The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-20
The Worst Wreck in The History Of The
Railroad. Passenger Cars Smashed
and Freight Cars Splintered. Pas.
sengers Escaped Uninjured. Fatal.
lilies and Injuries to the Crews.
Those Badly Hurt Were Carried to
the Hospital. Flames Break Out In
the Debris. The Collision Occurs
Near Patspseo.
(By the Associated Press

Baltimore, June 17.-By far the
worst wreck in the history of the
Western Maryland Railroad occurred
err of mile from Patapsco. small
station between Westminster and
Finksburg. At least eighteen people
are believed to have been killed and
a score more injured.
Passenger train No. 81, westbound,
was running at very high rate of
speed when, at the point named, it
crashed into a double header freight
running east. All three of the en-
gines were reduced to scrap iron, the
express and baggage cars of the pas
senger were smashed and a number
of the freight cars were splintered.
The passenger coaches sustained
little injury, and almost without ex-
ception their occupants escaped with
nothing worse than a bad shaking UP.
The fatalities and injuries were to the
crews of the engines and TO work
men employed by the railroad.
It is a remarkable coincidence that
these latter should have been at work
repairing the damage caused by re-
cent small freight wreck that occurred
at Mount Hope Station, near this city.
They were on their way to their
homes. i'm small towns along the West
ern Maryland, to spend Sunday. Not
being regular passengers, they had
boarded the baggage car and engine.
When the crash came the more
fortunate, who were on the engine,
jumped or We're thrown from the
trains and were only injured. Those
in the baggage car were terribly
mangied and the crews of all three
engines were killed. Their bodies are
all believed to be under the wreckage
of the engines. Just before the first
relief train bringing injured to the
hospitals of this city left the scene the
wreckage about these began to burn.
The first relief train to reach hei e
brought eleven badly injured, and one
who had died on the trip. Those
taken from the wreck dead were
taken to Westminster. a dozen am
balances awaited the arrival of the
relief train at Union Station and hur-
red the injured to hospitals as fast
as they could be taken from the cars
The point at which the accident occur
red. is so situated that news of the
wreck was slow in reaching Baltimore.
AS soon as the news arrived the rail-
road company sent relief trains and
as many physicians as could be gath
cred together.
Although all the help that can posi-
bly, be used is at hand, there are dead
and injured yet under the wreckage
TfSse4kRew nSt OF be dead1tfus far. are:
George b. Covell. of Hagerstowfi,, EN-
gineer on passenger train; John J.
Sledger, fireman of the passenger
train: Shoemaker, of Hagerstown.
fireman; Wright, Hagerstown, Md, en-
gineer of one of the freight engines:
John Grouse, of Tanneytown, Md. en-
gineer on one of the freight engines;
Deer, conductor of freight train.
The following repair gang: James
erosion, Thurmont; Charles Kelly.
Thurmont; William Sweeney, Thur
mont; Mcclellan Sweeny, Thurmont;
Frank Sweeny, Thurmont; Harry
Sweeny, brother of Mcclellan Sweeny:
Charles T. Miller, Thurmont; Guy
Lynn, Middleburg: one unknown man.
No one can be found tonight will
ing to say who was responsible for