Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-13
The Condition OF Affairs on the Metro.
pOlitan Road.

FORCIBLE FERMENTATION OF THE FACTS BY AN
EYEWITNESS
To the Editor of TAE kvENING STAR:
was one Of the many passengers last evening
on the 4:4O tram on the Metropolitan Branch
of the b. & y. R.R which reached Rock vile
about 20 minutes past 8 o'clock. have been
travelling this road almost daily since 1876, my
home being in Montgomery county. about Iour
miles from the county town. Your readers
have all been told of the destructive collision
which occurred during the morning at point
between Linden and Forest Glen stations.
When we lett the Washington depot last even
ing the dispatcher OF trains either knew, or did
not know, that the track was blocked beyond
silver Spring station. Ii he did not know. there
was most culpable ignorance Of the condition OF
the road over which hundreds of people and
thousands Of dollars OF property are being
accident before starting, but with that
reticence on which the continuance in office
of the r. r. employees depends, We could learn
right to presume otherwise, that we should go
to our homes OH usual time. Alter passing Ta-
koma we Travelled at slow rate until reaching
a point short distance this side of silver
Spring, where We were stopped by construc-
ton train: This was At 10 minutes past 8
o'clock. The New Orleans express was sent off
at about its usual schedule time. 500, and the
Hagerstown accommodation started soon after.
The passengers on The New Orleans express and
the last named train had q right to Expect that
the way was open, but they, too, were stopped
behind our train, the 4:4O. Igot out with others
and walked Il, to silver spring station and there
accounts were flying about to the mornings
accident, but from the employees We could learn
the 4:lO train would take the siding al Knowles
station about five miles this side of Rockville
and that the New Orleans express would pass
IL: and being DESTROYS 70 shorten by every min.
ute the anxiety of my family changed to the
latter train. About 7:5V we were under way.
The 4:4O did not take The siding and we reached
Rock vile about SEQ, being about ten minutes
behind the 4:4O. From the experience which
the wrecker workmen have had on this road
within the paste past lew months 1 the managers
required to open the way, ana had we been told,
as we ought 70 have beeE, OF the condition oil
ali. but remained Comfortably here and teie-
graphed TO our families. Others, among the
number, would have hired convey ance and
tised, as it ought 10 have been, that the road
was blockaded, southern passengers might
have taken the 4:35 train from the Sixth-street
The frequent accidents and the Justly COM
planned OF detentions are the c0nseQu ences Of
an over crowded single TRACK aud thsy must
The managers Of the road are either using al
the possible care they can or they are not.
esy ere .hsS are 0 such
then the tact is evident that with all the
care they can use, accidents, destructive to life
road. boasting OF its southern and western
concessions, boasting o. Us uninterrupted
through Lines, through without change OF cars,
and transportation, subject TO what they have
themsslvss proved 70 pc, the unsvoids6ie dan
sei o. single asx sosa % meow b 80 s s
four DANGEROUS and destructive accidents with
ip SNORT time The dangers 70 lie, limb and
ion are Of course presented 70 the way aocon-
Is i no. the duty Of the pablie prs.. one Of
Eesp these iscis belore the publicf C 4.
October 18th, 1885