Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-10-12
A Midnight Wreck of Trains near
Dickerson's Station.

John Ridenbaugh, of Grafton, freight
brakeman. 1t is thought he was born In
Berlin, Md.
These are the injured:
Joseph L. Jeffries, engineer Of the ex-
ress train, aged 80 years, residing at 54a
Vest Lee street, Baltimore, severely scalded
j. b. Virts, fireman OF the freight train,
rused.
Thomas F. Landon, conductor OF tho ex.
ress train, 1925 Hopkins avenue, Balti.
lore, slightly injured.
A. G Crook, postal clerk, slightly hurt.
J. w. Gordon, express messenger, 20S
Jorth Fremont street, Baltimore head and
ace cut, lcit leg mashed.
Samuel NJ Jackson, postal clerk, Fair.
,ount, W. Va, head and face cut and
ruised and wrist broken.
J. w. G. Hand, fireman, OF 1876 Ostend
.reet, Baltimore, collar bone broken and
Their injuries He was sent to the home Of
is uncle, near Jessup's cut.
HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
This is how the accident is said to have
The Cincinnati and St. Louis
xpress, which left Washington at 10:45
clock, came in collision about midnight
ear Dickerson's Station, 81 miles from
Washington, with an east bound freight
ain from Martinsburg. A number OF pas.
engers, including Senator VOORHEES, and
ostmaster Dalton, of the House of Repre-
,ntatives, were on the express train, but
one of them were Injured. An Associated
ress dispatch says: "The express left
Washington on time, but lost time, owing to
'ouble with the engine, a short distance out
the city. and then ran ahead at q speed
forty miles an hour to catch up. A mile
lest Of Dckerson's Station the road makes
sharp turn and then goes down heavy
rade in deep cut, the banks being 20 feet
r more above the level ot the tracks,
round this curve the train dashed just b.
IRE midnight and began its descent, gath
ing momentum each second. The freight
ain, which had orders To remain on q
witch Tuscarora, one mile beyond, until
he express passed, had a few minutes be
re left the switch, and was slowly toiing
p grade. Suddenly there was flash "
eadlights, and the trainmen on the two
lgines were appalled, at tho coming dlsas
IT, which they Immediately saw could not
Q avoided. The two engines were almost
pom each other, and the engineers saw that
Othing could be done, and that 1t was
seless to apply the brakes Jump boys,
iouted Engineer J. E. WEIGH, Of the freight
ain g., as he sprang from his cab TO the side
the track, but his fireman, j. B. Virts, had
. time to get from his place at the furnace,
nd John Ridenbaugh, brakeman, who
as also on the engine, was so paralyzed
18th fear that he was unable IN heed the
lgineer's u imonitibn. J. w. g Hand, fire
IAN OF the passenger train, jumped and was
ably injured. In All instant the Two en-
ines came together with such fearful We
,city that they stood locked together on
he track, and formed a base upon which
'as piled In confusion pyramid twenty
ct high, consisting OF three wrecked freight
hrs, two express cars, the mail car and a
lggage car. These cars acted as buffer
n the passenger coaches attached To the
estern bound express, and though tho pas
,ngers were violently thrown forward, they
/ escaped uninjured. The passengers i'm.
set to work TO extricate tho train.
ZEN from the debris, and wrecking train
irving few hours later assisted in the
ork.
MISTAKE OF THE FREIGHTMEy.
"The accident" says the Associated Press
spatch, twas due TO mistake on the part
the freight trainmen. They say they had
-ders to lay off on the switch az ruscarora
I'd wait for the passing OF two sections Of
Ie Pittsburg express, and the express train
hich caused the collision They had been
4 duty continuously for sc hours, they say,
nd after seeing the first section of the Pitts
arg express pass had gone to sleep at their
)sts They aWoke as tbn second. seaiia+aa
numbered by, and as it was running on the
;hedule time Of the Cincinnati and 81. Louis
xpress, they thought it was the train which
ad just passed, and therefore pulled ont Of
le siding and came down the single track. p"
AT THE SCENE OF THE WRECK
The section hands from Buyd's Station and
long the line Of tho road were at once motif
ed OF the wreck. They arrived shortly after
lidnight and at once began work to re-
over the bottles in the Debris. Amer work
lg a short time the body OF Rldenbaugh
'as found pinned to the foot board Of the
eight engine, which he had Attempted to
ave when the crash came. The body was
INT to Washington. The wrecking hands
ext turned their attention IL remove the
lass Of broken cars, which were piled 20
yet in the air After hard work the top
nd sides Of express cars were removed, un
er which was found the body Of Casey,
rho had evidently dici Of suffocation Al
lost Immediately under the place where
asey was founl was the body % Wiley,
,hch was buried beneath a ton ii broken
mbcrs ani mail pouches. Ons remarkable
,ature OF the acciden, is that none NJ the
odes were macn lI'llgured, except the
ody Of itihcnbaush All the bodies were
ent to Washington and prepared for burial.
he wrecking trains from Baltimore and
andy Hook reached the scene at 6 O'Clock
unday morning, and had cleared the road
Or the resumption of travel in several hours.
,ngnecr Manford, of the wrecking train,
,nnd watch, which is supposed to have
elonged to one OF the postal clerks Tho
ands OF the watch had stopped at 11:45.
hundreds of persons visited the scene Sun
ay. All day long crowds Of persons were
1alking down the track and roads. Tho
anks above the deep cut were completely
lied with men, women and children, who
,atched the workmen clear the track Ply
CLANS from Washington and the Surround
1g country were summoned W the scene Of
nc accident. General Manager Clomens,
assistant Manager Fitzgerald and Train
Iaster Mcguire were at the wreck directing
ne work. The loss amounts To several
iousand dollars. All tho mail matter was
objected and sent to Washington. Tho
and Ohio Railroad will investigate
ne cause of the accident The freight men
re charged with disobedience Of orders.
CHIEF CLERK WILEY.
The body OF VIM. Ii. Wiley, the chief
ostal clerk Of the train, which was take1
, Washington 10 be prepared for burial,
yas afterward sent TO his home in West
ration. The body was accompanied from
V Washington by Wiley's mother and father,
rho reside at No, 1888 North Gilmore st.,
baltimore. Mr.. Wiley formerly lived on
forth Stricken st., Baltimore, near Mosher.
10 was 40 years old and had been in the
ervice 90 years. He moved TO Grafton two
ears ago with his vile and two children
or six days past his run had been between
ration and Baltimore, and he finished his
,st trip in Baltimore Saturday morning.
n the afternoon be visited his father AMI re-
named to tea. He was In unusually good
pirits and LEFT on the $50 train as passen-
er for home. Previous to the accident he
ad been in the smoker, and left IL TO 60 TO
be mail car to speak TO a friend. He had
list seated himself on mail bag when the
ollision took place. His head and arms
7ere badly mashed. Mr.. Wiley was pow
rful man and of very agreeable dispose
on. Six months ago, while he was on a
IN between Baltimore and Washington, an
ccident occurred, and he was badly hurt in
no chest and he had not cnfireiv rec0v i.