Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14
FATAL COLLISION OF TRAINS.
Serious Accident on the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad.


Potomac Railroad.
TWO TRAINS on THE SAME rRAcK-AN ENGINEER
KILLED AND SEVERAL PERSONS INJURFD-soME
ONE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF PAssENGERs-
AZ INQUEST 10 BE HELD.
railroad accident occurred within the city
limits last evening in which one man was
killed and several injured. Special freight
train No. 307 on the Pennsylvania road left
this city for Baltimore and few minutes be-
fore O'Clock collided with the Philadelphia
accommodation train No. 33 due at the 9Th
street depot at S:45. The collision occurred
between the eastern end Of the navy yard tun-
mel and the trestle work over the Eastern
branch, at the foot Of PENNSYLVANIA avenue.
The two trains happened to be ON the same
track, owing to the fact that one of the
tracks was blocked up by some derailed freight
cars. Orders had been issued to the passenger
train to pass from its usual track encountered
by the freight cars) to the other one before en-
tering the city. This order was given in order
to avoid delay. Owing to some ones blunder
the two trains got on the same track at the same
time. and the first warning of danger that
either engineer had was the spectacle of the
head light of an approaching engine on the
same track. Both engineers w6istled for down
brakes, but it was impossible to check the speed
of the heavy trains. They crashed into
each other with frightful force. The
engineer OF the passenger train, James
Jamison Of Philadelphia, was killed and his
body was badly mutilated. The passengers. to
the number Of seventy-fve or one hundred,
made fortunate escape, none being killed.
They we're, however, badly shaken up and some
were bruised The cars were badly wrecked
Six OF the freight cars were thrown from the
track and the engines were completely wrecked.
TIE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The engineer who was killed was fifty-five
years old and leaves 9. widow and four children
in Philadelphia, where his body will be sent
The wounded are: Lewis W. Simmer, brake
man, both arms broken and other injuries. is
at Providence hospital; A. l.. Dean, fireman.
head cut and wrist sprained; Joseph NJ. Har-
man, engineer, arm slightly cut and bruised:
l.. s. Fenks, Alexandria, sprained ankle, but
recovering; John ]. Coulter member of the
Union Veteran corps, right ankle sprained;
William Z. Emerson. conductor, hand and leg
injured; Benjamin Hickman, colored. injured
about the abdomen; - Fem, white, severely
bruised.
Medical assistance was soon brought to the
scene OF the wreck and the police ambulances
conveyed the injured to their homes and to
hospitals Workmen were soon engaged in
clearing the track of the wreckage. 1t was early
this morning before the road was in running
order, and travellers in the depot as well as on
the incoming trains were obliged to make the
best of the situation.
JAMIsoNs DEAD BODY AT THE MoRGUE.
In the morgue, in the rear OF the sixth
Jamison, engineer of the passenger train.
Death must have been almost instantaneous, for
there is no appearance of suffering in the rigid
faa fur of he dnah h. r,vhs =,
severed entirely just above the ankle, but it
lies in its proper place, only the ends of the
crushed bones and the torn flesh and sinew in
dicating the deathly amputation. But little
holds the left leg together for the same force
which cut the right foot off came
very near doing the same thing for its neighbor
q little below the knee. The exposed portions
Of the limbs are covered with dirt and blood
and the clothing is considerably torn in several
places. The dead mans face is covered with
coal dust and he lies on the uncovered
board with red handkerchief supporting his
lower jaw and holding his black hair awkwardly
out Of place he looks strangely like an Indian.
From a wound alongside the right ear blood
has dropped on to the floor. His grimy hands.
which rest on his stomach, are not even
scratched.
AN INQUEST TO BE HELD.
Coroner Patterson went down to the morgue
this morning, viewed the body and notified the
police that an inquest would be held at Q
o'clock. Officer Oliver at once started out in
search of jury, and by noon had subpenaed
the following gentlemen: w. A. Peacock, z. E.
Wheat w: II. Sleeper, p. Cusick, John B. Hunt,
w. II. whaley.
The Pennsylvania railroad authorities have
not as yet made any arrangements for an in
vestigation of the accident and the causes
which led to it. Supt. McKeever told STAR
reporter that some action would probably be
taken tomorrow.
STORY OF A PASSENGER.
John ]. Coulter, member of the Union Vet
eran corps, who lives on street between I'd
and Sd streets northwest. was on the incoming
train. His right ankle was sprained. He said
to STAR reporter that when the train reached
a short distance east of the tunnel il was sig
nailed to stop. He heard one of the railroad
men say that the track was blocked and the
train would have to go in on the left hand
track. The train backed and then it started
Oh the left track. He thought that an accident
might happen after changing tracks and he SO
remarked to fellow passenger. He had
Of the train caused by reversing the engine
Thinking there was trouble of some
kind he stood up and presently
the trains met He was in the first car. After
the engines met he said, the engine drawing
the outgoing train seemed to keep on, as though
he was in was then off the track and had il not
been for the coupling that held it to the second
car the first one would have gone into the water.
Finally the passengers got out of the first car
Everything was in confusion. People we're
running backward and forward and no one
seemed to know what to do. He remembered
that there was an express train due in a few
minutes and in order to avoid further trouble
he ran up the track with signal lamp One
OF the railroad men overlook him and went
some distance out on the track and stopped the
incoming express.
STATEMENT OF Mr.. LANpvoIGr.
Mr.. Edward Landvoigt, who is a builder, his
shop being at GAL Massachusetts avenue, and
who resides at S04 10th street southeast, said to
a STAR reporter: II was coming in from Glen
dale on the Philadelphia combination and
was seated in the front car, where
there were also many women and children.
AT Bennings the train was delayed and I
walked out on the platform and asked police
man what caused the stoppage. He said there
was freight wreck further down and that our
train was to be switched over to the left-hand
track and go into the city in that manner.
"When the train started remained standing
on the front platform, and there being no bag
gage car was thus enabled to see the engine
completely and far down the track. Be-
fore reaching the bridge the train was
going. at a high rate of speed, and as we
reached il / saw "A head light at n consider