Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-08-15

4 NARROW ESCafE.~ "eOu ioo
and 100 passengers and the trainmen OF
the F. F. V. Chesapeake and Ohio
train which left this city about II
O'Clock last night had narrow escape
from death about twenty minutes later.
Some fiend or tiends had removed the
lamp from the signal ladder at Ravens
worth, about twelve miles from this
city, and smashed it. and had broken
the lock and turned the switch. The
train was running at high rate OF
speed, it having no stops to make be-
tween Alexandria and Orange Court
house, and when it reached the open
switch it dashed into the side track and
struck box car standing thereon. The
car was smashed into thousands OF
splinters, and the engine of the passen-
ger train which had been derailed tore
UP both track and ties, rolling them
up into mass with the trucks Of the
box car aud those of the two first cars
of the passenger train which were
also deraled. The pilot of the en-
CINE had been inverted by the
collision and acted as plough, rolling
up the debris in such way as to grad
ually bring the train to standstill.
The engineer and fireman remained at
their posts and were uninjured. The
baggage master, Mr.. Coffin, of Clifton
gorge, was sitting at desk at the
time, and he was knocked over by the
conclusion, but not hurt seriously. The
engine, after coming to standStill, set
lied partly on one side against wood
pile near the siding. The passengers
in the sleepers were unaware of the
accident. 1t was q miraculous escape,
however, and every one aboard the
train realized the fact that had it not
been for the freight car on the siding
the entire train would inevitably have
been thrown down the sixty-feet
embankmeut at RavenswortE and prob
ably there would have been neither
passengers nor trainmen to tell the tale.
There is no telegraph station at Ra-
vensworth, and it was necessary to
send trainman to Ditchley. short
distance east Of the scene of the eccl'
dent, in order to secure help from this
city. While the man was on his way
TO the station he was shot at by some
unknown person, which adds weight to
Che belief that the accident was caused
by train wreckers. Word was finally
sent to this city;and train with Drs.
O'Brien and Snowden and force OF
workmen aboard was dispatched to the
scene. The physicians, fortunately,
found but little to do, MIR. Coffin being
the only person needing attention, and,
as stated above, his injuries were
slight. In about three hours time the
main track had been sprung sew
eral feet FROM the scene of the
wreck and the train having been
furnished with another locomotive
started on its way. The report of the
accident reached this city shortly after
its occurrence and gave rise to all sorts
of rumors, and the Washington paper;
this morning bristled with head lines
of terrible disaster, causing no httle
apprehension to the friends of those
known to have been on the train. Inc
Inauguration of the writers was brought
into play when they stated that those
OF the passengers who were fortunate
enough to escape injury, scrambled ou'
of the wrecked cars and at once began
the work of assisting the injured. Many
OF them were badly hurt, and some were
beyond human aid. The residents o.
the place, however, turned out to rem
der what assistance they could to the
unfortunate passengers" People who
live nearby, and who attended market
in this city to-day, knew nothing OF the
accident until told of it this morning.