The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-04-27
MIR. MoRroN,s ESCAPE.
The Accident which Befeii the Vice
Presidents Train.


AS stated in Yesterdays Critic Vice
President Morton's train was shaken up
considerably at Baltimore yesterday, while
he was on his way TO New York IL occurred
at the "Y," which is made by the tracks
that lead by Locust Point toward Phila-
delphia and those that lead to Washington.
The Philadelphia express, drawn by engine
No. 1853, left Camden Station at 1920 with
two baggage cars, three passenger coaches
and the private car Anantha, which con-
tanned Vice-Prcsidcnt Morton and party
Coming in was the train from Philadelphia,
drawn by engine No sos, and having on
board many Odd Fellows from Philadelphia.
Engineer Akers OF this train tells the
story OF the collision as follows; owe were
to cut loose the rear ear for Baltimore at
the east end OF the " to 20 TO Washington.
was looking back when we approached
the ~ AS soon as the last car was cut
loose / looked ahead and saw that the
targets were wrong. They were all right
for the train coming out Of Camden station
to go on to Philadelphia, but the switch rs
placed would shoot us into Camden station
when we wanted TO keep on the Washington
track Before | could stop the train the
other train rushed around the curve and
was onto us. Engineer Melbourne and
Fireman John J. Ways the regular crew OF
the engine ] was plotting, jumped, but j
remained. The crash was terrible, but not
as bad as II would have been had we been
going faster. We had Stacked upto cut of
our rear car, aud were running slowly. IL
was probably 0 good thing that the switch
was wrong, for hadwe gone off all right on
our track the other engine might have
smashed right into the passenger cars
Both engineers say that the accident was
due to wrong signals. The locomotives
were crushed into one another and engine
No. sos left the track. The first baggage
car Of the train on which Vice-President
Morton was passenger telescoped the sec
ond, going almost half way through 10.
The two cars left the track The front plat
form Of the first baggage car was also badly
damaged. The front Of both engines were
smashed In. The passengers In both traius
were thrown from their seats. The train
from Philadelphia was damaged but little,
the engine and tender being the only parts
receiving injury.
The occupants of Vice-President Mortons
car got their share OF the shaking up, but
they escaped without injury. The car was
coupled to another engine aud taken 20
Philadelphia.
The injured are as follows: Engineer
Martin l.. Milbourne, compound fracture OF
the right leg, caused by jumping; Engineer
William Akers, injuries on the breast, not
serious; Henry Smith, baggage master,
bruised and hurt about the arms; William
Fowler, newsboy, head cut.
Vice-President Morton, Mrs. Foraker and
Governor Foraker's staG reached New York
city early last evening. Mr.. Morton said
that not much alarm had been caused among
the passengers by the accident. The train
was well filed, and some Of those aboard
were thrown from their seats, but all
escaped uninjured So far as he had 10 lrned
the engineer Of the other train was tn only
person who was hurt, and he had jumped
from hfg engine.