Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-02-06

RAILROAD ACC1DENT.-Ihe city was
filled with eXtrayagant rumors about
twelve o'clock last night which were to
the effect that terrible accident had
occurred to south bound train on the
electric railway and that number of
Alexandrians were killed and wounded.
Those having relatives and friends
aboard the train were filled with the
gravest apprehensions, and The greatest
relief was afforded when it was definite
" learned that no one had been killed
or even seriously injured, although an
accident had occurred. 1t was mi
raculous Escape, however, of q crowded
train bringing theatre goers from Wash.
iugton. There had been landslide in
the cut short distance north of the
power house at Four-mile Run; tons of
earth had fallen on the track and the
train had collided with it. About
eighty persons were in the two cars and
when the conclusion occurred the motor
and trailer were thrown on their sides,
most of the glass was broken, aud men
and women were piled in heap.
The lights went out simultaneously,
and the greatest confusion followed. 1t
was some time before the passengers
could extricate themselves, some emery
ing through the windows and others
finding the doors in the dark. The ILL
fated train left Pennsylvania avenue
and Thirteen half street, Wash
ington, at 11:20 o'clock in charge of
Conductor Douglass Allen, Motorman
Jos. Grigg and Trolleymans Il. Davis.
At the point on the road where the
landslide occurred the trains usually
run at full speed, and as the night was
dark it was impossible for Motorman
Grigg to see very far ahead of his car.
AS soon as he had rounded the curve
and when within about twenty feet OF
the landslide ne observed in the light OF
the beadlamp some large obstruction
directly across the track. He immedi-
ately shut of the current and applied
the air-brakes, bat the distance was too
short and the momentum OF the train
too great for it to come to full stop
until the car crashed into the embank-
ment. Only for the prompt action OF
the motormau and the fact that the air
brakes operated successfully, more
serious calamity would have resulted.
Word was at once sent to the power
house and nutnber Of mon went to
the rescue. Conductor Allen, in charge
of the train, was the only one badly in
jured, but his wounds are not at all Sc.
rious, consisting only of cuts received
from flying glass. Mrs. Edward Cogan
of the lady passengers, was the
ost severely injured among the pas
gers. being overcome by the Earring
ich she received. All of the remain
:, both passengers and crew
aped with only slight cuts,
u.lises and general shaking up.
The roadbed at the point where the &C
cident occurred is dug out of q quick
sand bank, and it is supposed that the
rains of the past few days have loosen
ed the earth, causing the slide from the
west side of the track. The amount o
earth which lay across the track was
about as large as one of the cars, and
covered both the north and southbound
tracks. The slide must have taker
place but q few moments before the
train reached that point, as the trair
which left this city for Washington a
II o'clock, passed the place just iifteei
minutes before, and everything was al
ri nit. A wrecking crew from this city
W - at once sent out, and began the
work of removing the debris and con
tinued its efforts all night. The trail
which left Washington at 1859 O'CLOCK
was tagged and passengers transferred
to special train which went up from
this city to bring down the people OF
the wrecked train. The obstruction
is being removed as quickly as possible
and passengers have been transferred
at the scene of the accident during tn
day. Among those aboard the trail
were ex-Mayor Downham and Post
master Carlin and some of leading citi
zens of the city, who had attended tn
theatres. The track was cleared thi
evening.
A freight train on the Baltimore ant
Ohio Railroad was wrecked at DAVIS