Evening star., 1900-08-07
LONG SERVICE AS WREcKER
HuGHEY HAssON's 1trY AS PENN
s1LvANIA RAILw4f EMPLoYE.
Witnessed a Number II Worst Acct
dents in This Section of the
United states.

United States.
There is hardly a railroad man in Wash
ington or vicinity who does not personally
know Mr.. Hughey Hass5n who was retired
frcm the service of the Pennsylvania Rail-
read Company short time ago by reason
of his having arrived at the age at which
that organization places veterans on a PEN
sion list, the pay of which affords them
comfortable living in their declining years.
Mr.. Hasson was in the active service of the
Baltimore and Potomac, and Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore railroads pre-
vious to their merging into the Pennsyl-
vania system. He spent half century in
that company's employ, forty-six of which
he was engaged in clearing up wrecks. For
many years previous to his retirement he
was known as the chief wrecker for all the
Pennsylvanias lines east of Pittsburg.
He has witnessed a number of the worst
accidents that have ever taken place In
this part of the United States. In CONVEX
satfon with Star reporter he said the
worst wreck In point of damage that ever
came under his observation occurred at
Four-Mfle Kun, between Washington and
Alexandria, the second Sunday before Cleve-
lands first inauguration. Twenty-Five long
cars were burned up and seven men were
killed. In one of the cars $50, 600 in paper
money were destroyed Mr. Hasson was
sent for to clean up the wreck and found
four oil tanks which were part of one of
the trains floating in the Potomac river.
The wreck was caused by a head-on col
l1sion between a passenger and a freight
engine at point between two steep grades.
Every car in the wreck was burned, only
the roof of one car remaining untouched.
Ex-President in Smash-Up.
Another wreck which Mr.. Hasson remem-
bered distinctly, and which he helped to
clear up. was the one on the road to Wash
ington from Baltimore, in which train for
mer President Hayes happened to be. The
latter was on his way home after Garfield's
inauguration, and the. cars were crowded.
An experienced engineer was ordered from
Baltimore to Washington in charge of two
engines to pull to the former city another
big train and his two engines collided head
on with the eX-President's train. The Bal
timore and Potomac was a single-track
road then.
The engineer of the former Presidents
train. John Unglaut. was knocked uncon-
asked if he was hurt Don't mind me-
said tnglaut, "how is the President" For
this thoughtfulness Mr.. Hayes afterward
presented him very handsome watch
Before being made wreck master on the
Pennsylvania system Mr.. Hasson was a
passenger conductor on the road running
from Baltimore to York, Pa. and was a
participant in an accident in which almost
ii
thrill of horror throughout the country
Referring to this, Mr.. Hasson said thirty
six persons were killed outright. Some of
the incidents that he Witnessed were still
vivid in his memory, and he is he will
never forget them. The suffering and
agony depicted on the faces of the people
pinned beneath the cars was terrible to
behold, he said, and he and the other res
cuers were for time powerless to render
relief.
HOW the Accfaeuf AccurreA
An excursion train on which Mr.. Hasson
was working left Calvert station in Balti-
more at $50 o'clock the afternoon of the
4th of July, 1854, and, proceeding to Hill
Inns station, a few miles from the city,
was side tracked to allow an express train
to pass. When the latter was out of the
way the excursion train continued on its
way, supposing that the track was clear
The road was single track in those days.
Everything proceeded smoothly for six or
seven miles, when suddenly he heard the
danger signal. and, looking out saw i'm
mediately before them and coming their
way another engine. which was hooked
head-on to south-bound excursion train
Quick as flash he knew that collision
could not be avoided, and he jumped into
the air, as he said, like billy goat land
ing on the ground considerable distance
away.
He heard the crash when the cars came
together, and the shrieks and groans of
the wounded and frtgf ned which follow
ed Very soon people who were uninjured
began carrying the wounded away from
the wreckage. He saw one man with an
awful hole in his head They gave the
poor fellow drink of water, he said and
five minutes later he was dead The bag
gage man on his train attempted to put
down the brakes at the danger signal of
the engineer and was caught between the
rear end of the baggage car and the front
end of the passenger coach and killed.
Many unfOrtunateS were imDriSDpP1 be-
meath the wreck, some OF them with tons
of crushed wood and iron pinning them
down. Long wooden beams were used as
levers to raise the car off them, and sew
eral times the beams would break, letting
the entire mass fall. 1t was terrible to
Amid all this suffering and loss of life he
witnessed, he said, an amusing incident
From his position on the bank where he
was sitting he saw large man rush up
anxiOusly inquiring for his wife. From the
opposite direction came an equally large
lady, well dressed who proved to be the
looked-for wife, and then there. Mr.. Has
son drily remarked. was another head-on
collision. He afterward ascertained that
they had been married the day before.
Cars Were TeIescOped.
The cars of the excursion train. which
were built of light material, were crushed
like egg shells, he said, being telescoped.
one into the other. This prevented their
toppling over, and also probably saved a
number of lives The coaches on his train
were completely smashed up. The tenders
in those days were supplied with covers.
and the tender of his train was found on
the floor of the baggage car the front end
of the latter being completely smashed in
With the cover in this novel position that
baggage car was hauled to the yard at Bal
timOre
The platforms of all the coaches were re-
duced to splinters, and as number of peo-
pie We're standing en- them at the time, all
were killed. When Mr.. Hasson alighted
upon the stone after jumping he injured
his right foot, which, he says, hurts to
this day. He also dislocated his shoulder
and he has not recovered the full use of his
right arm.