Evening star., 1897-03-04
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
An Accident on the Electric Railroad
Yesterday.
RESULT OF THE HEAVY RAINS
BY Good Luck No One Was Seri-
ously Hurt.
\ O L + s OF l n T E r f S L
ULT OF THE HEAVY RAINS
n NOTES OF INT Err E S L
Evening Star Bureau.
No. 121 North Washington street,
Telephone lie.

ALEXANDRIA. Va, March 4. 1897.
Yesterday afternoon about $40 o'clock
there was an accident on the Washington,
Alexandria and Mount Vernon electric rail-
road between this city and Mount Vernon
which fortunately. but miraculously, did
not result fatally. and there was no serious
personal injury. When the train left here
it consisted of motor car IL and traiers
Nos. and no. in charge of Conductor Da-
Wis, Motorman Grigg and Trolleyman
Faulkner. When New Alexandra was
reached engine No 76, in charge of Con-
ductor Drew, with Engineer ID. OBrien
and Flagman McLaren, was attached, to
draw the train from that point to Mount
Vernon. AS stated in The Star at the time.
the electric railway comrany sent steam
er gine No. 16 of the p. w. and B. railway
| to this end of the line to facilitate the NOV
ing of passengers during the Inauguration
rush. The engine was pulling a tram of
four cars TO Mount Vernon. W Nhile going
up the grade at the big dyke the track
spread and caused the tender and two OF
the cars to ropple over, tearing up the track
for a distance Of one hundred feet. The
passengers on the train were very much
frightened at their narrow escape. For
tunateiy, the train was running a slow
rate of speed. A repair gang was sent al
once to the scene of the accident 70 PIT
the track IN order, and there was but little
delay in the carriage of passengers, as
transfer was made around the wreck. The
accident is said to have been caused by the
earth being very soft on account of the
heavy rains of late, which caused the rails
to spread. Some are of the opinion that ii
was due to running a heavy steam engine
over tracks built for the accommodation o.
electric cars. At the time of sending the
engine to New Alexandria for this service
several people thought that an accident
would be the outcome.
There We're a number of prominent people
Oh the train, among whom was a civil en-
gineer from Wisconsin, who told The Star
reporter that the track at this point was in
4 horrible condition. In fact. he SAID, Il
could stick my cane through the ties
think it criminal negligence on the part of
the railroad company to run such a train
| over this track: ii was, 10 say the least,
tempting Providence.
one lady from Philadelphia, whose name
| could mol be learned, received a severe
nervous shock. and several others scratches.
cuts and bruises. Conductor Drew, En-
| Eineer q Brien and James Griffin, who
were on .he engine, narrowly escaped. Mr..
! Griffin was thrown some distance from the
q Sine and was painfully bruised about the
| legs. Tioleyman Faulkner was thrown
| through a window of car No. 5 and receiv-
| ed painful cuts about the head and
| shoulders.
| line sad TO The Star reporter this morning
| that reports of personal injury of pas
sensers had been made at his office, and
| that he had been unable to lind the name
of any one hurt. 1t is said that passengers
| did 60 TO the office after th. accident, how
| ever. and the officials were conspicuous by
| their absence.
a trestle was built around the derailed
| engine and cars today, and the running of
trains was resumed.