Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-19
ACCIDENT TO A TRAIN.
Tender and Baggage Car Fall Into
the River While Crossing Long
Fridge

termlnll OF the several RAILROADS. lioni
the South which run through this city.
The Long Bridge is seriously damaged,
and it will be several days before trains
can pass over it. Through passengers
are being transferred to Washington via
Union street and the ferryboat as In
ante bellum days, while the electric cars,
which are now run via Rosslyn, are also
utilized to keep communication between
the north and south open.
The accident which produced this
state of affairs occurred about half-past
eleven O. clock last night while the fast
passenger train of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad known as the f. +. v
was passing over the Long Bridge.
While the locomotive was passing over
the draw Engineer Sanders felt the
structure give way and heard the crash
of timber. He pulled the throttle wide
open and the engine shot ahead, parting
from the tender, and reached a safe
position on the south side. The draw
had in the meantime collapsed, precipi-
tating the tender into the water together
with an empty baggage car which was
next to it. The Adams Express car, the
next in the train, was almost half way
on that section of the bridge which went
down. The front trucks dropped from
under it upon a portion of the pier which
supported the northern end OF the draw
bridge when it is in position for the
trains to pass. A heavy timber in the
overhead work or the bridge stuck out
of the water and rammed into the end of
the car, knocking out the entire front of
it, This prevented, together with the
iron work of the bridge, the express
from tipping over on top of the empty
baggage car and the tender.
There were about eighty passengers in
the day coach and two sleepers on the
rear of the train, If the train had been
running a little more rapidly, it is diff
cult to imagine how they could have es-
capped being precipitated into the river.
In reality they experienced only slight
shaking as the cars came to a standstill,
and we're not aware till several minutes
after the accident hos near they had
been to frightfnl disaster.
Word was quickly sent to Washington,
and in short time the most alarming
rumors spread thoroughtout the city. An
engine was sent to the scene and the day
coach and sleepers were soon pulled back
into the station. Passengers asleep in
Pullmans were awakened, but there was
no panic or disorder.
The train known officially as No. 5O5
was due to leave the SIKH and b streets
depot in Washington at 1l;1O, but last
night it pulled out twelve minutes late.
1t was in charge of Conductor j. l.. Pet
tus, of Clifton Forge. When the bridge
went down Conductor Pettus was in the
middle of the day coach taking tickets
He was thrown fully twenty feet by the
sudden stop, as the second express car
plunged into the broken girders and
cables, and brought the whole train be-
hind it to a standstil. Several Others
on the train received shocks and bruises.
Engine No. 126, which drew the train,
was in charge of Engineer Robert Sar-
ders, of, Richmond, and Fireman John
Woods, of Charlottesville The latter
had his head cut by the timber of the
bridge. When the crash came, the fire.
man was leaning against the side of the
tender, holding with one hand to the
guard rail on the engine, and his was
possibly the narrowest escape Of the
night. He heard the roar of splitting
timbers as the bridge went down, and at
the same instant felt the tender sway
under him and sink. Instinctively he
frightened his grasp on the rail of the en-
CINE, and rs it shot ahead, when freed
from the weight of the train, he swung
round, his head coming into contact with
the bridge timbers
Engineer Sanders gives thrilling
account OF the accident. He says: 1--WE
we're going through the Long Bridge at
very slow speed, and my engine had just
reached the middle of the draw span
when l thought fell something give
way. An instant later l heard the first
crack of timbers, and then threw the
throttle open for full speed ahead. As
we we're already on the draw, it was
my first thought to save the train. got
the engine over Then came the crash.
and felt the tender sliding down. /
thought it was all over, for the engine
was dragged backward several feet, but
the coupling finally broke, and we were
standing safely on the track, with | knew
not how much of the train down in the
river behind US. Ny first action was to
run back, and it can be safely said that
there was never happier moment in
my life than when saw that only the
tender and one blind baggage coach
were in the stream.
Trains from the south were signalled
upon their approach tc the bridge. and
later passenger were transferred by
omnibuses into Washington.
Electric car No. $50 of the Washing
ton Alexandria and Mount Vernon line,
in charge of Conductor Charles Simpson
and Motorman John Sutton, both of this
city, had a narrow escape. This was the
last car to pass over the draw before the
collapse came. The electric car left the
local station at INTERCHANGEABLE and
f streets northwest at ll:20 O clock, ten
minutes before the accident occurred.
As stated above, passengers for Wash
ington are now transported via Rosslyn
or by boat. The officials ofthe Southern,
Washington-Southern and Chesapeake
and Ohio roads have made arrangements
with the ferry company by which pas