The morning times., 1897-03-04
NEWS FROM ALEXANDRIA
An Accident on the Mount Vernon
Electric Road.
Trainload of Passengers Shaken Up
by the Rails Spreading-Ha
Gambler Released From Jail.

Alexandria, March Am extra pas
seuger train on the Washington, Alex
andria. and Mount Vernon Electric Road,
which left the Royal station, IN this
city, at 3 40 o'clock this afternoon, met
with an accident near the dyke, about
three miles south OF Alexandria When the
train left here it consisted Of motor car
13 and traiIers Nos. and no, in charge
OF Couducotr Davis, MOtorman Gngg, and
Troleyman Faulkner. When New Alex
andria was reached, engine No. 40, in
charge OF Conductor Drew, with Engineer
D. O'Brien, and FIagman McLaren, was
attached, TO draw the train from that
point to Mount Vernon
When the fatal spot Was reached, En-
gineer O'Brien realized that the track
was giving away, and that wreck was
inevitable. He attempted to reverse his
engine, but it was too late and the next
instant the locomotive and tender and
motor car No. 3 and trailer No 8, were
thrown from the rails. Trailer No. ITO
did not leave the track. The track was
torn up for a distance of 12O feet, and
| the trucks of the derailed cars and loco
| motive were buried in the mud.
| Fortunately the cars left the track from
| the west side, and were prevented from
| turning completely over by rise in the
| ground at this point Had they gone from
| the east side they would have plunged into
| ravine and many persons would doubtless
have been seriously injured or probably
| killed.
| The cars were crowded with inaugural
visitors on their way to Mount Vernon,
| and it is little less than miracle that no
| one was seriously injured. One lady, who
stated that she was from Philadelphia,
was painfully bruised, and had to be as
sisted to the relief train. Capt. Drew,
Engineer O'Brien and James Griffin, who
we're on the engine, narrowly escaped.
! Mr.. Griffin was thrown some distance from
the engine and was painfully bruised about
the legs. Trolleyman Faulkner was thrown
| through a window of car No. 3andreceived
| painful cuts about the head and shoulders
There was consider able excitement
among the passengers, who had been
thrown from their seats and badly shaken
I'D. Capt Davis and his crew rendered
every assistance possible to the paSsen
gers. and at. once wired to this city for a
relief train, which soon arrived ON the
scene and brought the passengers TO
Alexandria, from whence the were sent
through to Washington.
There were a great many persons
Mount Vernon when the accident oc'
CURED, and they were brought up TO INT
dyke and transferred TO the special tran
sent from this city.
President Ahbott was on board the extr;
train which met with an accident, bu
left 1t about mile west of the dyke
He rode on the step Of the engine to tha
point, and had he occupied that poSitio
when the engine left the track he woui'
doubtless have been killed.
A large crew of hands has been put {
work, and an effort will be made to Ia
a temporary track around the scene {
the accident, so as to draw the thousand
of persons who will doubtless want {
visit Mt. Vernon 1t is expected that tn
work will be completed in time to rul
trains regularly over the road tomorrow
The accident was doubtless due to the us
of the thirty-tOn locomotive, which is SAL
to be too heavy TO be run over the eiectrl
road, and which caused the rails to spread
The company has experienced some diff
Guilty in hauling heavily-loaded trains u
the grade az Mount Vernon, aud il was fc
this purpose that the locomotive was pre-
cured from the Pennsylvania road
After the engine arrived It was the
2 determined to run the cars as far as Me-
Alexandria, by electricity, and from TN
point haul the trains to Mount Vernon b
steam.
Motor car No. 13, with Conductor Grig
is the one which ran into land slide
( the Four Mile Run power house ON Febr
/ ary 6.