1919 WB Record Almanac, Fatal Accidents in 1917


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Fatal Accidents – 1918

In Luzerne County from December 1, 1917, to December 1, 1918, not including those 
occurring in and about the mines and on the railroads.

Peter Adomicz of Sugar Notch – burned to death in house on fire – December 26, 1917.
Mrs. John Anduskewicz of Nanticoke - 50 years old – run over by a car while picking 
coal – January 31, 1918.
John Anstett of Sugar Notch – 38 years old – auto truck struck by a train – February 22, 1918.
Charles Appleman of Montrose – killed in trolley grade crossing accident in automobile 
near Luzerne Borough – no death date given, but has to be between June 18 and July 1, 1918.
Michael Barrett of Edwardsville – 35 years old – fell down stairs – January 26, 1918.
Joseph Baum, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Baum of Wilkes-Barre – 21 years old – drowned
 in the river while bathing – July 28, 1918.
Mrs. Celia Bellas of Ashley – coroner’s jury in the case says that she died from shock due to
 being struck by a delivery wagon – July 30, 1918.
Henry Bergold of Wilkes-Barre – fell down steps – November 21, 1918.
Wasyl Betylar of Westminster – accidentally shot – November 28, 1918.
Robert Bridgeland of Lee Park – 16 years old – shot by a companion while hunting – November 8, 1918.
Julian Brill, son of Mr. And Mrs. Simon Brill of Plymouth – 3 years old – of scalds sustained by 
falling into a tub of hot water – January 14, 1918.
Milton Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Brown of Hanover Township – 3 years old – run over by
 a street car - May 31, 1918.
Joseph Cameronzy of Pittston – 9 years old – drowned in the river by falling from a small raft on
 which he was playing with Anthony Tobius (who also drowned) – May 24, 1918.
Peter Casey of Ross Township – killed by lightning while sitting on the porch of a house – August 13, 1918.
Adaline Chazen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chazen of Freeland – 16 months old – clothing
 ignited and burned to death – November 26, 1918.
Charles Colvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Colvin of Wilkes-Barre – 7 years old – run over by a 
wagon – June 6, 1918.
Vincent Condon of Swoyerville – 6 years old – fell under a truck wagon – October 17, 1918.
Benjamin Davey of Wilkes-Barre – 74 years old – fell down a street embankment – September 19, 1918.
Mrs. Catherine Davis of Dallas – 88 years old – burned to death in a fire in her home – October 4, 1918.
Mrs. John Dolan of Kingston – clothing ignited from an overturned lamp – May 26, 1918.
John Donaldson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Donaldson of Plymouth – 5 years old – clothing ignited 
at a fire of leaves – October 18, 1918.
Thomas Dunn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Dunn of Pittston – electrocuted while turning on an electric
 light in his home – July 4, 1918.
Joseph Ervin of Hanover Township – electrocuted by a live wire – September 29, 1918.
Thomas W. Evans of Edwardsville – 48 years old – struck by a street car – April 6, 1918.
George Goodnowicz, his wife, and daughters, Margaret and Anna of Edwardsville – asphyxiated by 
illuminating gas in their house – January 20, 1918.
George Green of Ashley – by a dynamite explosion in a sewer trench – March 1, 1918.
Durland Griswold, son of Dr. Griswold of Hanover Township – burned to death in a wooden shack in 
which he and John Persea of Hanover Township were playing – August 25, 1918.
Thomas Gubutles of Ashley – 48 years old – choked to death on a piece of meat – January 1, 1918.
Anna Hale of Wilkes-Barre – 10 years old – struck by a motorcycle – November 29, 1918.
Leon Hannihan of Wilkes-Barre – automobile crashed into a telegraph pole – November 18, 1918.
Mrs. Samuel Inzak of Wilkes-Barre – of injuries sustained by falling from a street car – May 2, 1918.
Harvey T. Ither of Harveyville – 45 years old – killed by a fall in a barn – July 1, 1918.
Michael Janosik of Wilkes-Barre – 22 years old – drowned in the river while bathing – August 8, 1918.
Maurice Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Austin Johnson of Avoca – 2 years old – struck by an 
automobile – March 5, 1918.
William Jones, son of Mrs. W. H. Jones of Wilkes-Barre – 9 years old – fell from a tree – June 8, 1918.
Edward Joyce of Pittston – 16 years old – drowned while swimming in the river – August 18, 1918.
Jacob Kaminsks of West Nanticoke – fell into a creek – November 12, 1918.
Adam Karkalavitch of Plymouth – 18 years old – accidentally shot by a companion while in 
the woods – October 31, 1918.
George Kelly of Pittston – 48 years old – engulfed by a mine cave which he was helping to fill – October 17, 1918.
James Kenney, Jr. of Wilkes-Barre – of injuries sustained in the Sheldon Axle Works – October 7, 1918.
Mary Kolander of Avoca – 5 years old – clothing ignited at a yard fire – October 17, 1918.
Arthur Krause, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Krause of Wilkes-Barre – 11 years old – fell from a 
wagon – September 14, 1918.
John Kusck of Luzerne Borough – 40 years old – struck by a street car – October 6, 1918.
Walter Lapinski of Parsons – 11 years old – drowned by falling from a raft in a flooded cave hole 
along with George Linnets – April 28, 1918.
William Lieberman of Wilkes-Barre, 17 years old – drowned in the river while bathing – August 8, 1918.
George Linnets of Parsons – 7 years old – drowned by falling from a raft in a flooded cave hole 
along with Walter Lapinski – April 28, 1918.
Edward Loftus of Pittston – 59 years old – of injuries sustained by falling on the ice – January 15, 1918.
Anthony Lombardo of Hazlelton – 13 years old – shot by a flobert rifle in the hands of a playmate – July 8, 1918.
Helen Lukatch of Cranberry – 2 years old – ate strychnine pills – January 19, 1918.
Edward Lunch of West Pittston – 31 years old – tossed in the air by the force of air coming from the 
mouth of a mine due to a cave-in and sustains a fracture of the skull – April 30, 1918.
Mrs. Louise Lynn of Kingston – 47 years old – asphyxiated by illuminating gas while trying to assist 
five other people who had been overcome in a home in Kingston – doesn’t give date of death, but 
has to be between January 20-24, 1918.
Chester Makarewicz of Plymouth – 9 years old – drowned in the river while bathing – July 28, 1918.
Michael Marinello of Hazleton – 34 years old – caught in a breaker drag line while on his way 
home – February 2, 1918.
William J. Martz of Hazleton – 9 years old – run down by a truck – November 25, 1918.
Michael McQuade of Wilkes-Barre – 42 years old – of injuries sustained while working in an e
levator shaft – January 19, 1918.
Julia Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Miller of Parsons – 8 years old – of injuries sustained in a 
street car accident – December 5, 1917.
Richard Miller of Wilkes-Barre – 19 years old – of injuries sustained at a freight station – December 4, 1917.
Nicholas Miziloa of Pittston – of gas asphxiation – January 4, 1918.
Anthony Morris of Sugar Notch – 20 years old – electrocuted by taking hold of a live wire – September 10, 1918.
Harry Mullin, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mullin of Duryea – drowned in the river while bathing – July 21, 1918.
Joseph O’Neill, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. L. O’Neill, Jr. of Wilkes-Barre – 19 years old – drowned in the river 
by the capsizing of a canoe – May 26, 1918.
Alfonso Parakasusimius of Plymouth – 4 years old – clothes ignited at a stove – May 3, 1918.
Mrs. Kate Pash of Laflin – struck by a street car – November 8, 1918.
Andrew Pavalick of Exeter Borough – struck by an automobile – September 30, 1918.
John Persea, son of Anthony Persea of Hanover Township – burned to death in a wooden shack in which 
he and Durland Griswold of Hanover Township were playing – August 25, 1918.
Peter Petino of Nanticoke – neck broken by a fall – October 15, 1918.
Frank Prest of Ashley – 38 years old – fell from a scaffolding – April 28, 1918.
Peter Quinn of Lee Park – caught between cars at the Vulcan Works – February 25, 1918.
Joseph Reictz of Hanover – fell down stairs – February 20, 1918.
Samuel Resitto of Hazleton – 5 years old – clothes ignited from a fire – June 18, 1918.
Mrs. Camello Rizzo of West Wyoming – accidentally shot and killed by a gun in the hands of her 
husband – December 9, 1917.
John Roberts of Wilkes-Barre – 26 years old – dies from injuries sustained in a brickyard – July 4, 1918.
Esther Ruebel of Miner’s Mills – 4 years old – struck by an automobile – May 13, 1918.
George Santee of Hazleton – by an explosion of gas in the home of his sister – January 24, 1918.
Arthur E. Schawb of Phillipsburg, NJ – automobile struck by train at White Haven , killed along with 
Thomas Smith of White Haven – December 22, 1917.
Howard Searfoss of Denison Township – 14 years old – by the accidental discharge of his gun 
while hunting – December 1, 1917.
Warren A. Seely of Nescopeck – struck by a circular saw – June 16, 1918.
Edward B. Shaver of Wilkes-Barre – 31 years old – of burns sustained by an explosion of gasoline 
while pouring it into an auto truck – January 27, 1918.
Fred Shook of Forty Fort – killed by lightning while standing under a tree – August 13, 1918.
Frank and Albert Shultz , sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Shultz of Pittston – 9 and 12 years old – drowned
 in an old reservoir while playing with a raft – September 16, 1918.
Mrs. Andrew Slifko, 54 years old, John Slifko, 21 years old, Andrew Slifko, 17 years old, and Joseph 
Slifko, 11 years old, of Edwardsville – burned to death in their home – December 26, 1917.
Willard Sliker of Ashley – 16 years old – fell from an automobile – November 29, 1918.
Thomas Smith of White Haven – automobile struck by train at White Haven – December 22, 1917.
John Stenkowicz of Glen Lyon – 50 years old – run over by an automobile – January 19, 1918.
Charles W. Stine of Dorranceton – 59 years old – drowned in a pond hole on the West Side flats – 
death date not given but has to be between July 21-23, 1918.
Anthony Tobius of Pittston – 8 years old – drowned in the river by falling from a small raft on which he 
and Joseph Cameronzy (who also drowned) were playing – May 24, 1918.
Joseph Torpacha of Plymouth – 2 years old – fell into a tub of hot water – December 7, 1917.
John Toth of Plymouth – 38 years old – drowned in the river while bathing – August 7, 1918.
Paul Trotalvi – 18 years old – drowned in a cave hole near Hazleton – July 21, 1918.
Henry Wendermuth of Wilkes-Barre – 42 years old – caught between a street car and a wall in the
 traction company barn – June 1, 1918.
August Williams of Pittston – struck by a trolley car – December 4, 1917.
John Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Williams of Pittston – 10 years old – drowned in the river
 while bathing – July 23, 1918.
Martha Williams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Williams of Philadelphia – 5 years old – dies of 
burns at Parsons while at play – August 2, 1918.
Russel Williams of Plains – 19 years old – shot himself while cleaning a revolver – December 9, 1917.
Mary Williamson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Williamson of Wilkes-Barre – 13 years old – drowned
 in Harvey’s Lake while bathing – July 11, 1918.

Typed by Susan Fitzpatrick,  March 2003