Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-30
HAD A NARROW ESCAPE
CAPE MAY SPECIAL WRECKED
NEAR WILMINGTON.
Ran Full Speed Into Freight Car on
Open Switch, but No One
Killed.

A special train from Cape May, carrying
home a large party of newspaper cor
respondents and ladies of Baltimore and
Washington. ran into a freight train on an
open switch and was wrecked near Will
mington, Del, about 3:15 yesterday after
noon. No one was killed, but the fireman
and engineer were badly injured, the
former by jumping from the engine, the
latter by being pinned beneath the wreck
age.
Saved by Veshbules.
All that prevented the telescoping of the
train was the fact that it was vestibuled,
and even with this protection the cars were
damned together. Windows were smashed
and flying glass cut several people.
The train left Cape May at II o'clock yes
terday morning, and consisted Of nine cars
The passengers were guests of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad on the yearly outing to the
street station, Philadelphia, and there three
of the cars were detached and the train
continued on its way with only the WASH
ington and Baltimore newspaper men
aboard. 1t was going at top speed as 1t ap-
preached Wilmington. There had been
delay in crossing the bridge over the Della
ware before reaching Philadelphia, and
about half an hour was lost. All the way
between Philadelphia and Wilmington
crews are at work making the improve
ments by which the road is to reduce ma
terially the running time between Wash
ington and New York. At this point
switch engine was on a short siding switch
ing some cars. The engine was on the fur
Their side from the rapidly approaching
passenger train, apparently hauling off a
truck loaded with coal and box car.
Struck at Full Speed.
The special was coming along at the rate
of forty miles an hour when suddenly two
shocks were felt, causing great confusion
as the occupants of the seats were shuff1ed
about in the cars and some thrown from
their seats. The train had run at full speed
into an open siding and collided with a
freight car, which had been dropped. The
freight engine. drawing several other cars,
was moving off and the engineer put on
full steam when he saw the special coming,
and was well out of the way when the
crash came.
The engine was crushed beyond SEM
blance of itself and was half buried in the
embankment and the broken timbers of
the box car. The engineer was somewhere
beneath the wrecked locomotive. having
stuck to his post, set the brakes and
versed before the shock came. The distance
from the main track to the cars on the
switch was too short for the train to d.
minish its speed appreciably however, and
1t practically plowed into the freight car at
full speed. For moment the passengers
thought that there must have been heavy
loss of life in the forward cars, but were
soon treasured, and with the assistance of
railroad workmen succeeded in leaving the
train.
All Cars Derailed.
Every one but to rear cars had left
the rails. and fortunately the freight that
caused the damage was unloaded, else the
loss of life would have been appalling. The
scene presented the appearance of a seri
Gus wreck.
The track crews who were on the spot
when the collision occurred ran promptly
to assist in rescuing the engineer and fire.
man, while the passengers made their way
into the open air as quickly as possible to
ascertain the extent of the damage. The
fireman, in leaping from the cab, was cut
about the head. which bled profusely, but
was not dangerously injured. The engineer
was soon extricated. and was not serious
ly hurt. His escape, however, was miracu-
lous. The last two cars of the special had
not left the tracks, and were soon hauled
upon the main track by switch engine and
pushed into Wilmington where surgeons
and officials boarded the train to see If
any of the passengers needed medical at
tention.
The party was brought from Wilmington
at a rapid pace, making the distance from
Baltimore in forty-ive minutes and land
ed at the Pennsylvania station in Washing
ton at $50 1t Is the unanimous opinion OF
the excursionists that only miracle saved
many of them from instant death. One OF
the railroad employees present remarked
that he had seen many railroad accidents,
but this one was the luckieSt he had ever
allayed two of the ladies on board passed
through the cars and in few minutes col
lected hundred dollars for the injured en-
gineer and fireman.