Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-03
No. 1908.

street station, between Fort Myer
Heights and Clarendon, Va. On
steep grade, where the woods over
shadow the track, a passenger car,
carrying 100 or more people, crashed
into a freight Car loaded with steel
rails. The passenger car was partly
telescoped, men and women thrown
to the floor, while the motorman and
one passenger received injuries
which may result in death. Rsspon-
sibility for the accident has not been
fixed, and the officials of the road
decline to make statements.
The accident occurred during the rush
hour of the morning, when, as rule every
car is filled to its capacity by passengers
who work in Washington. The passenger
car was late when it reached Clarendon
just how late no one seems positively to
know Some of the passengers claim it was
forty minutes behind schedule. The Off
Gals of the road deny this, but admit that
the car was late.
Patrons of the road have been loud in
their protests against the management of
the railway, blaming the officials and not
the members of the crew of the trains.
They complain that a change in the sched
ule was made last Sunday, since which
time, they say they hardly know when to
expect a car to appear at station. The
change was made they declare, for the
purpose of diverting traffic and causing the
patrons of the road to reach the city by way
of the Highway bridge, landing at the
Mount Vernon station, Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and 18th street. Although this
charge is denied by officials of the road its
patrons assert that the service over the
branch to Rosslyn has been impaired and
fewer cars are being run over the line than
before the schedule was changed. Claren-
don is the station where the lines branch
off to go in the two directions, and the
number of passengers who wanted to come
to the city by the Rosslyn route this morn
ing greatly exceeded those who wanted to
land at 18th street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue..
Car Was Overcrowded.
Because of the large number who wanted
to come to the city by the Rosslyn route
the car over that section Of the road was
More of the passengers want
ed to board the car, but they were unable
to do so because many of those already
aboard were practically hanging on.
The car followed special car, also
bound for Washington, and when this lat
ter car passed the switch near Fort Myer
courthouse the work train which was sta
toned there pulled out on the main rack
and started up grade toward Falls Church.
of ft,a o.
nailed that a passenger car was follining
the crew of the work train failed to ulder-
stand it. The regular passenger car was
coming down grade toward the switch at
high rate of speed. endeavoring to make
up lost time. Motorman Mock, it is said.
made a desperate effort to stop his car,
but the brakes had no effect and the
car crashed into the train of rails under
full speed.
When the Crash Came.
Several passengers were upon the plat
form with the motorman when the crash
came, others having jumped from the car
when they saw that collision was GER
tain. Standing next to the motorman was
Mr.. James C. Plant, superintendent of the
computing division, Office of the supervising
architect Treasury Department He board
ed the car at Glencarlyn, and was standing
next to the motorman and against the front
dashboard until the car reached Clarendon
when a man boarded the car and wedged
himself between Mr.. Plant and the DASH
board. This man seriously injured.
The passenger car, 1t is stated, did service
on the Metropolitan line several years ago
and some of it's broken timbers, it is said.
showed that it was not fit for hard service
at the time it was smashed this morning.
When the collision came the front of the
car was demolished, the ends of the pro-
jecting rails striking against passengers and
throwing them to the floor.
Motorman Mock was thrown from the
car, the heavy rails and the debris pinnng
him to the ground. He was held there
until a number of the passengers and
others assisted in removing the rails
and releasing him Broken and twisted
steel and iron and the smashed timbers
were stained with blood from the pas
sengers who had been cut and MANNED
cans of milk that were upon the front plat
form were overturned and baskets con-
tanning lunches and veg etables were
strewn about the floor The forward win
dows of the car were smashed, particles of
the broken glass infiicting minor cuts and
bruises upon the passengers. There were
several women IN the car, Dut only one OF
them received severe injuries.
After being rescued Motorman Mock was
able to discuss the accident. although both
his legs were broken and he was cut and
bruised from his head to his feet. He de-
clared that he had been given no warning
that there was an extra car on the road,
and he was surprised 10 See it there after
his car passed around the curve. 1t was
then too late for him to prevent the acct
dent.
Relief Car From Rosslyn.
car was sent from Rosslyn 20 bring the
injured persons to point where they could
be placed in vehicles and removed to hos
pitfalls. The big ambulance from Fort Myer