William H. Conley Jr. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

   FamilySearch ID: KD38-JPD.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1850 in Salisbury Twp., Lancaster, PA. ¹² The 1850 census recorded Jesse Connelly, laborer, 29, living with wife Ruth Ann, 26; Sophia C., 4; William H., 2; and Martha A., 3 months. Jesse was born in Maryland, all others in Pennsylvania.

2. Residence: Harrisburg City Directory: Conley, William H., fireman, bds 1528 N Sixth; Conley, Ruth A., widow Jesse, h 1528 N Sixth in 1876 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹³

3. Residence: 709 N. 39th St., Philadelphia, PA on 9 Feb 1892 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹⁴

4. Residence: on 17 Oct 1894 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹

5. Newspaper: Harrisburg Telegraph: "Railroads and Railroaders. Engineer Wm. H. Conley, of the Pennsylvania, wedded Miss Bertha Beecher at Eden, Lancaster county, yesterday.", 18 Oct 1894, Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ³

6. Newspaper: Lancaster Examiner: marriage of Wm. H. Conley and H. Bertha Beecher, 20 Oct 1894, Lancaster, Lancaster, PA. ⁴ -----
WEDDING BELLS.
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They Ring Merrily at Eden and at Intercourse.
On Wednesday morning at nine o'clock Mr. Wm. H. Conley was united in marriage to Miss H. Bertha Beecher, at the home of the bride's father, Mr. Wm. C. Beecher, of Eden, Rev. Chas. L. Fry officiating. After the ceremony the invited guests partook of an elegantly served breakfast. The bride and groom took the noon train for Watkins Glen, Niagara Falls and the West for a wedding trip.
Mr. Conley is a locomotive engineer on the P. R. R. and stands among the first in his calling. He was born and brought up near Sadsburyville, Chester county, and attended the winter sessions of Parkesburg Academy -- which has given so many names to the P. R. R. service -- the chief being Wm. J. Latta, General Agent of the road. For two years, Mr. Conley was the classmate and near companion of Robt B. Risk, of The Examiner and so seemed like a genial remembrance of long ago for the latter to meet the old school fellow in the most serious undertaking of his life. Mr. Conley was the humorist of the school, and so kindly fun and merry laughs always attended his presence. As he was popular as a boy the same qualities have made him a prosperous, substantial and respected man. The writer hereof takes special pleasure in wishing the bride and groom all the happiness and prosperity true merit deserves and which it surely wins in the end.

7. Newspaper: Lancaster Intelligencer: A Morning Wedding, 20 Oct 1894, Lancaster, Lancaster, PA. ¹⁵ ----
A Morning Wedding.
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Early Wednesday the cosy residence of Wm. C. Beecher, at Eden, whose green terraced banks slope gradually down to the winding waters of the Conestoga just above the cascade, was the scene of a pretty wedding, at which the youngest daughter, Miss H. Bertha Beecher, became the wife of Wm. H. Conley, of Philadelphia. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Charles L. Fry, in the presence of the immediate family alone. After a wedding breakfast the bridal party started on a tour westward by the way of Watkins' Glen and Niagra Falls, upon return from which they will make their home in West Philadelphia. The best wishes of a host of friends in Lancaster go with them.

8. Occupation: passenger engineer on the Pennsylvania Railroad on 1 Apr 1895 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ^{8 9}

9. Cause of Death: State of Penna. 18657 Chester County Deputy Coroner Jos. H. Johnson, 13 Feb 1899, Gallagherville, Chester, PA. ⁶ "This is to certify that I held an inquest on the remains of William H. Conley of Philadelphia, engineman in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., and that the verdict of the Coroner's Jury was that he died from injuries received in a wreck that occurred just west of Gallagherville in Chester county, Pa., on February 13, 1899, and that the accident was caused by the inabiligy of the trainman to see the signals on account of the blinding snow storm that was raging."
(signed) Jos. H. Johnson
Deputy Coroner.

10. Cause of Death: railroad train wreck, 13 Feb 1899, Gallagherville, Chester, PA. ¹⁰

11. Occupation: engineer on 13 Feb 1899 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹¹

12. Residence: 709 N. 39th St, Philadelphia, Pa. On 13 Feb 1899 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹¹

13. Newspaper: The Times: Trains Crash In The Storm, 14 Feb 1899, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. TRAINS CRASH IN THE STORM
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One Engineer Killed, Another
May Die and Pullman
Coaches Burned.
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SNOW OBSCURED THE SIGNALS
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A Disastrous Rear-End collision on the Pennsy Near Gallaghersville, Due to the Storm
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At Gallaghersville, on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, thirty-one miles form this city, there occurred yesterday on eof the worst wrecks that the company has experienced in recent years. In the midst of a blinding snowstorm, which prevented the engineer from seeing th red signal against him, the second section of train No. 4, Fast Line, east-bound, composed of three locomotives and eight coaches, crashed into the first section.

The shock of the collison was terrific. The two Pullman cars on the rear end of the first setion were partially demolished and thrown completely acrosss the west-bound track. They afterward caught fire and were destroyed. The three locomotives were derailed and piled in a confused jumble over the shattered cars, while the impetus of the train they were hauling cuased the coaches back of them to pile up, badly damaging those in the lead.

One Engineer Instantly Killed.

Engineer Joseph Smith, of the leading engine of the second section, was buried under his own machine and almost instantly killed. It was several hours before the body could be removed. William Conley, engineer of the second locomotive, was severly scalded and may die. His fireman, John Carson, was badly injured about the back. His condition is considered serious. On the third engine the men escaped unhurt. None of the passengers are reported as injured.
(article continues)

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14. Newspaper: Philadelphia Inquirer: obituary of William H. Conley, 16 Feb 1899, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁷ CONLEY -- Suddenly, on February 13, 1899, William H. Conley, in the 51st year of his age. The relatives and friends of the family, also Brotherhood Locomotive Engineers, Division No. 45, also employes of Pennsylvania Railroad, are invited to attend the funeral services, Friday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, at his late resident, 700 North Thirty-ninth street. Interment private. Lancaster papers please copy.

William married Josephine B. Van Arsdale in 1888 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.¹ (Josephine B. Van Arsdale was born on 6 Apr 1866 in , , NJ,^{14 16} died on 9 Feb 1892 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA ^{1 14 16} and was buried on 12 Feb 1892 in Philadelphia: Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA ^{14 16}.)

William next married Henrietta Bertha Beecher, daughter of William C. Beecher and Henrietta Wortz, on 17 Oct 1894 in Eden Twp., Lancaster, PA.^{1 2 3 4} (Henrietta Bertha Beecher was born on 12 Jul 1861 in Manheim Twp., Lancaster, PA ^{17 18 19}, christened on 1 Oct 1865 in Lancaster: Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, PA,² died on 21 Jul 1914 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA ^{20 21} and was buried on 24 Jul 1914 in Lancaster: City Cemetery, Lancaster, PA ^{20 21 22}.)