 1, 1898

"In April, 1888, the Star Match Company was organized and a large factory was built on the triangular-shaped iot at Pine Street and the railroad, Selinsgrove, along what is today known as Orange Street. The Hendricks Hardware Storage building now designates the exact site. A railroad siding extended to the factory. The machinery was brought from Beavertown.

The factory flourished for about two years and then was bought by another firm and the machinery was moved away. It is said that approximately seventy men and women found employment when the plant was in full operation.

The building soon became encumbered in debt and, August 23, 1890, was sold at sheriff's sale to George Wagonseller.

In April, 1894, William Haines and Son leased the building to be used as a planing mill and sash factory.

The planing mill continued to operate until February 1, 1898, when it was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

Poor water pressure, no steamer, and the cold weather so handicapped the firemen that they were practically powerless in fighting the flames. The owners of the mill presented a statement to the borough officials charging them with gross negligence for the insufficient water supply and the low water pressure which made inevitable the destruction of the plant by fire that otherwise could have been readily saved. The responsibility for the destruction of the mill was finally shifted to the water company, and after considerable controversy the matter was finally dropped.

In 1925 the Beacon Match Company was organized at Hummels Wharf. The factory was housed in the brick building now occupied by the Trailco Manufacturing and Sales Company along the old route of the Susquehanna Trail, and opposite the building of what was formerly the Hummels Wharf State Bank. The factory employed from eighteen to twenty-five men and women, and had a capacity of about two car-loads of matches per week. It continued operation for approximately three years and then was abandoned."

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In May of 1889, the roof of the match factory was torn off in a "big cyclone". Several other buildings also lost roofs that day.

The Match factory closed down on account of financial trouble, in January of 1890.

William Haines and son leased the old match factory to use as a planning mill, in April of 1894. It was then listed as the Nipple Sash and Door Factory, followed by the Nipple Lumber Yard. In 1921, W.E. Nagle Tool Manufacturing was at that location.

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Find An Index of "Railroad Incidents" in the Susquehanna Valley Here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/12/an-index-of-railroad-incidents-in.html

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