Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-02
WRECKED THE TRAIN
Explosives on the B. and O. Track
Near Washington Junction.
PRESUMABLY HIGHWAYMEN'S WORK
Engine and Cars of the Money
Train Were Damaged.
DETE CTIVES AT WORK

D ETE CT1V Els AT WORK
Not since the Aqua creek train robbery
has anything happened on the railroad
lines in this section that has caused as
much uneasiness as an attempt made late
last night to blow up fast train Of ex-
press cars on the Metropolitan branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The train
was coming east at the time. The attempt
was made in true western style, and while
the villains did not succeed in numbering
the train men and rifiing the cars, they did
succeed in doing considerable damage to
the company's property, and left the track
in such condition that traffic on the road
was greatly interfered with.
The place where the dastardly attempt
was made a short distance from the
Big Monocacy, about thirty-five miles from
this city. and only few miles this side of
Washington junction. Members of the train
crew were badly frightened and no doubt
expected a visit from masked burglars and
a repetition of the exciting incidents of the
Aqua creek robbery. but in this they were
happily disappointed, for no one came to
demand valuables from the express cars.
and when they had recovered from the
shock they managed to repair the damage
take the disabled cars as far as Dicker-
sons station and sidetrack them.
An Explosion.
As already stated, when the accident hap
pened the train was moving east, and had
reached point not far from the big bridge
that crosses the Monocacy, when there was
heard the loud report of an explosion, ,caus-
ed by the train running against a dyna-
mite bomb of some description The train
came almost to a Standstill, so great was
the force Of the explosion, and the pieces
Of iron and steel were sent flying through
the air.
The affair alarmed the members of the
crew, but none Of them deserted their posts.
The engineer reversed his engine and the
other members Of the crew applied the
brakes. So quick were they to act tina. the
train was brought to standstill before it
could be derailed
IL is not known whether the members of
the crew were armed or not, but they were
coon off the train after 1t was stopped and
went in search of the train robbers, but no
trace of them could be found. 1t is almost
certain that the explosive was put on the
track by robbers, but they probably ex-
pected that the cars would be blown open,
and render robbery an easy task. But the
failure of the explosive to do the amount of
damage intended frustrated their plans,
and they were glad to leave the scene with
out taking chances with the members of
the crew.
The Damage Done.
When the trainmen had satisfied them
selves that thero was to be no attack made
Oii tittIu lilty tNelT dtt6nllOn 10 tn0
train. and first made sure that no other
engine would come along and dash into the
rear end of the long train.
To this end one of the brakemen was sent
back with a danger signal, and in few
minutes the members of the crew were
hard at work. having completed their ex.
animation. The explosive had caused con-
siderable damage to the cars, although
none of the men had been killed or injured.
The headlight of the engine had been blown
AV,t va1 fhrNtt tterI no do hi
the pilot and other parts of the front of
engine 400 had suffered damage. The air
pipes beneath one or more of the express
cars had also been blown out and shattered
and fully twenty feet of track had been
torn up. When the explosion occurred the
noise was so great that persons about the
surrounding country heard 1t, and some OF
them thought there was an earthquake.
1t was between II and II o'clock when the
explosion occurred, and 1t was about !
o'clock this morning when the disabled
train reached Dickerson's station and went
on the switch to clear the track for pas
aenger trains coming east
Train Dispatcher Carr sent word of the
affair to Superintendent Alvey in this city,
giving him briefly the facts concerning
what might have been a serious accident
Detectives at Work.
Chief Grammar of the Baltimore and Ohio
detective corps has the case in hand and he
will make a thorough investigation. He is
said to be one of the brightest detectives
in the country. and the members of the 10
cal detective force seem confident that he
will clear away the mystery and probably
effect the capture of those responsible for
the presence on the track Of the terrible
explosive.
Superintendent Alvey was seen by Star
reporter this morning. but he would not
attempt to account for last nights affair
He had received report of the affair." CIV
ing the facts as above stated.
1t IS stated that some of Chief Grannon's
nod fha nf hn yrnln ion
morning and are hard at work upon the
case.
Just what they have learned, II anything.
Is not known at this time, and will prob
ably not be made known until the investi-
cation is concluded.
The Object.
1t is thought that there can be no
doubt as to why the dynamite was
used. 1t was undoubtedly put there by
burglars, who wanted to wreck a train on
which there was a large sum of money.
Tho quantity Of the explosive must have
been quite large In order to have done so
much damage, and the persons who
operated undoubtedly expected it would do
much more damage. Had the pace been
great enough 10 have smashed several of
the cars, ard have exposed the contents of
the cars robbery would have been an easy
task. and the burglars would have operated
and carried off what they could Had the
explosion been more successful, and the
ment would have been great that very
little, II any. attention would have been
paid to the men engaged in taking off the
plunder.
Tho Money Train.
Train No. 46 was the train upon which
the dynamite was used, and the fact that
1t is known tho money train" shows
conclusvely that the men who used the
explosive We're not doing a chance lob
1t happens. however, that Monday is an
off day with this train 1t being the only
day IN the week that large sums of money
are not carried. and even had the explosive
blown open the money car the robbers
would not have made the haul they ex-
pected. AS 1t was, however, something
evidently happened to frighten off the
robbers or cause them to believe there
was danger and they kept in the woods.
The fact that the moon was shining
brightly at the time made it more dan
eerou5 for the men to operate, and had
they appeared from the shadow of the
trees the tra!nmen would certainly have
seen them.
H.