The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-09-15
Fatal Accident ON the Western Maryland
Railroad. Near PatapscO.

ing James McCubbin and Edwin Hewitt.
Engine No. had been repaired at the Union
Bridge shops, and, manned by James Nc
Cubbin. of Union Bridge, engineer; Maurice
Albaugh, of Mechanicstown, fireman and
Aaron Routzahn, of Muttontown, fagman
was on its way to Baltimore to report for
duty, and was run as first section of the Will
Transport mail, that passes here at 10. 10.
Routzahn was painter at the Union Bridge
shops, and, as all the regular trainmen were
on duty, he was sent on the engine as flag
man. BY some delay in orders, which will
appear by the testimony at the coroner's in
quest given below, No. s did not lay by at the
proper place, and whilst running at the rate
of about thirty miles an hour, around the
short curves among the high hills in the
neighborhood Of Patapsco, dashed into an
excursion train from Washington to Penmar
with frightful crash. The excursion train
consisted of engine No. "a, manned by Edwin
Hewitt, of Wiliamsport engineer; and Frank
Fogler, of Smithsburg, fireman; tender and
three passenger coaches, containing slXty-hve
passengers. Engine No. "A telescoped No.
8, both being very badly wrecked the ten
ders of both engines were badly wrecked also,
and the first passenger coach OF the excursion
train was driven up on the tender, the trucks OF
the latter being broken loose and were under
"a 'A4S StN@'i
either of the engines were thrown from the
track, nor were any of the passengers injured,
though DR.. Lyman Swormstedt, formerly OF
this city, with others, were in the damaged
passenger coach, the Doctor being in the for
ward end. Had No. 8 had train attached,
so as to give it weight and force, the destruc-
ton of life and property must have been
frightful.
When collision was seen inevitable, the
fremen of both engines leaped off and escaped
unhurt. Aaron Routzahn and engineer Nc
Cubbin were each caught between the tender
and engine. Routzahn was rescued by the
heroic efforts of j. A. Beale, of Washington,
who got off the train and went forward to
learn the cause Of the crash. He worked
manfully, and got him out alive and conscious,
though Routzahn died in few minutes after
being rescued His head was cut on the back
part. His face and head was scalded in
several places by the escaping steam, and the
flesh was scalded from his ears. These
wounds seemed slight, and, as his tongue and
inside of his mouth would indicate, he prob
ably died from inhaling steam. As above
noted Mr.. Routzahn was a painter at the
Union Bridge shops, and had painted the
engine upon which, on its first trip, he met
his DEATH
Engineer McCubbin had his left leg badly
scaIded, the flesh in some places being burnt
white. He was rescued with some difficulty.
Engineer Hewitt was thrown from his en-
CINE by the collision. He fell head foremost
on pile of new sharped edged ties, his fore
head being cut by one of the ties. He re-
ceived other injuries and bruises by the fall
The wounded men were taken to their homes
by special train the same afternoon, and the
remains of Mr.. Routzahn were taken to
Union Bridge on the same train.
There are no telegraph stations nearer than
Westminster, and it was over an hour before
news of the accident became known here, Il
messenger being sent up on horseback. The
fact was communicated to Union Bridge and
Baltimore, Drs j. II. Billingslea, j. W. Her
ing and f. Il. Shaw were sent to the scene OF
the accident and, assisted by Drs. Patterson
and Swormstedt, of Washington, and DIR.
Winder, Of Baltimore, attended the wounded
men.
Late in the afternoon wrecking trains ar
rived. and by o clock the track was cleared.
The engines were taken to Union Bridge on
Sunday.
Justice Azariah Oursler had Constable
Macintosh to summons jury OF inquest.
After viewing the remains of Aaron Routzahn
the inquest was adjourned to meet at Carroll
ton station on Monday morning.
The jury was composed as follows VIM.
G.. Rhinehart foreman, Andrew NJ. Warner,
Jacob NJ. Long, Jas. A. Shaeffer, Levi ).
Brown, Samuel Chew, VIM. l.. Richards,
Geo. Taylor, John Sprinkle and Ezra Chew.
Vim. H. Blizzard testifed-"I was at home getting
out potatoes Saturday morning; heard an engine
coming west blow for Patapsco Station and IN a
accident ran and beckoned for No. to stop, but
no attention was paid to me and in few minutes
heard the crash of the engines as they came togel
er. about fourth Of u mile from the aGclGeil'
and ran down to where it occurred L saw McC4p-
bin engineer of No. s. fast in the fore part Oh ms
engine and helped to get him out. | Jumped lnto
the tender where RoutZahn was but the ylng steam
was so great that had to get out again. saw MN
taken out. He lived for about two minutes AFTER
NJ. W Weller testified-"I was conductor of special
No III on Saturday, and left Fulton station on
schedule time. had special schedule IS, winch
ordered MS TO pass No s train at Tank. was mott
fed on Friday evening by Mr.. Gardner, to take this
train on Saturday morning ana rePorIeq 10 M NJ
tabidle on saturday morning and from MN got the
special schedule, made up supposed by MI. hood
Mr. y. l. Gardner is the train master and his duties
are to see that ready and trains ready 10
start Mr.. Hull is the train dispatches ana ne mas
charge of the trains after they start Received or,
derS from him at GlyndOn meet and pass NO.
train at Cranberry This is ~ miles west of where
we did meet Before meeting we stopped last at
Glyndon and were not to stop again untll reachlg
Cranberry We blew for PatapSco, elght-tehthS OF d
mile east of the accident; knew hotninS Vi tne
accident until felt the shock The engines were
badly broken Hewitt, nv engineer, on NO n ndQ
his engine about half reversed and the air applied
RoutZahn was tiagman of No. 5. thlnk ne !VeG
fifteen minutes after being taken from the engine.
j. H. Krichton, telegraph operator at WestnllnSteI;
testiled-"I was in the Office on Saturday MI Hull
asked me question, Did NO engine StoP
rrDiicd NO sir left seven minutes late" He did
nor Snn5l of M & engine after that. There is no
telegraph station between Emory Grove ana west
minister. knew that No. engine was gong down,
| heard message go over the wires to No. IN the
morning to leave Union Bridge on time OF ana as
first section OF train s. About % minutes after the
to hold second section for orders. Inc second sec
ton came to Westminster, 40 minutes late ana got
orders to meet and pass Conductor rgnt tram a.
Stone Crusher L had heard the order go over the
wires to New Windsor for train No TO pass NO ~
los Ien6o testifed-..I heard the collision but did
notsee the men until after they were taken out Rout
zahu was scalded the skin peeling from his face ana
hands He lived five or ten minutes a1ter DelhS
taken out. The COLLISION occurred n Vi " ihiAe "eS'
Maurice Albaugh fireman of Engine No s, testi-
ed-I got our orders from the engine after the ac-
cident, they were Come TO Baltimore as hrst sec,
ton of train s. carrying signals for second sectoh
Another order was Don't fail to nave speclal senea
Waysde for the mail train going and LETT there
eleven minutes late according TO special schedule
No 49, we were to pass excursion tram No - at
Tank We did not stop at Westminster for there was
no signal out The tank is east of where the COLI
sion occurred We met at the Narrows west of
Tank, The first knew of it the smoke of the
engine coming toward us. was sitting on my box
and called out Look out jim, they re on US. l
got down from my box in to the step of the cab and
Jumped. Engineer MeCubbin did not jump, he was
caught between the boiler and his box don
think he had time to reverse his engine. i suppose
we were at least 100 feet apart when saw the smoke
running not less than 10 or 20 miles an hour; we
were running to make up time. When Jumped l
fell sliding 30 feet on the ground. went round to
the engineers side of the engine but could not see
McCubbin and called Hello JIM! He answered,
Hello! come up and help me-" l saw he was
caught and got help and we priced MN out; saw
Routzahn think he was caught by the coal boards
with his back to the boiler The steam was nymg
over him; could not get to him on account OF the
flying steam" 20, .,,,
F. &. Fogle, fireman of No. "a, testifed-"We re-
ceived orders at Glyndon to meet and pass NO 8 at
Cranberry. We had run from Baltimore by sched-
uIc | first saw Engine No. s, when we were eros,
sing the bridge or coach lengths distant. l told
the engineer and then ran back on the tender l
was crossing the drum when they struck; don 7
off He was thrown ona pile of ties and badly hurt
Mr.. Uhler was also on the engine, he too ran back
on the tender. saw the schedule by which We left
Baltimore. We were to stop and pass No. at Tank
Frank Uhler, brakeman on No. III, tesIitied-'Ihe
conductor of our train received orders at Glyndon
but do not know what they were. lnthe Narrows
saw No engine coming and ran back over the ten
der to the coach. The shock did not throw me. !
saw the engineer take hold of the lever to reverse
his engine. l helped get Routzahn out, he lived Ia