Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-10-08
TRAINS IN COLLISION

| SiuaShSu dHI Thrown on the rave
ment Twenty Yards Away---Fasl
| Running and no Fiagman nor Gate
man at the Crossing
/ There was a smash-up at the intersec
ton OF King and Fayette streets at ten
minutes to seven o'clock this morning
an event predicted and looked for by
the residents of the vicinity for a long
time IN consequence of the reckless
running OF passenger trains through
Eayette and sometimes Henry street.
The north bound train on the Washing
ton Southern Railway which reaches
Alexandria at 6:43 was ten minutes late
this morning, and when it rounded the
curve at Duke street is said by railroad
meu aud others to have been running
at high rate of speed. Some saw
twenty five miles an hour, Others
tweaty aud SO Or. They all, however,
agree that lis speed was much
er a'er than ih 1t allowed by law-fve
mIi-s. "hea it reached King street
HAD stacked up but little. There Was
40 ii 2'Dan ahead OF i, gar was there
any ga;eman, he latter, it seems, rot
solug on duty until seven O'Clock at
this season OF the year. In summer he
has been taking his place at six. A
train OF three electric cars was proceed
ing down King street at the time. No
one was aboard save the crew, it being
known i'll railroad parlance as a dead
tran-that is enc brought from the
power house to take passengers from
this city to Washington. The
motorman, Mr.. Mumford, seeing the
gates up and no haeman around,
concluded the way was clear and kept
on. The motor Car was barely across
the Fayette street track when the
Washington Southern train shot
through the centre of the train, cutting
the middle car out, severing the
coupling and throwing it twenty yards
to the northeast on the pavement. The
car was smashed beyond repair and the
interior was converted into kindling
wood. The trucks were thrown some
distance 10 the west. Had the car con.
taiued passengers none would have
been left TO tell the tale. Seats were
broken and twisted into ali sorts o.
shapes and the floors smashed into
huge splinters which were protrudinp
in every direction, forming cheraur
dc triSe. The engine of the passenger
train WAS derailed and the pilot dam
aged. A number of people in the
neighborhood were eye witnesses of the
accident, and it was at first supposed
several people had been killed, and it
was a great relief when it was ascer-
tanned that the demolished car was
empty. Conductor Farley, g Wash
ingtonian, was slightly hurt on the
shoulder and head, and Trolleyman
Burke, of this city, had his face
cut by flying glass. These were the
only persons hurt. Engineer Graham,
a former AleXandrian, who was run
ming the Washington Southern train,
escaped injury. A large crowd soon
gathered and a wrecking crew was i'm
mediately put to work. The cars of
the Washington Southern train, which
had escaped injury, were taken to the
Southern depot and were carried on 10
Washington via Henry street. 1t took
nearly all the morning to get the de
rallied locomotive on the track again.
Warrants were Immediately sworn
out for the arrest of the engineer, Mr..
John Graham, and the conductor,
Mr.. George Bresenham. The latter
could not be found, but Mr.. Graham
was taken in custody. 1t was suggest
ed by the railway company that he be
allowed to go free until the case was
called in the Police Court, but, he being
IA nonresident, this could not be done,
and he was brought to the station
house. The Mayor subsequently, re-
leased him under 800 security for his
appearance at Z o'clock tomorrow
night, Mr.. E. c. Joyce becoming mis-
surety. A large number of witnesses
have been summoned both by the au
thorites and the railway company.
The latter will be represented by MIR.
F. l.. Smith and the prosecution by Cor
poration Attorney S. G. Brent.
While public opinion is decidedly
against the action of the Washington
Southern road in running trains
through Alexandria at dangerous
rate Of speed, the electric railway EN-.
ployees are not held blameless. 1t is
the duty of the flagman, when a train
is approaching railroad crossing, to
run ahead and see if the track is clear,
as is done at the Wilkes street crossing.
Had this been done this morning the
accident would have been averted. II
is also suggested that the late storm
deranged some of the wires at the
point where the accident occurred,
since which time it has been impossible
to operate the gates. The electric
company, it is claimed, should have
repaired the damage so that the gates
could have been put in working order