GenDisasters.com chronicles the events that touched our ancestors' lives - train wrecks, fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, storms, mining explosions, ship wrecks, drownings, and accidents. Transcribed newspaper accounts, excerpts from historical books and photographs detail hundreds of life's tragedies that our ancestors' endured, from the 1800s to the 1950s. (and it's free)
New material is being transcribed and added daily..... These have been added in the past two weeks:
Boise, ID Fire, Oct 1899
Fairview, ID Train Wreck, Nov 1917
Harrison, ID Cameron Lumber Company Fire, Aug 1902
Soda Springs, ID Train Wreck, Nov 1913
Weiser, ID Train Accident, Sept 1904
Alton, IL Tornado, Jun 1860
Altona, IL Train Wreck, Sept 1895
Amboy, IL Tornado, Jun 1860
Aurora, IL Train Wreck, Aug 1895
Chenoa, IL Tornado, May 1858
Des Plaines, IL Train Wreck, May 1899
Garden Plain, IL Tornado, May 1875
Greasy Prairie, IL Tornado, May 1883
Jacksonville, IL Ice Storm, Feb 1883
Lenzburg, IL Train Wreck, Jul 1899
Literberry, IL Tornado, May 1883
Livingston, IL Train Wreck, Feb 1929
Lynden, IL Tornado, Jun 1860
Mt. Vernon, IL Tornado, Feb 1888
Murrayville, IL Tornado, May 1883
Ottawa, IL Train Wreck, Aug 1870
Tampico, IL Fire, Jan 1874
Tampico, IL Fire, May 1876
Tampico, IL Fire, Spring 1872
Wann, IL Train Wreck - The Wann Disaster, Jan 1893
Edgewood, IA Fire, Oct 1908 - updated
Birmingham, MO Train Wreck, Sept 1902
Harlem, MO Flood, May 1903
Jefferson City, MO Train Wreck, Dec 1913
Lyman, MO Train Wreck, Oct 1893
Moberly, MO Wabash Foundry Fire, Oct 1908
Newtown, MO Tornado, Apr 1889 - updated
St. Louis, MO Dardenne Creek Train Wreck, Jan 1904
St. Louis, MO Empire Hotel Fire, Feb 1902
St. Louis, MO Brown Shoe Company Elevator Accident, Jan 1904
Albany, NY Fire, Apr 1891 - updated
Brooklyn, NY Fire, Oct 1884
Buffalo, NY Columbia Building Fire, Jan 1907 - updated
Canastota, NY Fire, Apr 1873
Lyons, NY Hotel Baltzel Fire, Jan 1896
Hoffmans, NY Train Wreck, Aug 1902
New York, NY Folding Bed Accident, Dec 1910
New York, NY Train Wreck, Jan 1902
New York, NY Railroad Accident, Apr 1911
New York, NY Trolley Car Accident, Aug 1902
Otisville, NY Train Accident, Aug 1915
Sidney, NY Train Wreck, Sept 1908
Syracuse, NY Train Accident, Nov 1911
Austin, PA Weisert's Store and House Fires, May 1902
Bodines, PA Train Accident, May 1902
Bridgeville, PA Train Wreck, Apr 1907
Carnegie, PA Train Wreck, Jun 1907
Charleroi, PA Monongahela River Drowning, Jun 1913
Chester, PA Trolley - Train Wreck, Aug 1895
Connellsville, PA Drowning, Jan 1909
Connellsville, PA Storm & Flood, May 1902
Curwensville, PA Flood, May 1889
Delaware County, PA Flood, Aug 1843
Doylestown, PA Fire, Dec 1913
Eddystone, PA Baldwin Locomotive Works Fire, Nov 1915
Essington, PA Delaware River Drowning, Jun 1901
Exeter, PA Train Wreck, Oct 1884
Faunce, PA McDonald Barn Fire, May 1932
Glenshaw, PA Train Wreck, Nov 1908
Hamburg, PA Church Fire, May 1875
Hamburg, PA Fire, May 1930
Huntingdon, PA Brush Fire, May 1885
Huntingdon, PA Fisher House Fire, Feb 1913
Huntingdon, PA Train Wreck, Mar 1888
Hyndman, PA Train Wreck, Sept 1908
Indiana, PA Gas House Fire, May 1890
Lynn, PA Redstone Creek Drowning, Apr 1895
McDonald, PA Storm & Lightning Strike, Mar 1902
Norristown, PA Train Accident, Aug 1895
Philadelphia, PA Electricity Accident, Jan 1902
Philadelphia, PA Fire, Feb 1865
Philadelphia, PA Grand Central Theatre Fire, Apr 1892
Philadelphia, PA Phoenix Pants Shirt & Overall Co., Feb 1907
Philadelphia, PA Standard Glass Varnish Co. Fire, Mar 1882
Philadelphia, PA Tornado, Apr 1856
Pittsburgh, PA Fire, Apr 1845
Pittsburgh, PA Storm, Apr 1894
Pittsburgh, PA Storm, Aug 1895
Pittsburgh, PA Train Accident, Feb 1896
Portage, PA Train Wreck, Jan 1902
Slate Run, PA J. B. Weed & Co. Sawmill Fire, Jan 1893
Somerset, PA Storm, May 1911
Springdale, PA Six Men Drown, May 1898
Troy, PA Train Wreck, Oct 1907
Uniontown, PA Windstorm Hits Circus Tent, Jun 1917
West Leisenring, PA Connellsville Coal & Iron Co. Explosion, Feb 1884
West Pittston, PA Lehigh Valley Coal Co. Accident, Jul 1894
Wilkes-Barre, PA Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Co. Explosion, May 1890
Wilkes-Barre, PA Mine Explosion, Dec 1896
Wilkes-Barre, PA Mine Explosion, Mar 1890
Wilkinsburg, PA Fire, Mar 1908
York, PA Tornado, Apr 1856
Ashland, WI Fire, Aug 1900 - updated
Berlin, WI Fire, May 1898
Berlin, WI Tornado, Jul 1885
Endeavor, WI Fire, Nov 1909
Fond du Lac, WI Lumber Yard & Blast Furnace Fire, Sept 1895
Green Lake, WI Tornado, Jul 1873
Hollandtown, WI Lightning Strike, Jun 1899
Marinette, WI Gram Building Fire, Oct 1901
Oshkosh, WI Train Wreck, Jan 1909
Stockton, WI Custer Creamery Fire, Dec 1913
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