Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-08
CITY AND DISTRICT.
A FATAL COLLISION.
Erjghtfu1 Accident On the MetrOpOlita
Branch Of the Baltimore and ohio.

rgURKD-TRAIN HANDS WHO HAD NOT SLEPT FOB
THIRTY sIx HorRs-rHE STORY OF AN ENGINEER
Saturday night the western express on the
Metropolitan Branch Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
which left this city at lo:45 pm. collided with a
special freight train In q cut about thirty-six
miles from this city, between Dickerson and Tus-
carora stations. Three men were killed and seven
injured The scene Of the wreck when a STAR re-
porter arrived beggarcd description. In a cut
thirty-two feet deep were heaped the wreckage OF
the engines, while the track for more than a
quarter Of q mile was strewn with debris
THE KILLED AND ISJURED.
The,names OF the killed are as follows:
VIM II. Wiley, Grafton, W. Va, United States
postal clerk.
ia, Casey, Of s1s street northwest this city,
John Ridenoaugh, of Grafton. freight brakeman.
The following were injured:
thirty years, residing = in baltimore. severely
J. B. virts fireman of the freight train. bruised.
Thos T. Landon. conductor OF the expresstrain,
Baltimore, slightly injured.
A c. Crook, postal clerk, slightly hurt 31s In
diana avenue, this city.
J. ". Gordon, express messenger, Baltimore
head and lace cut, LETT leg mashed
Va, head and face cut and bruised and wrist
broken.
Nv. c Hand, fireman. Baltimore. collar-bone
broken and other injuries.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
The express left Washington on time but lost
time, owing 70 trouble with the engine q short
distance out OF the city, and then ran ahead at a
speed OF forty miles an hour TO catch up. mile
west OF Dickerson station the road makes q sharp
turn and then goes down heavy grade IN a deep
cut, the banks being 20 Ieet or more above the
level Of the tracks Around this curve the train
gathering momentum each second The freight
train, which hid orders TO remain on switch at
Tuscarora, mile beyond, until the express passed,
had few minutes before left the switch, and was
Slowly tofling up grade Suddenly there was a
which they Immediately saw could MT be
avoided The two engines were almost upon
nothing could De Gone, and that 1t was
useless TO apply the brakes. "Jump, boys. "
train, as he sprang rom his cab the side OF The
track, but his fireman, j. b. Virts, had no time TO
baugh, brakeman, who was also on the engine,
was so paralyzed with fear that he was unable 10
need the engineers admonition. j. w. G. Hand
fireman OF the passenger train, jumped and was
badly injured. In an instant The two engines came
together with sucn fearful velocity that they stood
locked together on The track, and formed a base
upon which was piled in confusion pyramid 20
feet high, consisting OF three wrecked freight cars
two express cars, the mail car and a baggage car
These cars acted a. a buffer Tor the passenger
coaches attached TO the western-bound express.
and, though the pass myers were Violently thrown
gers Immediately set TO WORK 10 extrcate the
trainmen from The debris, and a wrecking train
H.
The accident Is attributed TO a mistake on the
part OF the freight tranmen. They say they had
wait for the passing OF two sections or the Pitts
burg express, and the express train which caused
the COLLISION They had been on duty continu-
ousy Tor thirty-sx hours, they say and after see
Ing the nrst section OF the Pltsburg express pass
had gone 10 sleep at their posts. 1hey awOke as
the second section Numbered by, and as II was
running on the schedule time OF the Cincinnati
ana 81 Louis express they thOughtit was tue train
which had Just pass and therefore pulled out Of
Inc slolnS and came down the single track.
INCIDENTS OF THE WRECK.
The two mail cars and the baggage car Of the
passenger train, which followed Immediately be-
hind the engine, were totally demolished. II these
cars had not preceied the passenger coaches q
great many more would have been injured. The
tender OF the engine WAS thrown over the smoke
stack, and the nTst mall Car split In two. The
other mail car was found resting on the bank
fully 30 feet above the wreck the mail was beiug
collected yesterday afternoon under the super
vision OF Aessrs- Z C. Finch and W. B. Atkinson
fost-Onlce officials The mail contained a large
quantity Of registered packages but It Is believed
al have been found. All travel was stopped until
q late hour yesterday afternoon.
The passenger coacnes never left the track and
Win the exception OF general shaking I'D the
passengers received no Injuries Senator voorhees,
and Postmaster Dalton were among those on the
passenger train The watches OF two OF the Killed
were found In the debris considerably smashed but
sun going remarkable coincidence Is that the
number 3lS figures 50 often In connection with
the accident IL is the Number or Casey's house
on street: the number or Crooks house on H.
diana avenue; II Is in the watch or Casey, and Is
the number Of one OF the cars.
FINDING THE BODIES.
VIM ii. Wylie, the postal clerk who was killed,
was not on duty at the time, but was on his way
home 70 Grafton. W. Va, and was sleeping when
the accident occurred His body was not recov-
cred until about !: 80 O'Clock yesterday. Ii was
found under the engine OF the passenger train.
All search for bodies mad been abInioued, as lt
was believed there was no one else in Inc car
when Mr.. Atkinson, PoSt-Ofce ofiicial, arrived
and inquired Tor Wylle, In the tnckest OF the de-
ma -ZPn lro- apup
body was found II was removed 10 this city on
the 30clock train 70 be sent 10 his home il Graf
Ton, W. Va All the bodies were found under the
cars short distance from the engine. 5. NJ. Jack
son and A c. Crook, postal clerks, seemed TO have
escaped death oy miracle JACKSON was found
pinned by a large beam almost on top OF Casey.
Jeueres, the engineer OF the Passenger train, was
scalded considerably, and had inhaled quantity
OF steam When he Was found he Was .yIng on
his face. AL or the dead were seat 10 their homes
and the wounded cared Tor.
INTERVIEW WITH ENGINEER WELSH
Areporter Of The STAR found James Welsh. the
engineer o: the freight train surveying the wreck
In company with several railroad oiiciaIs When
asked how the accident happened he said.
I'VE had orders 70 Lay on al the Tuscarora switch
until three trans passed US, two sections OF
bound for Cincinnati. / hadn't had a wink OF
sleep for over tAirty-six hours, and the crew were
In pretty much the same TX. When we pulled on
On the switch. was sleepy it was d.fficuIr for
me 10 Keep my eyes open, aud thought would
take nap don't know how long slept, but any
how WAS awakened by what proved u De the
second section OF No 3, which was running on No
3S time. She had q white Light on the rear car.
and We concluded, taking the time into con-
noeratson, IL was No. 3, and 1t was
time 10 move on. Our train was heavily
laded. and II took time 10 get fairly on as
IL was mostly up grade. As turned around the
curve saw the headlight OF a train not 200 yards
ahead, coming at the rate OF 20 miles an hour /
caued 70 the fireman and Jonn Ridenaugn who
was riding In the cab, TO jump, as / knew
eouldn't avoid COLLISION, and did the same. The
INST thing remember arter heard the crash was
tnat my foot was caught; soon work d that
loose and found wasn't hurt My iirst tnou; hIs
were Tor the passenger coaches, but " hen found
they were ali night and not derailed began TO
look around for the crew, and found poor john
noenaugn stone-dead I've been running a train
Tor long time, and Its the nrst accident W as
ever In The accident couldn't nave occurred on
any other piece OF track on the road, as could
have seen the headlight OF the passenger train
and backed In time 10 prevent an accident IL was
inc curve That kept me from seeing the train"
The loss viii amount 70 $1,000. All the mail
matter was collected ana sent 10 Washington The
Baltimore anu Ohio Railroad will investigate the
cause Of the accident The freight Inen are
charged with dlsobedence OF orders
Transfer % Real Estate.
Deeds In fee have been nled as follows +.