Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-10-15
TRAIN HITS BROKEN RAIL
Five Cars Of the Pittsburg Express
Leave the Track.
SEVEN HURT, NONE SERIOUSLY
Wreck Occurred Thirteen Niles from Wash
ing;on LAST Night Another Train
Misses Derailed Coaches.

Misses Deraed Coaches.
The Pittsburg express No .. on the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, leaving
Washington at rs O'Clock Wednesday
struck a broken rail at the Rock Greek
pumping station, near Garrett Park
station, and was wrecked. Five cars
vera derailed and seven persons in
iured.. Done of them seriously. The
injured
Mrs. Mccarthy. of Pittsburg. two
cuts on scalp. ia en- to Washington
and continued on her journey.
Lewis Griffiths. baggagemaster on
the rain; bruised all over; went to
his hone in Baltimore.
Samuel Eastburn. ticket agent at
the Baltimore q Ohio railroad station;
two severe cuts on face; went home.
Four other passengers, whose names
could not be learned.
The train, left Washington Wednes-
dav night on time. 1t was in charge
of Engineer George Pumphrey aud
Conductor Ward. At the time the
accident happened. Which was about
fifteen minutes after it left the city.
the train was running at speed of
about 40 miles an hour.
The engine, tender, express, and
postal cars passed over the rail, which
was broken about eighteen inches
from the joint, in safety, but the
front wheels of the combination bag
gage and smoking car. which was
next in the train struck the upturned
end of the rail. and the car plunged
| high in air and fell partly on its side.
The couplings were broken and the
combination car rolled down a twenty
| foot embaukment. Two dsv coaches
and two sleeping cars comprised the
balance of the train, and they tore
up the track for almost 200 yards be-
fore thew fnally stopped.
Released of the weight of the rear
end of the train. the engine and the
light exBress and postal cars ran
ahead at even a greater speed until
Engineer Humphrey shut off steam
and put on brakes. With rare pre-
| sence of mind the engineer, remem-
bered that No IL, due in Washing
ton at GAS. should pass in a few
minutes on the opposite track. and
not knowing how serioa- was the
wreck behind him, jumped from his
cab and. with red lantern swinging.
ran ahead. Number Ia was stopped
about six car lengths from the wreck.
! In the meantime word of the acct
dent had been photographed 10 Wash
! ington from the Rock Greek pumping
1 station, and special was made mp
dispatched to the scene. MANY of the
passengers from the Inflated No. 8
were transferred to the inbound No.
| Ia and taken back to the oitv. Others
we're taken in on the special train
Nearly all of then went vest OF Nos
| IL and 8.
Fonr of the injured people, who
suffered mostly from shock and from
slight cuts from flying glass, were
nrovided with quarters at hotel.
and surgeons called to attend them.
The wreck was characterized by no
worse injury to the cars than smashed
windows in the two day coaches and
the two sleepers, while the oombi-
nation car. which rolled down the en-
bankment, was but little more dam
aged Traffic was delayed about two
hours on the west-bouna track. but
trains were passing again COL after
midnight.
Baggagemaster Griffths, he was
az his little desk in t forl 8-G end
of the combination car aen ,he acct.
dent happened, was OIL 9st o,lieved
to be fatally injured. He vas pulled
from beneath pile of trunks a an
unconscious condition. On the way
to Washington he revived, and was
able to go to his hon in Baltimore.
Engine No. l4l5, which pulled No.
8 and which escaped beiny dsrsile6,
went through this morning on train
No. AZ in charge of Engineer Pun
phrey.