The times., 1899-02-18
STEAM and ELECTRIC
TRAINS In COLLISION
A Serious Railway Accident
Narrowly Ayerted.
Suburban Car EeStibule DemoliSh-
ed by the Round Hill Local.
Tnrdincss in Displaying the Block
Signal. at CrossinG-No enc
Seriously Injured.

| What might have been a serious colli-
sion, with large number of fatalities and
| injuries, was narrowly averted on the
! tracks of the Pennsylvania Railway at the
corner of Fourteenth and Water Streets
about 7:30 o'clock last night, when train
| No. 529, of the Southern Railway struck
an electric train of the Washington, Alex
andria, and Mount Vernon Electric Rail-
way, tearing off the rear vestibule and
| slightly injuring one passenger.
| The name OF the injured man could not
be learned. He was cut about the head
| by flying glass. Miss Acton, who lives in
King Street, near Alfred Street, in Alex
andria, and who was a passenger on the
electric train, tainted when the collision oc-
Cured She was removed in a cab.
The Southern Railway train runs to
Round Hill, on what is known as the
Washington and Ohio division. When run
ming on schedule time it leaves the Penn
sylvania station at 6:25 o'clock. 1t was late
| last night. The regular schedule is not
, being observed because of the condition Of
the road. The electric train is known as
/ the Theatre Express. 1t leaves the sta
/ ton at Alexandria at I:15 and is due in
this city at 7:30. According to the state
! ment of President G. z. Abbott, OF the
| electric road, the train is the fastest op-
Grated by the company.
| When the electric train reached Foul
teenth and Water Streets, at the intersec-
tion of Maryland Avenue. wnere it leaves
the Pennsylvania tracks and continues up
the first named street ii was halted for
the purpose of adjusting the snowplow.
There is a curve at this point. and il is
said that the rear end of the electric car
was on the switch which enters the curve.
The Round Hill train approached aicng
Maryland Avenue and was seen by the pas
seugers on the electric train. No uneasi-
ness was felt as it was supposed the block
signal had been thrown. This does lot
seem to have been the case. tt e train
came on and crashed Icto the rear end of
the electric train.
The shock caused by tic collision was
quite severe. The rear Tostibule OF the
electric train was splintered and the
glass sent flying in the air. panic
would probably have ensued had the
car been filed TO its usual capacity. AS it
was excitement prevailed and Miss Acton
tainted. The man who was cut by the fly
ing glass was only slightly injured. The
delay caused by the collision was tempoI-
airy and both roads were soon in operation
again.
The electric train continued to the sta
ton at Thirteen and a-half Street and
there the accident was reported to Presi-
dent Abbott, by James r. Cation, the at
on the electric train. President Abbott
insisted that the damage to the electric
car was very slight. He claimed that the
rear end of the car was only scraped, and
that the damage hardly perceptible.
He further stated that the electric car
was in motion when the collision occurred.
A block signal, he said, should have been
shown signifying that the electric train
had not cleared the tracks occupied by the
I approaching Southern Railway train.
II was learned later from J. W. Talbot,
an operator in the employ of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company,
who was a passenger on the electric train,
that it had been brought to a full stop
and had been standing about four minutes
when the other train crashed into it. He
arose from his seat when the train was
brought 10 a standstill and noticed the ap-
proach of the Southern train. He paid no
attention to IT. it was about two blocks
distant, and would, he supposed, be signal
ed before il reached the standing train.
/ His surprise was great when he heard the
! crash and felt the shock. He was certain
+ that the car struck was about to be de-
molished Mr.. Talbot left the car after
I the collision and walked up town.