Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-05-01
Big Railroad Wreck at Warnings.

The Cincinnati express of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad which passed here on
Tuesday about $3.50 P. NJ, ran into freight
train at Waring Station, about one mile this
side of Germantown, on the Metropolitan
Branch. The killed were Engineman Cur
tis Elliott, of the express Fireman J. H.
Murphy, of the freight train, and Postal
Clerk Burdette, of Washington. The in
jured were Engineman Henry Croft, Of the
freight train; Fireman N. G. Miller, of the
express; Postal Clerk Milton Peacock, of
Baltimore. No passengers were hurt.
The express was made up of engine, bag
gage car, postal car, two day passenger
coaches and two Pullman cars. The freight
train was at standstill taking water on the
main track. The express was running at a
speed of 40 miles an hour. The sharp curve
hid the freight train from sight until the ex-
press was within short distance of it, El-
liott saw the freight train on his track as
soon as he rounded the curve, and at once
reversed his engine and applied the air
brake. The momentum of the train was
too great to be checked in such short dis
tance, and moment later his train crashed
into the freight without its speed being per-
ceptibly checked. At the place of collision
there was smaller curve, which prevented
the two engines from meeting squarely, and
the blow was side one. As the engines
came together the crash could have been
heard long distance The passenger en-.
gine reeled to the right and fell on the side
of the track, while the freight engine was
thrown over to the left side. Following the
shock the baggage and postal cars left the
track, and q moment later the two cars were
in flames, having caught fire from the en-,
gines, and not long afterward were con-
pletely destroyed, as were also two freight
cars, one loaded with hay and the other with
lime. Ss
The passengers went to work to assist in
searching for the killed and injured. Super
intendent Thomas Fitzgerald, who was on
the express, ordered wrecking crew and
began to clear the track, while an extra en-
gine was attached to the passenger coaches
and all of the passengers were sent back to
Washington and thence west via the main
line
The work of extracting the wounded was
made difficult by the heat from the burning
cars. Fireman Miller was found lying
against an embankment alongside the track,
badly cut and burnt on the head and with
several bones broken. He was taken to the
Providence Hospital in Washington. Postal
Clerk Peacock was discovered beneath the
broken timbers of the postal car, and was
rescued just in time to prevent his being
burnt to DEATH His head was severely cut
and he was injured internally. Engineer
Croft was found seriously hurt near his en-
gine. Postal Clerk Burdette was also pulled
out of the debris of the postal car. He had
probably been killed instantly. The bodies
Of Engineman Elliott and Fireman Murphy
were buried beneath the wreck, so that they
could not be seen, and TOR long time the
heat from the fire made search for them i'm
possible. Only two mail bags and three or
four pieces of baggage were saved, while
nearly all the express matter, including two
safes containing money, are said to have
been lost. The heat was so intense that the
iron axles of the cars and the iron of the en-
gines glowed white hot, and with the prim-
tive means at hand fighting the flames had
Washington was appealed to, and Assistant
Chief Bell and several fireman, with sup
ply of hose, were sent to the assistance of
the wreckers. The county officials propose
making an investigation to determine if pos
sible Just where the blame lies. The post
office loses large quantity of valuable mail +,
most of it being registered matter The es-
cape from all injury of the passengers on the
express is considered remarkable and is at
tributed by the railroad officials to the fact
that the train was vestibuled throughout,
the heavy springs breaking the force Of the
conclusion.
The accident was caused, it is said, by
disobedience of orders by the men on the
freight train, the presence of the freight on
the main track being direct violation of
the standing orders of the road. The en-,
gines and the other valuable rolling stock
which were burnt will run the damage up
to about $4,000.
The express was in charge of Conductor
George Peddicord, and the freight was in
charge of Conductor Amey.
Since the above was in type we learn that
the body of Conductor Amey was found in
the wreck, making four persons killed.