Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
TWO MEN SERIOUSLY HURT
Building and Several Locomotives
Considerably Damaged.
LOSS BETWEEN $4,000 AND 5000
The Injured Men Conveyed 70 Cas-
uaIty Hospital-Eevsral Narrow
Escapes Noted

FoilOW1nK a Leffluc cap t1uuuCts LIZ
wind which struck Washington yesterday
afternoon caught the end Of the roundhouse
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Trini-
dad and shattered 1t like house OF cards.
and a far greater portion OF the roundhouss
collapsed. Two railroad employes-Charaes
Cannon an engineer. of Baltimore. and oro-
RADIO MaIatti. an engine cleaner, OF WASH
ington-were caught In the collapse and
severely injured Both men were taken to
the Casualty Hospital for treatment. and
at a late hour last night 1t was stated that
both will recover.
About fifteen men were working In the
roundhouse at the time Of the collapse. and
1t is regarded as surprising that moro OF
them were not injured or killed They es-
capped the falling debris by various means,
most of them running out into the storm
to get out from under the falling building.
Had the accident occurred an hour earlier
fifty men would probably have been in and
around the structure.
The accident came so suddenly that Can
non, who was sitting outside, leaning
against the building, was unable to arise
quick enough to escape the raining wall.
Rain began to fall in large volume at the
roundhouse about $40 o Clock and the vino
followed quickly. In a brief space OF tune
after that those nearby saw the cupoia.
which runs along the middle of the top OF
the round house. rise in the air Ihen
there was a crash and the noise lasted
fully minute, one report 1oIo"lng an
other The slate of the roof was flying In
all directions. and dirt, dust, rain and spiint-
ers filled the air. so that even those VINO
witnessed the collapse were unable to see
just what happened.
Greater Part in Ruins.
When the air became clear again greater
part of the roundhouse was found to be
In ruins A section of the rear portion,
about 125 feet long. and the roof covering
that part of the roundhouse was tangled
mass of iron and wood. What seems to
have saved the remainder of the house
was that there were some locomotives IN
It. They supported the roof as 1t collapsed
and thus prevented the falling part from
tearing the remainder from It's supports.
The many workmen in the vicinity looked
on for only moment. Then they realized
that underneath that mass Of iron and
wood might be several of their companions,
and under the direction of Mr.. j. +. Bow
den general foreman of the roundhouse,
rescue party started to work. Buried be-
meath the mass Charles Cannon. pas
serger engineer, was found He was I'M
conscious and seemed to be near his end.
Soon afterwaTd Malatti was found where
he had been imprisoned inside the struc-
ture and he also seemed to be near death.
A locomotive was pressed Into service and
the injured men were at once hurried Into
the passenger station at New Jersey ave-
nue. and c street. telephone message to
the Casualty Hospital called the ambu-
Lance. and the men were conveyed In that
to the hospital. DR.. Hayes dressed the
wounds. finding that Malatt was the most
seriously injured. He had a fracture of
the shoulder blade and was suffering from
numerous other bruises about the head and
body.
The Ruling Passion.
Engineer Cannon was unconscious, but
was able to talk. He kept repeating to the
nurse: How many of the passengers were
killedT' evidently imagining that he had
been In a wreck of his passenger train.
His first thought was for the passengers
which he believed were behind him. Later
in the evening he regained full conscious
ness
to the hospital from the scene of the acct
dent, the rescue party continued their
search, expecting to find others in the
wreckage. Meanwhile. the police of the
ninth precinct had been notified and the
reserves under Lieut. Daley responded and
assisted in the search. A fire alarm was
alsv sent in, and the firemen were soon at
tho scene. A thorough search of the col
lapsed structure. which lasted until dark
ness came on, failed TO reveal any other
Injured persons. The force OF the railroad
employees there was all accounted for. IN
less some tramps sought the round house
for shelter from the storm at that time and
whose bodies could not be found It was
conceded there were no others to be res
cued.
There were several narrow escapes. how
ever George Fogg, a mechanic, who was
working on one of the engines caught in
the collapse. crawled with haste into the
unfired boiler of the engine, and thus
avoided injury. When he was dragged ont
he remarked to his rescurers:
L was saying my prayers all right, that
time
Another workman. with equal presence of
mind, jumped into an ash pit under one of
the engines and crawled out afterward
Thomas McDonough and another workman
made their escape through a window, Just
escaping the falling roof The other en-
ployes who were in the shed at the time
ran through the Enclosed side of the round
house.
Estimated Damage.
Mr.. Hale, engineer of maintenance of
way. who investigated the accident last
night. stated that the damage to the build
ing and locomotives would amount to be-
tween 5000 and 5000. Five engines were
in the roundhouse at the time, but three of
them escaped practically uninjured. The
other two were damaged on top by the fall
ing roof.
After Engineer Cannon recovered con-
seriousness he stated that he lived at 1908
South Charles street, Baltimore. In de-
scribng the accident he said:
81 had just come In from run from Bal
tmore and was eating my supper, leaning
against the roundhouse. when the rain
came up. Then l heard a crash behind me-
I knew what 1t was. and jumped, but was
too late. 1 was caught before l could get
away"
His two sons came over from Baltimore
and Joined him last evening.
1t Is expected that an entirely new round
house will be built on the site of the old
one The building that collapsed was built
about twenty years ago. IL had steel and
cir. md "a Sid