Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-06-24
Two Trains Come Together on the
Western Maryland Road.
MARTINSBURG MAN Is VICTIM
Several Other Families Here Had Relatives
In the CatastrOphe-=O Man Loses a
Brother and Nephew-=The Dead.

| CARS anu petWpeH tHo iattet anu ihe
tender
In the neighborhood of Patapsco
STATEN, about eight miles from West
minister the Western MARYLAND has
many curves, and that just west of
the bridge crossing the Patapsco river
] is sharp one.
An extra freight, made up of heavy
coal and provision cars. was running
east. Ii should have taken sidiug
TO allow No. to uass. Such were
the orders. Why they were disregard
ed will never be known, for all those
VINO should have seen that they were
obeved are dead.
The passenger train was running at
| q speed of thirty miles an hour. and
the freight was making good time.
| thanks to the two engines bv which it
was being drawn. Just west of the
bridge they came together with terrific
force, the three engines being piled
Que upon another. fortunately in such
manner that sufficient steam con
nectious were broken to relieve the
hollers. aud thus prevent the further
| horror of one or more explosions.
ROADBED LIKE SHAMBELS.
Tie fearful impact drove the pass-
euger tender into the baggage car,
and demolished ii and the mail car
la an instant the peaceful country
,cene was changed into the likeness Of
"A shambles. Along the tracks on both
= des were scattered dead and fright
fully mangled men, these latter more
fortunate than those who had been in
the baggage car aud on the engines.
/ for most of them were still pinioned
N the wFeckage out of the immediate
reach of helping hands.
BY what means, we'll nigh miracle,
, the damage to the other cars Of the
passenger train was confined almost
entirely to broken windows aud doors
and the Injuries to their occupants
to bruises from the shaking up and
minor cuts from flying glass.
There was an instant rush to escape,
aud for moment none seemed able to
think what 10 do in the presence of
the carnage into the midst of which
they stepped upon leaving the coaches.
Heartrending shrieks from the injured
quickly brought to the scene the in.
habitauts of ali the tarmhouses within
a considerable radius. aud these
they could to ease the suffering.
Farmers wives and daughters made
bandages of their clothing and house
hold linen, and worked heroicallI
amidst the blood and CRIME. One
or two physicians who had been pas
sengers on the wrecked passenger trait
directed their efforts.
At Westminster a crowd of at leas
q thousand people met the funeral
train, and as many of the dead haC
friends aud relatives in the town
there were terrible scenes at the en-
eine house, where the bodies were
taken and exposed for Identification
Owing to the horrible nature of theil
injuries. the work of identifying thu
dead has been very difficult
A pitiful feature of the death list j
the number of bread winners belong
ing TO one family it contains Nc
Clelland Sweeney was the father o
William and Frank Sweeney. Al
three of them are dead. McClellauC
Sweareys. brother Harry was killed
and the latter's son William was badl'
injured. G. 7. Miller and his sol
Elmer, and the latter's uncle. Charlie
Kelly. were together when the crasl
came. G. T. Miller and Kelly wer,
instantly killed. and Elmer Mile
died later in a hospital