Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-03-20
AT the scene OF the wreck,-We

At the scene OF the wreck-W
visited last Saturday morning the scene o
the accident which occurred on the railroad
on the evening before, at about o'clock, a
a point about one mile east of Knowles ant
a few hundred yards west of Forest Glen.
To one unaccustomed to such picture
the scene presents very novel and interest
ing features, and conveys a strong impres
sion of the fearful helplessness of the
most exalted mechanical conceptions of mar
when confronted by the destructive ele.
ments Of nature.
The point where the accident occurred is
in the cut running through the quarry on
the land formerly owned by Mr. Thomas J.
Brown, who now lives near Gaithersburg
and 1t has doubtless attracted the attention
Of many persons in passing, by the impend-
boulders, or large rocks, which were danger
ously suspended above the track on the
east side. A rock slide containing, per-
haps, many tons was probably Jared loose
by passing freight train bound east and
casting its heaviest boulders down at the
edge of the track where the engine of the
express train struck them, mashing the
wood and metal of the right side end into a
shapeless mass and throwing the train from
the track and the engine across the track,
blocking up the passage. At the time of
our visit the tender Of the engine had been
lifted by the wrecking crane and dumped
over on the edge of the track on the west
side, all battered up and mashed out of
shape, in such a condition as to appear good
for nothing. A little further down in the
cut on the west side was the wreck Of the
locomotive, nearly bottom up, without
wheels and trucks, dismantled of stack and
other top hamper, and presenting but a
sorry and melancholy object and convey
ing but little impression of the beautiful
and graceful piece of mechanism that had
drawn the train from the depot. The boiler
alone seemed to have escaped with its ordi-
nary appearance and shape. A little further
east on the other side Of the track lay the
postal car with one end, without truck or
wheels, buried in the muddy bank and the
other end mashed up and the wheels down
to the axles in the mud. 1t was dsman-
tied and the glass partition inside smashed
to pieces.
The railroad wrecking hands were en-
gagged in the effort, by the use of powerful
mechanical appliances, such as screw jacks,
hydraulic lifts, &c, to raise and place the
coach in position to be drawn upon the
track, from which it had been derailed, by
two locomotives which had been coupled
together and run up as close TO the car as
practicable, and connected with it by a
heavy cham cable. Whilst we were pres
ent, after several steady strains of the pow
er, the coach was finally drawn out on the
track with the back end dragging in the
road bed
All about you the scene was very inter-
esting, and though it was very cold, with a
strong gale blowing through the cut, many
persons were scattered about among the la
borers, of whom there were probably hun
dred, some perched about on the sides of the
cut and around the bonfires, and even sew
eral ladies' and children up on the bank,
earnestly gazing down upon the busy work
ers and uncommon objects of attraction.
A single track had been arranged between
the double tracks, connecting them at points
above and below the wreck, and several
trains passed slowly through the crowded
cut with the passengers gazing eagerly from
them upon the scene as they passed.
Such an occasion, even though unattend
ed with any loss of life, will doubtless make
lasting impression upon all familiar with
it and the circumstances, and the mind
will often recur to the scene with wonder
that such an accident can possibly happen
without dreadful loss of life.
1t is very interesting thing to watch the
patient and expert operations of the wreck
ing hands, the intelligent supervision of the
foreman, and the gradual development and
results of intelligenty directed labor. Some
OF the laborers were engaged in dislodging
other impending boulders which it wonld
seem that common prudence should have
induced tie railroad company to have re-
moved before such an accident could have
resulted from that source,