The Washington times., 1901-06-30
TUNNEL ROOF C0LLAPSES.
E ,press Train Passengers Narrow
Escape in Baltimore.
Rocks and mason Work Fall Down
on the Pennsylvania Railway
Tracks, Striking One of the Cars
No One Injured in the Accident.

BALTIMORE. June ga yawning
chasm, as though made by an earthquake,
extends clear across Hoffman Street near
Central Avenue, and runs west for nearly
half a block toward Hartford Avenue.
The houses on each side seem periously
close to the brink and, should any fur
ther caVe-in occur they would be precipi-
tated into the cavity below.
The chasm was made by the falling in.
about 1870 O'Clock this morning, of Il part
of the onion Railroad tunnel roof. The
tunnel is used and controlled by the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company. The exact
cause Of the accident is not yet known.
but it is supposed to have been from some
defective arch of the tunnel, resulting,
probably. from the lapse of time and the
constant vibration caused by the passing
of heavy trains
a wonderful escape from death or Sc
rious injury was experienced by the pas
sengers and crew of an express train
which was caught by the falling debris in
the tunnel As it was, not one received
so much as a scratch. The train was the
regular northbound express which leaves
the union station at OS o'clock in the
morning. II consisted of six baggage and
express cars and three passenger coaches
As far as can be learned, the avalanche
of earth and rocks caught the third ex-
press ear. The train was not running al
high rate of speed and the jar was not
severe, The engineer stopped his locomo-
tive as quickly as possible and with his
fireman made his way to the Gay Street
signal tower. where the word was sent
to the Union station without the occu-
pants being aware of the danger through
which they had passed. The three rear
express cars were also pulled out and
sent through to Philadelphia.
Engineers and workmen sent into the
tunnel found the passageway completely
blocked from side to side and from bed to
roof by a mass OF earth and rocks. The
tracks for some distance on each side of
the break were covered with about three
feet of mud, caused by the inrush of wa
ter from the broken main in the bed of
the street. Several hundred men were at
once set to work on both sides of the
break in the tunnel and in the street
above to repair the damage. 1t is thought
trains can be run through in about forty
eight hours but it will be more than
week before that section of the tunnel can
be rebuilt and the hole in the street filed
up.
The Pennsylvania Railroad officials at
once made arrangements to use the Belt
Railroad tracks from Bayview Junction to
Mount Royal Station, ana all trains be-
tween Baltimore and Northern points are
being run in that way. Trains to Wash
ington are run direct from the Union sta
ton as usual Through passengers are
transferred between Union and Mount
Royal stations by busses.
OhIcials of the railroad company refused
to make even an approximate estimate of
the money damage 1t would seem
though, that it cannot fall much below
S25. 900 and it may reach a much higher
figure. The break caused CONSERVATION
among the residents on the surface and
the street was quickly filed with a crowd
which stared curiously into the cavern
The water main was broken, and from
each jagged end, poured q flood of water,
which swiried about and ran down, as
through a gigantic funnel 1t was about
two hours before the water was shut off
and this undoubtedly had the effect of
greatly enlarging the hole