Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-27
A SIDETRACK TO DEATH.
Three Men Killed in an Accident on
the Baltimore and Ohio.

i the boitim0rc and Ohio.
| TIE CHICAGO cypress RUNS INTO THE REAR OF
| A FREIoHT TRAIN on A sIDISa-TnE BRAKE
| MAN WHOSE cARELEssyEss CAUSED THE AccI-
DENT AND An ENGINEER AND FIREMAN KILLED.
side-tracked freight train, an open switch,
swiftly moving passenger train and three
| dead men. These were the main features in
an accident that took place at Germantown, on
the Baltimore and Ohio road, shortly before 5
| O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
The Chicago express. technically known as
No. 6, was on its way to Washington and was
| but &c miles short of its destination when the
collision occurred. The train consisted Of a
baggage and postal car. two day coaches. two
sleeping cars and parlor and dining car. The
main track was clear. for an east-bound freight
train, IN charge OF Conductor q. ". Licklider,
| had been ordered on to the Germantown siding
| until No. 6 should have passed by.
WENT BACK TO THE SWITCH.
When the freight train entered the siding
! Brakeman Frank Ray went back for the pur-
pose of closing the switch; this subsequ
events showed he failed to do properly. Twenty
minutes before the accident occurred Conduc-
tor Licklider asked Ray if that switch was Sc
cure and Rays answer was in the affirmative
At Washington junction the incoming pas
senger train was all hour late, but the railroad
men say there was no acceleraton OF speed be-
cause of this and that the ratio at the time the
| accident occurred would not exceed thirty
miles IN hour.
ALL IN AN INSTANT.
Before any one was aware Of 1. the heavy
engine of the express had entered the open
switch and was lying on one side on q bed Of
crushed freight cars. while the mail and bag
thrown pff no no frat
victim OF the disaster-a sacrifice to his own
carelessness-was Brakeman Frank Ray. He
was seated in the caboose when the engine
struck him. His head and shoulders were
severely confused, but the work of death was
done by the steam which escaped from the
engine.
Two other lives went up out Of the mixed up
mass of splintered wood and battered machin-
cry. David Zier. engineer of the express,
barely had time to realizo that some thing was
wrong before his engine turned over ON him
and crushed out the spark Of existence while
one hand was stretched out in an unsuccessful
effort to reach the air-brake lever. Fireman
luarles was less fortunate, in that he suffered
before the cad came.
ATTENDING THE DEAD AND INJURED.
As soon as possible the work of attending to
the sufferers was commenced. None of the
passengers on the express were injured in any
way, so there was an ample force Of willing
and capable people ready to do anything the
exigency called for. Some worked, and sue
cessfully, too, to prevent fire from adding to
the horror of the situation; others labored to
remove the injured. Brakeman Raw was taken
out and placed in .he care of DR.. s. L. Loomis
OF this city. who happened to be on the express
Nothing could be done for the poor fellow, and
az 6:30 he closed his eyes forever, taking with
him the only testimony rs to tho condition of
the switch. His body was fearfully scalded.
THE FI1EMAN's NERVE.
Fireman Quarles, when pulled out from
under the engine, displayed an extraordinary
amount of nerve. He had been enveloped in
steam for some time, yet with little assistance
he walked to the station. DIR. LOOMS did
everything in his power to mitigate his suffer-
lngS. but at 9 o'clock the plucky fireman sue
cumbed. When his clothing was removed
every particle of his skin came off with it; he
was parboiled.
f. I. Benton. jr., clerk in the mail car had
his knee injured, but he was the only one in
any way hurt, save the three train hands.
ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
As if three lives were not enough, another
accident occurred at o'clock, which will prob
ably cos. boy his life. Rubel Baker, whose
home is near Germantown, went down to see
tho wreck and received injuries of a most
serious nature. The collision had completely
blocked the main track and in order tn at the
regular trains be not delayed. it was arranged
to run them through the south siding There
is milk platform" at this siding and as it
would not permit passenger cars to pass
it was trimmed off with an axe SO as
to allow an inch or of clearance. As the
Hagerstown train approached this platform
moving slowly, for ii was about to stop-young
Baker made an attempt to jump on the steps.
He slipped and fell so that he was caught be-
tween the steps and the platform. Both thighs
were broken and badly lacerated. 1. took a
good deal OF judcious effort and nearly half an
hours time was required to remove the
youngster without adding to his injuries. DR..
Loomis attended to him also. and when Fire
man Quarles died, took the boy with him to
this city and conveyed him to Providence
Hospital
Engineer David Ziler lived at Martinsburg.
W. Va. He was unmarried, and had been
valued employs OF the Baltimore and Ohio
company for twenty years.
Fireman Charles Quarles had been on the
road about five years. His home was at 2O29
Hanover street, Baltimore. He was the sole
support of a widowed mother and several
Brakeman Frank Ray lived at Toms Brook,
Va.
CLEARING THE TRACK.
1t took four hours of hard work before the
road was opened once more for traffic The ex-
press engine was damaged very considerably,
and both the baggage and postal cars will need
repairing. The freight caboosc was smashed
to atoms and so was the next car which was
! filled with bran. Ahead of the car of bran was
one loaded with limestone for the Congress-
ionai Library. and to the top of this the engine
climbed before it toppled over. The baggage,
express and mail matter was recovered unin-
jured and dispatched soon as the road was
clear.
General Agent Alvey Of this city went up to
the scene Of the wreck soon as the news ar
rived here and remained there until things
were working smoothly.
DIR. 3. L. LOOMS, who cared for the wounded
yesterday evening, said to STAR reporter this
morning that several misstetements had been
made rs to the accident and its results. In
some manner" he said, confusion has been
created as to the sufferers. The brakeman of
the freight-the man who was responsible for
the accident-was not injured previous to the
collision, and there was nothing to prevent him
from getting in or out of his caboosc az fire.
quently as he desired to until the crash came.
There was another brakeman hurt at Gathers
burg several hours before; his foot was mashed
but he was on another train and good many
miles away"
he DID NOT LOCK IT.
1t is thought that Brakeman Ray, when he
went back to attend the switch, lifted the switch
handle and carelessly allowed 1t to drop back
in its old position, instead OF seeing that it had
fallen properly to the other side. This mistake
would have been discovered had he locked the
switch, as was his duty, but probably to avoid
the trouble of unlocking it again when his train
moved out he also failed In this par ticuiar and
death