The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-18

Death Only by About Ten Seconds.
SPECIAL to The Washington Herald.
Baltimore. Sept T-During a terrific
thunderstorm NJ p m to-day New
York and Washington train. speeding to-
ward the Capital. and Baltimore and
Philadelphia accommodation train. on
which We're a number of Washington
ians. We're In collision at Bay View juno
ton. on the Baltimore md Ohio Rail-
road. just outside of Baltimore
The accommodation train was backing
into a siding 20 give the express the right
OF way The coaches had reached the
siding, but the locomotive was still on
the main track when the express came
laundering along. Engineer William
Pierce. Of the express, damned on his air
brakes while Engineer 5. a. Selby and
Fireman J. V. Howard. Of the accommo-
dalton, seeing that a collision was inevi-
table jumped for their lives.
The impact was 50 great that the ac-
cOmmodati0n locomotive leaped into the
air. turned over, and rolled down a 20
foot embankment 1t was reduced to
junk. and the engineer and fireman who
had jumped were caught in the heap Of
debris and coal They were slightly in
jured. The locomotive OF the express,
which was train No. 527, was derailed,
and another engine had TO be called 10
take the express through to Washington
Neutrality-suspicious. on Train.
On the local train were about 80 florists
from Baltimore and Washington, who
had been 10 Convention. Nd, to witness
the dahlia exhibit on the farm of J. R.
Vincent * Son, a few miles from that
station. The VINCENT farm. which COM
prises about 400 acres, is noted through
out the entire country, especially for its
enormous output of dahlias. The Vim
cents have one field of over forty. acres
that is a solid bed of the flowers.
About fifty local florists members Of
the Washington Florists Association.
with their families aud4 friends, visited
the Vincent farm yesterday at the own
eTs' request. At Baltimore their num-
Der was increased by 100 or more fellow
florists, SO that by the time Convention
was reached the two special cars were
crowded and a number OF the party were
forced 20 take seats in other parts Of the
train.
among the Washingtonians were the
following florists: l. D.. Blackstone. J.
NJ. Hammer John Ley, Henry Pfster
Otto Bauer, George c. Schaner, George
Cooke. z. c. Mayberry /. f. Hoover,
Z. s. Schmid, William Guide. Joe AIinder.
Charles AlcCaulay, G. Shellhorn. J. T.
Beall, and F. ". Bolgiano
Describes the Collision.
After spending a. pleasant day about
the Vincent farm. vthe party took the
train which was due at Convention at 5:l5
50 that they could reach Baltimore in
time to make connections with the
o'clock express for this city. At about
the time they boarded the train a sud-
den storm broke. developing 10 almost a
cloUdburst The train was about twenty
minutes late in arriving at Convention, so
that it was necessary 10 lay over at Bay
view to allow the New York express TO
pass on its way 10 Baltimore.
1--WE were just backing into the siding
10 allow the passenger express TO pass
when the collision occurred" said Will
lam Guide, one OF the members OF the
party, a few minutes after reaching this
city last night The passenger coaches
had just cleared the main track when I
CHANGED TO look out OF the window anG
saw an operator in one of the telegraph
towers waving violently with his hand
and manipulating the signal targets like
mad. At this moment the express crash
ed into us
Fortunately for all. only the engine
i'm d
coming train, and the passenger coaches
escaped injury, other than a number of
broken windows. The engine was torn
Iree from the rest of the train and hurled
down the side Of an embankment d dis
tance Of thirty or forty feet It was
completely demolished. Enormous cast
lags were broken like so much finder,
and wheels and axles snapped Ike glass.
Deems Escape a Miracle.
How the fireman and engineer ESCAPED
without being killed is 10 me miracle.
was told that they had jumped from the
cab on seeing the express bearing down
upon them. Bits of iron and parts of the
demolished tender and engine were scat
tered in every direction, and along the
track were pieces Of the express engine,
which, also. had Jared badly.
IN crashing into the engine OF our
train the engine of the express broke tn
the front portion of the boiler. and for
quite a distance down the train all the,
windows were broken. The flying glass
caused some injury, but no one was seri-
ously hurt. Fortunately, no fire started
when the hot Goals from the engine fires
were scattered about because Of the tor
rents Of rain that continued 10 pour down
upon US Many Of the passengers were
drenched TO the skin.
Believes Some Were Bruised.
I heard at the time that several pas
sengers IN the express train were badly
bruised by the sudden stopping OF the
train, and that others were cut by pieces
Of flying glass. but all the members Of
our party escaped injury. We were all
very badly frightened, and even now the
whole occurrence seems a dream 10 me.
I am satisfied that had our train been
delayed ten seconds more we would all
have been killed
When the news Of the wreck reached
Baltimore extra engines were hurried TO
the scene. and after about an hour and
half delay both trains We're able 10 pro-
coed on their way. The dining car and
pantry Of the express was badly damaged
and nearly every piece Of china and glass
ware was broken. 1t happened that none
Of the attendants We're at that point at
the time Of the crash and all escaped in
jury"
Confederate Colonel Dies.
Special 10 The Washington Herald
Roanoke Va, Sept 17.-Col. James B.