Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-20
AN ATTEMPTED WRECK
A Tie Placed on tbs Track Near This
City.
BADLY Fixed or There Would Have
Been a Observation-Disclosures Here
and Alexandria.

The Florida express train. due here last
night about IL 80 o'clock, came near being
wrecked on the road between Alexandria
and this city. When Alexandria was reach
ed the train was on time. but being fast
train 1t was necessary to make good speed
all the way to the city end of the Long
bridge. Washington and Ohio junction.
which Is only a short distance this side
of the st. Asaph's race track. was reach
ed in safety, but on the down grade be-
tween there and Four Mile run, the engi-
neer. James May. discovered a sudden
uneven motion Of the train followed by
a noise Of something being dragged over
the ties Of the track. The engine
was reversed and the brakes applied. bring
ing the train to stop just few yards
this side of the arch. where the water
passes under the tracks of the railroad.
Then 1t was discovered that tie had been
placed on the track and it was thought
that an attempt had been made to wreck
the train. The track was clear only two
hours before the accident, when the north
bound Alexandria local train passed over
the road.
The tie that had been placed on the track
had not been put in good position to do the
murderous work that was probably intend
ed, and 1t became fastened In the cow
catcher In g manner requiring some hard
work on the part of Engineer May and
Conductor West to remove, and then they
did not succeed until the train was backed
a short distance. The sudden stopping of
the train and the noise made by the train
men In removing the tie that had been i'm
bedded in the engine had the effect of
arousing some of the passengers, who
made inquiries from the windows of the
sleepers concerning the trouble.
After delay OF q short time the train re-
sumed its journey and reached here with
out any further trouble.
This morning about &c clock IN Alexan-
drfa police officer visited the scene Of the
occurrence. There he saw where the rail-
road ties had been scraped by the tie in
tended to do SO much damage but of
course, he was unable to ascertain anything
calculated 20 lead to the apprehension of
the would-be murderers Had an alarm
been sent out soon after the affair hap
pened. II Is thought by some Of the residents
Of the county that the perpetrators of the
crime would have been apprehended. They
feel certain that the tie was put on the
track by tramps who have been more nu-
merous than ever In that section during
the past winter and this spring. Along the
line OF the railroad between Washington
and Ohio Junction and Four Mile run the
woods afford good shelter for the tramps.
and on a number Of occasions Agent Taylor
at Four Mile run has had to drive them
away In order to protect the railroad prop
erty. A railroad official said this rnorling
that the tie may have been dropped on the
track accidentally by tramps who were
carrying them from one side of the track
to the other.
At the Baltimore ard Potomac depot his
morning a Star reporter was told that no
report had been made of the affair, further
than that an attempt had been made to
wreck the train between the stations men,
toned