Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-09-08
Serious Railroad Accident.


A serious railroad accident occurred Sun
day morning on the main stem OF the Baltimore
and Ohio road, three miles east of Harper
Ferry, by which "a passenger train was wreck
! ed, the engineer killed and a number of per-
sons wounded. The passenger train from the
West left Martinsburg, W. Va, at 80 A. NJ
with seven cars, including baggage express
and smoking cars, one passenger coach ar d
! three Pullman sleeping cars. As the train
was passing sharp curve a quarter OF mil e
west of the Hagerstown Junction, three miles
east of Harper's Ferry, it met a convoy OF
freight trains going West. The first train OF
the convoy, consisting Of thirty eight empty
coal boppers, had stopped for some purpose
on the north track, and was shortly folowed
BY a freight train which had left Locnst Point,
Baltimore, at 8 30 O'Clock on Saturday MIG hi
The on-comng freight train, il is supposed
was not signaled to stopped BY he train men
In 'front.', and the consequence Was that the
freight ran into the cod train, the collision
throwing some of the freight cars on the south
track, upon which the passenger tram was
approaching. This occurred just as the pas
senger train was rounding the curve, aud re-
snltng in the engine of the passenger train
running into the freight cars that had been
thrown on its track, and preeipitating nearly
the whole passenger train into the Caesapeak e
and Ohio canal. which from The Point of
Rocks TO Harper's Ferry runs alongside Of
the railroad. The baggage, express aud postal
and smoking cars, the ladies car, and one
Pullman sleeping car were badly wrecked
The engine went into the canal turned upon
its side, was completely wrecked aud almost
entirely submerged in the mud and water
The engineer, Joshua q. Shipley, of Balti-
more, went down with the engine and was
killed. The baggage, express and postal,
smoking and ladies' cars followed the engine
and tender down the bank. The baggage and
express cars were piled upon and round the
engine. The smoking car and ladies coach
were also precipitated down the bank Of the
canal and partly submerged in the water =
The ladies' car was full OF people aud in all
there were about seventy-tive passengers on
the train, the most OF whom were wet with
water, but fortunately none were drowned.
! A number of ladies and children were on
board. Many Of the passengers were bruised
and cut with with glass, and all were severe
Is shaken up but none seriously hurt. Two
Pullman cars remained on he track
The greatest CONSIDERATION and excitement
prevailed for some minutes after the accident.
Some of the cars had gone into the canal end
foremost, with the other end out OF the water
while Others had tumbled over on the side.
leaving a chance for the passengers to save
themselves through the windows from drown
ing 10 the canal, which contained about FIVE
feet of water. Nearly all the passengers. ex-
cept the ladies and children, made their way
out of the cars without assistance. All were
shortly safely gotten out by the passengers.
The conductor, Peddicord was in The for
ward end of the ladies' car and was pilloried
between the water cooler and the door, with
his head through the glass porti N of the door.
He was the last person removed from the
wreck, though he was not severely injured.
baby belong ng to one of the D. s enpers was
found in a perilous position, covered with
debris, but was taken out unhurt.
The news Of the accident was quickly teIe-
graphcd to Baltimore and Washington. and
assistance promptly sent 10 the scene by the
officers of the railroad coapany. Nearly all
The passengers were able to walk away al