Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-20

nails to go ahead by the slgnalman station
cd away back in the dark and smoky tun-
mel. This statement, however. is being in
vestigated today by the railroad officials.
| The two firemen were caught by what is
known in railroad parlance as a rush of
. coal" That is. the coal in the tenders
I which is stacked Gp toward the rear of
| the cars. was suddenly given d forward
/ impetus by the quick halting of the trains
and crashed toward the locomotive, bury
ing the two firencn beneath it's weight. A
number Of the other injuries to passengers
. and members of the train crews were in
/ fiicted by flying glass and by the persons
/ being suddenly thrown forward from their
seats.
Disolaim Responsibility.
| The officials of the Southern railway
disClaim responsibility for the accident
! Some OF them stated today that their jul
/ risdict:on to the movement of trains
! ceases when the north end of the Long
bridge is reached, the movement of the
trains in the city limits being controlled
/ the Washington Terminal Company.
! The important problem to be solved. it
was stated, is why southbound train No.
l5 was sent out of the tunnel the
northhound track. Railroad men say
/ train No. 10 was on the right track when
it started through the tunnel.
I This was the first serious accident to
occur in the southeast section since the
railroad companies abandoned the old
tracks and started using. the Union sta
ton. The coils on a SO resulted in the
partial destruction of two engines. the
tearing up of the tracks and much injury
I to several passenger coaches, ID mail car
and two baggage cars.
/ 1t is the claim of interested persons that
/ the accident was caused by the confusion
: inCiden, to the big change that has been
made by the railroads in abandoning the
Old tracks and using the new ones, which
necess tate the passing through the tun-
mel of al trains to and from the south,
but the exact cause will only be deter
mined by Il full investigation on the part
of railroad officials and the District au-
thorities. The poll were to d that the
signals are not yet completed and that
engineers and conductors have to depend
upon the use of flags and lanterns TO
guide them. Both trains, it is reported,
were late.
I First Accident at New Terminal.
/ It was the first accident to mar the
opening of the new. Union station, and
a railroad man i'm expressing his regret
declared the collision was due to the
/ towerman at the new Union station Civ
/ ing the southbouni train the mort Inbound
track The northhOund train was APP
proc ching the station on the right track.
| it is alleged. and without any warning
met the northbcund train before the
train crews were able to prevent the
the members of the crews did not have
time to save themselves from being buried
in the wreckage. The northbound train
vas being pulled by engine No. 1224. one
of the large type locomotives now In
operation on the Southern road, Engine
No. HOG was attached to the southbound
train, and is practically of the same
type engine.
The boilers of the two engines became
so embedded that it was with difficulty
that the wrecking engine able to
separate them. The eowcatchers were
mashed into scrap iron. while the small
wheels of No. 1106 were twisted and
bent and became tangled UP with the
bumpers. The sraokestacks of both en-
gines remained intact. while the lamp
of No. 1921 was a twisted piece of metal.
The lamp OF the southDound train was
damaged but little, and was found on the
track.
Wheels in Air.
The large wheels OF the northbound
train were elevated about a foot in the
air as a result of the collision. the re-
nander of the wheels of both trains
keeping to the track. The tenders of
both engines were forced into the cabs
by the compact, and were complete
wrecks. The coal was scattered in all
( directions, and it was necessary to shovel
The coal from around the boiler and cab
crew could extinguish the fires. prepara-
tory to the removal of the wrecked en-
gineS from the scere.
The wrecking train arrived at $40
O'Clock and a large gang of men was put
to work clearing away the Wreckage
Eight minutes after its arrival the wreck
ed combination baggage and mall car of
the northbound train had been hauled
away and the two engines separated The
ends of the baggage and mail cars of both
their
interiors exposed to view. The train on
the Bluemont branch, which arrived from
the south at O'Clock, was tagged and
the mail removed from the northbound
train and brought to the city. after nearly
three hours delay. After the arrival of
! the wrecking crew, automobiles from the
| Adams Express Company were backed up
on Ivy street near the scene of the wreck
and the contents Of the baggage car of the
| southbound train removed to the Union
station for shipment on another train. An
amusing incident occurred during the re-
moval of the baggage and freight when
an Italian member Of the crew carried
! from the wrecked car pair OF crutches
tied together and carefully placed them
! in the waiting automobile
Bit of Good Fortune.
The accident would undoubtedly have
| been more disastrous had the northbound
I train met the southbound train a hundred
! feet farther as it would have brought
I them together in the tunnel proper. AS 1t
was. only the engine and tender of the
/ southbound train are visible from the
mouth of the tunnel. The tracks in the
vicinity of the wreck were scattered with
/ broken glass. splinters of wood and bro
( ken and twisted iron. A short distance
! from the mouth of the tunnel the elevated
Z tracks cross over South Capitol street
and from this point to where the accident
I happened the incline is rather steep. In
| addition to this, there Is slight curve
Z which extends into the tunnel.
/ Capt. Mathews of the fifth precinct was
ON duty during the night with the re-
serves of that precinct and maintained
{ excellent order. Ropes were stretched
| along the embankment on both sides OF
/ the tracks, and the wrecking crew eXpe-
I risnced no trouble from he crowds which
! had gathered to view the wreck Capt.
/ Gessford was also on hand and remained
| until the tracks We're cleared.
! The southbound train. known as No. 10,
! is scheduled to leave the new Union sta
/ tion at 4:55 o'clock for Charlottesville,
! Va. The northbound train was No. 30
| of the washington. DanVille. and Char
| lotge divisions and was due TO arrive from
| Danville at 5:25 O'Clock The train was
A few minutes late when the accident oc-
I Cured Considerable difficulty was ex-
! perienced wnen rescuers arrived on the
! scene and attempted to H5erate those I'M
| prisoned in the engines ana tenders. The
! fireman and engineer OF the Charlottes-
| ,.;JIa tr,i,, yynra c0mpletely covered with