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Three original printed court documents from American Locomotive Co. v. White, a 1912-1913 federal appellate case arising from a serious industrial accident at the American Locomotive Company\'s Pittsburgh works.
The group preserves three sides of the same case: the extensive trial record, the appellate brief filed by American Locomotive Company, and the opposing brief filed on behalf of injured machinist William H. White.
White was injured while a crew was attempting to replace a steel running board on a newly built locomotive. The board measured approximately 12 feet long and 23 inches wide, weighed nearly 300 pounds, and was intended to be mounted about nine feet above the ground. Rather than using a crane or derrick, the crew was directed to maneuver the board into position manually. It escaped their control, knocked White to the ground, and broke his thigh, leaving him severely and permanently injured.
The resulting litigation became a dispute over industrial safety, employer negligence, assumption of risk, and the importance of customary working methods. The case ultimately reached the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which affirmed the judgment in White\'s favor on May 6, 1913.
Together these three surviving documents provide an unusually tangible record of an early 20th-century workplace accident inside one of America\'s major locomotive manufacturers, preserving not merely the eventual published decision but the arguments and underlying record from which that decision emerged.
Details
Case: American Locomotive Company v. William H. White
Court: United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: 1912-1913
Format: Three original printed, stapled court pamphlets
Contents: Record; Brief of Plaintiff in Error; Brief of Defendant in Error
Printer: Smith Bros. Co., Inc., Franklin Print, Pittsburgh
Published Decision: 205 F. 260
Decision Date: May 6, 1913
Condition
Good antique condition overall. The principal condition issue is that the rear wrapper of the Record is missing. The original wrappers show expected toning, handling wear, scattered soiling, and some edge and spine wear. Interior pages are notably well preserved, clean and legible, with even age toning and only occasional minor marks or edge wear. The two briefs remain complete in their original wrappers. Please review photographs for condition.
Topic
American Locomotive Company; ALCO; railroad history; locomotive manufacturing; Pittsburgh industry; industrial history; workplace safety; labor history; occupational accidents; employer liability; federal courts; Pennsylvania
