The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-04-25
A TERRIFIC SMASsi-UP.
Sixteen Freight Cars Wrecked by
the Breaking of an Axle,

On last Thursday morning, at about
| hali-past ten clock, an axle on one OF
the cars making up the Wilmington and
Perryville freight train, conductor Sam |.
Miller, and drawn by engine No. 1902,
Engineer Murphy, broke as they were
coming down grade on Iron Hill couple
of miles north of this town, throwing from
the track teleScoping and piliu% up in II
confused mass sixteen cars, and badly
damaging several others. The wreck
was the most complete ever SEED on this
road. After the wheel fell from the axle
at a point about one hundred yards from
the point where the cars lett the track,
they thupped along the stumps of the
broken axle, tearing away crOSS-ties aud
bending the rails into all sorts of shapes.
Two or three of the cars plunged down
the EN- bankment turning over several
times and landed upside down complete
wrecks. Among those that LETT the track
were one or more cars loaded with the
iron work for railroad bridge, destined
for St. Paul, MINI. Several OF the heavy
iron trusses and girdcrs, some of them
longer than the cars they We're trans
ported in, were bent and twisted cut Of
shape. The cars with the exception of
those having the iron aboard were empty.
They were all SO badly damaged as to lie
worthless for repair, and were burned
by the roadside and all the iron work
about them secured. Two box cars the
rear one minus it's hind trucks hung on
to the engine and were drawn humping
and bouncing upon the cross ties for near
a half & mile before the coupling broke
and left them standing upon the track.
All trains We're delayed several hours.
LaJer, hcweycr, the passengers were
transported around the wreck, and taken
up by another train i'll readiness upon
the other side, 50 that only q few min
utes time was lost by each train. Fer
tunately for the crew upon the wrecked
train none of them CHANGED 80 be upon
the cars which were smashed up, aud
consequently no one was injured. The
point where the accident occurred is lust
about midway the grade of Iron Hill the
heaviest upon the road. Of course it
was matter of impossibility for the en-
gineer to check the train after he found
that an axle had broken, all ne could do
was to put on steam and get oct of the
way Of the heavy cars laundering down
upon him, had he not done SO the engine
and several cars would have been added
to those wrecked, and he and his fireman
probably killed. Trains usually come
down this grade without steam in fact
with engine reversed at .uore than mile
a minute.
The wreci:ing ilain with a hundred or
more hands was on the ground before II
O'Clock and b., evening the track was
cleared up, and the residents of
the vicinity treated to a bonfire illumi-
nation. 1t will take a good many round
thousands of dollars from the COM
panys Golfers to repair the damage done
here in five seconds. Persons who Wit
messed the smash up, as several who were
at work in neighboring feds did say it
was grand and fearful sight. OF coul Sc
those who saw it from distance sup
posed there were number of persons
upon the train, and they hurried to the
scene expecting to assist in rescuing the
unfortunates yet alive from tho wreck,
and taking out the dead bodies of tie
killed. So far as we can learn no blame
can be attached to any one, the occur
renee being purely accidental beyond the
power OF human wisdom to provide
against.