Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-20

Fireman Maloney, of the same train, were miss
Ing and believed to be buried in the debris of
eignt train: John Bruce, engineer ofthe
E n Miller 6rakesmen on the freight train and
in homas GaXIlor mail weigher were seriously
ycSef cerR Rs
postal car; C. 7. Stewart and J. T. Frame, postal
a1so G, ana W McNea mail agent were
rear car escaped serious injury. one Young
lady, en- route for Baltimore, sprained her ankle
III Jumping rom her sleeping berth.
THE CARS ON FIRE.
Some Of the forward freight cars took fire
when the collision occurred, and the flames
spread rapidly through the train, making a
bright conflagration, the light Of which was
visible from this city. Twenty-seven of the
stroyed. The railroad employees and some of
Inc passengers attempted to check the flames,
nuI tneir efforts were unayailing The wou9ded
Tor adjoining the tunnel, which was improvised
RELIEF TRAIN.
AT o'clock q relief train arrived from Alex
andria, bringing Drs Snowden and Klepstein.
DIR. Powell, of Alexandria, Drs. Leach and Crook
of this city, went down to scene Of the accident
from this city. These physicivns at once devoted
themselves to relieving the sufferings of the in
jured men. Several of the male passengers,
after the accident took their valises, and walked
the rest OF their journey to this city. A wreck
Ing train was sent from this city about mid
away the debris.
THE SCENE AT THE TUNNEL
Immediately after the collision was almost in
describable The passengers were in great
fright and confusion, and it was sometime be-
fore they fully realized their situation The
body of Augur, the conductor of the freight
train, was cut out from under one of the for
ward freight cars. He was riding on the engine
at the time of the accident.
Mr.. %. d. carter, the superintendent Of the
Sharp was already at work with wreck force,
and to-day there is q large force engaged in re-
moving the debris The Midland train north
was some 10 or Is minutes late and should
have reached here at 1925.
THE FREIGHT TRAIN
left here at $50 o'clock. It comprised two
tanks of oil, which took fire and exploded,
spreading the burning fluid for some distance
| above and below. Engines were sent from here
and Alexandria, and some of the cars were
pulled out of danger. At the same time steam
fire engine was brought up from Alexandria
ana worked on the burning cars till the flames
II the engines are not much damaged, though
they appear to be, at 200 or $4,000.
UNABLE TO TELL WHERE THE BLAME RESTS.
There are two tracks between this city and
Alexandria, but the tunnel being narrow the
tracks overlap each other in it. There are
quantities. each side as well as automatic Sig
mails, and besides all trains have orders to aI-
proach the tunnel under full control. The sig
AS soon as a train reached one signal the other
signal on the other side of the tunnel turned
ana q showed danger to any approaching train.
order at the time. All who could throw any
light on this matter are dead or SO badly in
jured that it Is impossible to ascertain the facts
Conductor Augur, who was killed, lived at
the corner OF 9th and D streets southwest, in
this city. Mr. Miller resided on 9th street, be-
tween D and p. Engineer Freer,. who was
killed, lived on F street, between 9th and 10th.
seriously hurt. An old lady, a Mrs. McAlpine,
en- route from North Carolina to visit friends in
baltimore, was badly shaken up, but no bones
broken. On account of her age, however. to-
gether with her injuries, on her arrival here this
morning was sent to the Providence hospital.
ATSther passenger , had his head badly cut
and so fierce was the fire that some of the Iron
was literally melted: There were but portions
wreck prevented the running of trains, and
transfers had to be made between the cars
around the wreck: The crowds of visitors from
Alexandria interfered considerably with the
work OF clearing away the wreck.
The through trains, as also the w. and O. pas
sengers We're transferred at the scene of the
wreck, but for the present the local trains are
discontinued. The bodies found were removed
to Wheatlys, in exandria.
considerable Oil in barrels, besides that in
tanks.
LARGE SUM OF MONEY SAID TO HAVE BEEN
DESTROYED.
The safe of Adams express company is be-
lieved to have contained quite large lot of
money-some say over 100000, which is
destroyed.
FIREMAN MALONEY'S BODY RECOVERED.
The body of Mr.. Thos. Maloney, fireman, was
| found this afternoon under the fire box.
There is this afternoon q reasonable hope that
Mr.. Bruce, the engineer OF the Midland train,
Will recover.
Jones, in charge, had his head cut badly and
body bruised: c. T. Stewart arm broken by a
truck and internally injured; ". B. McSeai,
The tracks will be cleared by 5 O'clock and
ties were found SO burnt that thew had to be re-.
placed. There was about $50 feet of track ne
cessary to be rebuilt.
MAILS DESTROYED.
Postmaster Conger has received information
that the entire contents of the postal car, on
train 81, were destroyed. One hundred and
sixty packages of registered matter, in charge
of postal Clerks and four through registered
pouches for Washington were destroyed. AS
near as can be ascertained these pouches left
Lynchburg, February 10th, Atlanta, February
18th, Alexandria, February 10Th, Bristol, Feb
1o It has
plete list of persons in this city to whom regis
| tered matter was addressed, and upon the re-
ested, SO that they may be informed of their
| loss. The ordinary mail destroyed is supposed
TO nave come from Louisiana, Texas, MISSISSIPPI,
Alabama parts of Georgia and South Carolina,
and part OF southwestern Virginia. Also mail
from Danville, Lynchburg, Charlotte, Char
lottesville and other places south.
THE HEAVIEST LOSS OF MAIL MATTER KNOWN.
At the the Post Office department it is stated
that the disaster on the Midland road last even
| ing caused the heaviest loss Of United States
mail that has ever occurred at an accident Of
this kind. There were thirteen through regis
tered pouches containing mail matter for the
large cities of the east from the south. There
were 100 ordinary pouches and the usual heavy
miscellaneous matter destroyed. 1t Is impossi-
BILE to ascertain the value of the registered
pouches, but they are known to have contained
large amount of money and yaluables. In
addition there were 100 registered letters taken
up along the route that had not been placed in
the pouches.
Mrs. Belt Becomes Insane.
Mrs. Belt, formerly the Widow Godfrey, whose
husband, Eugene N. Belt, of Baltimore, deserted
her at New Orleans recently and began divorce
proceedings against her, has become insane,
and was taken to the Norris Plains asylum, at
MorristOwn, N. j., on Tuesday. She had been
stopping with her sister, ex- Congressman Willis
wife, in New York, since her return from New
Orleans IT q said that she has beon very VIC.