Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-07-31
TRAIN IS ALMOST WRECKED
Washout On The Short Line Rail
road Might Have Resulted
More Seriously.
MR., STOCKETT CALLS "SToP"
TO ENGINEER.
Thirty Feet of Track Washed Away
BY ClOudburst Repairs
Being Made.

Gangs of workmen were out all day
Yesterday and today going over the
lines eff the Baltimore & Annapolis
Short Line aud the Annapolis, Wash
ington & Baltimore railroads. looking
| for weak points in the tracks of these
two roads and repairing the washouts
resulting from Yesterdays and Satur-
days stoIms.
The biggest gang on the Short Line
is still at work on the washout caused
by the cloudhurst near Shipley's Sta
| tion ON Saturday after noon, which
nearly resulted in the wreckiDg OF the
train leaving Camden Station, Balti-
more, for this city at 4. 40 o clock IN
the afternoon. After exercising all
due caution on the trip passing
through young river three feet deep
which poured across the tracks at Pum-
phrey's Station, Engineer Myers was
called upon TO stop by Mr.. Il. L.
Stockett, the Estationmaster at ship
ley's, Just as the train was pulling out
of that station.
Conductor Lee Kalmey and Fireman
Harry Colburn, followed by number
of passengers, many oil whose homes
are in this city, walked down the track
to where Mr.. Stookett pointed, and
saw a perfect lake about 100 feet IN
diameter, which rushed across the
track, just around the curve and only
a~short distance ahead of the engine.
This lake had scaused a washout of
about thirty feet of tho Snort Line
tracks. and had the train Iun into this
there would have been serious
wreck and perhaps loss of life.
The train was crowded, as 1t is
every Saturday, with passengers re-
tuning to their homes at Annapolis
and intermediate points. In addition
to the regular passengers, there were
a number of men with their families,
including many women, who were on
their way to West river and other
places reached from Annapolis, TO
spend their vacations. The cause OF
the washout was explained by Mr.. W.
A. Shipley, from whom the station
takes its name. He said that when
the railroad was built two lS.lnch
pipes were run beneath the roadbod
in such an emergency. AZ that time,
he said, he gave his opinion that they
would be Insufficient.
At Shipleys a valley is formed by
Surrounding hills, and the water, seek
ing the path of the least resistance,
runs down the gully under the Annap-
oils pike bridge. Yesterday this @ater
was banked up to depth of ten feet,
and as the pipes were insufficient to
carry it off ii rose to the level OF the
roadbed, where the washout occurred.
There il began running over, gradual
lv washing it out. The small stream
rapi iIy Increased until the track re-
amined suspended in air. Under this
rushed barrels, railroad ties, hencoops
aud debris from the surrounding coun-
try.
About 2. 30 O'Clock it began to rain
hard and about half-hour later il
seemed to close up. Suddenly about 3
O'Clock. without warning, came a
terrific clap of thunder and the water
came down in torrents. Small build
iups were washed away and the water
i'm the gully rose TO height OF ten
feet. For a time passengers were
transferred to the train which hRd
left Annapolis earlier in tue afternoon
and was stopped on this side of the
wreck. and in this wav by sending
the first train back to Baltimore and
returning the other train this way
the interrupted traffic was resumed,
the first train to cross the break did
not reach this city till after O'Clock
Saturday night.