John Greenan Injured in Train Wreck
Irish John Smith's Cousin
There are two true statements about Smith and Ryan family relatives: (1) Many male relatives worked for the railroad; and (2) some relatives died or were seriously injured in train wrecks. One of "Irish" John Smith's cousins, John Greenan, was seriously injured in a train wreck near Churchville, New York, on December 23, 1888. John Greenan's father, Thomas, was "Irish" John Smith's first cousin who lived near Buffalo, New York. John was the second oldest boy born to Thomas Greenan and Mary Donahoe. He was born at Buffalo, New York, in 1857.
Railroading was part of the ‘Greenan DNA’. Thomas Greenan’s two other sons (Thomas Jr., and Edward) and son-in-law (Michael Clark) worked for the railroad. We like a good train wreck story, especially one involving relatives!
Churchville Train Wreck - "The Churchville Disaster"
investigation by Mr. Burrows, Superintendent of the Western Division, the track was found to be in first-class condition, even after the accident had occurred.
The opinion now seems to be that a flange on one of the engine wheels had became broken by the cold weather, and striking on the track, caused the engine to rebound, throwing it into a ditch on one side of the track and dragging the train with it. The General Superintendent of the road said that the breaking of a wheel "has happened a number of times just after the cold weather sets in. The cold hardens the iron of the wheels and makes them quite brittle. This accident cannot be attributed to the carelessness of any one. It is nobody's fault, and might happen on any road."
The passengers who were on the derailed train arrived in this city a few minutes before 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. They were due to arrive early in the morning. One of them told the following story of the disaster: "I was in the second passenger coach at the time of the accident. The train was going very fast to make up for lost time, I understand. Without warning there began a succession of rapid jolts. I knew that the train was off the track, and then I felt the car going over. It rolled down an embankment, and in less time than it takes to tell it had been deposited in the bottom of a ditch with a crash.
"Men and women screamed with fright and pain. Several persons in my car were injured. At first it was believed that some were killed. I had been roughly handled, but after feeling myself over hurriedly I saw that I was not cut or in any way seriously injured, so I set to work to assist the others. A number of passengers were taken out of the wrecked cars apparently badly injured, but none were killed. It was a terrible scene around the wreck, for men, women and children were screaming loudly and crying while the search for the wounded was going on.
"A wrecking train reached the spot soon after the wreck and the wounded were taken to Rochester, where they are being cared for. The railroad people showed great kindness to the passengers. No one seemed to know the cause of the accident, even the railroad people being unable to throw any light on the subject."
John Greenan, telegraph lineman, was one of those who were seriously injured in this wreck. The telegraph lineman was responsible for maintaining Telegraph lines. Without the lines - there was no telegraph. Telegraph lines were often damaged by bad weather and other natural events, vandalism, acts of war, and sometimes failed due to wear and tear. Communication between one rail station and the other depended upon reliable telegraph service. This accident happened two days before Christmas. Was the train speeding to get Christmas passengers and railroad employees home in time for the holiday?
Court Awards John Greenan $1000 for his Injuries
The following newspaper article appeared in the Buffalo Daily Express; Buffalo, New York; July 15, 1889. The court awarded John Greenan $1000. In today's dollars that is equivalent to $25,000. Did this amount include 'pain and suffering' or just compensation for lost wages and medical expenses?
NY Railroad Commission Investigates Accident in 1890
You would think this court case would be the last heard of the Churchville Wreck. The disaster at Churchville was investigated by the New York State Railroad Commission to determine cause. Incidentally, the railroad’s full name was “New York Central and Hudson River Railroad”. The Railroad Commission investigated railroad accidents due to numerous reported deaths and injuries in the previous year. The facts from this case are as follows:
* 55 miles east of Buffalo the train wrecked near Churchville. Official reports stated the entire train derailed “Two rods east of the Churchville rail depot“. A rod is 16 1/2 feet.
* The final Railroad Commission report states no cause for the accident was known. A broken bridge Coupling may have contributed to the wreck. Commission Members suggested railroad switches should be checked more frequently as there had been a number of deaths and injuries stemming from defective switches. They could not determine if a defective switch caused the Churchville accident.
* Mr. Parrish, the conductor, said the train was only going forty miles an hour. Mr. Gould, the train engineer, said they were going about 45 miles an hour.
* The train had between 25 to 30 thousand miles on it. Top end life span for engines of this type is generally 100 thousand miles.
John Greenan’s later life
John never married and continued working as a telegraph lineman after the accident. The 1892 New York State census shows John lived with his sister, Celia Greenan Clark, and her family. John continued living in Buffalo until his death in 1917.
Death in Buffalo
John Greenan died in 1917. His obituary only lists siblings born to his mother, Mary Donahoe. His father, Thomas Greenan Sr., remarried and had more children. John’s obituary does not list his half-siblings.
Former Resident of Genesee County Died in Buffalo.
The Batavia Daily News; April 28, 1917, page 7
John J. Greenan, formerly of East Pembroke and Batavia, died at a hospital in Buffalo yesterday. He was born in Buffalo 61 years ago and never married. He returned to Buffalo from Batavia to reside 25 years ago. He is survived by a brother, Thomas Greenan of Olean, and two sisters, Sister Mary Philomena of the Convent of Mercy, and Mrs. W. A. Clark, both of Buffalo.
The funeral will be held from the residence of Mrs. Clark and from St. Nicholas's church at 9 a.m. on Monday. The interment will be in St. Joseph's cemetery, Batavia, on the arrival of the 1:10 p.m. train.