The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-03-24
Big ROCK CAUSES
Double WRECK.
FIVE MEK INJURED IN CRASH ON
80.
Three Locomotives and l7 Cars Shat
tered and 20 Head Of Cattle

Five men were injured, two seri-
ously; 70 head Of cattle were killed
and three giant locomotives and IL
cars were shattered In the wreck Of
two freight trains at 2 O'Clock Tues
day morning about q quarter Of "A
mile cart Of AbertOn, OH e. main
line Of thu Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road A huge bOWlder, which I'd
rolled upon the eastbound track, TaB
the cause.
NO wreck Oh that branch Oh the
road In years has resulted In such =
ecene az that Of Tuesday. II was the
blackness Of early morning and suc-
cor was slow in arriving. Meanwhile
men groaned and rolled about in
agony, and the means Of the bleeding
and dying cattle added TO the horror
Of the scene.
The report OF the injured men, 3
Of whom were still In the University
Hospital, where all were taken soon
after the accident, wa ~ follows
Samuel Murphy, engineer, 55 years
old, ts33 South Charles street, several
bruises md cut ON the head md
body and back injured
James R. Coale, fireman, ~ years
old, 1907 Jackson street, right arm
anu LhbS VII Liz b1Ly~
w. w. Simpson, brakeman, rs
years old, 1915 Light street, legs
crushed; left foot amputated
G. z. Seaman, engineer, 1927 Light
street, injuries slight; taken home in
the afternoon.
Z. l.. Stoddlemyer, engineer, 1922
jackson street, injuries slight taken
home in the afternoon
Simpson iB in "a serious condition
HiS foot was amputated. If no com
plicatiOng Eet In hiH ultimate recovery
IB assured. He is unmarried
IA few minutes before the crash
Engineer Seaman, OF the eaBtbound
train, began eating his lunch, happy
in the thought that he would soon be
home with his family after the long,
hard trip. A track walker had pass
ed by Abortion, according to the
records, a few minutes before. He
found nothing wrong and the signal
had been given to Seaman that all
was clear ahead"
Then came the crash. Seaman said
he thought he had run into noun
tain, the impact was 40 terrific. When
ILL., had recovered his bearings suffi-
ciently, he found his engine almost
total wreck, lying across tn west
bound track with the seven cattle
laden cars broken and piled up in
disordered mass. On the right he saw
the great rock which was the cause
Of the trouble 1t was fully 20 feet
high and 10 feet broad, and was
later found to weigh 80 tons.
Seaman gathered the few members
of his crew about him, as he thought
Of the Westbound train which was
due just about that time. There was
no lantern fit for use, and not man
could produce a match 10 start fire
to warn the en-cOming crew on the
peril in the way. Their frantic waY-
ing and crying went unnoticed and
the two engines or the WegtbOund
train ploWed into the wreck and be
came a part OF II. The 10 freight
cars scattered their contents broad
cast and 100 feet Of trackage was
ripped up.
The work Of rescue started 1t was
at once seen that medical aid was
absolutely necessary, and messen-
ger was sent to Abortion to forward a
hurry call to the central Office. A
few minutes later an engine stopped
at Ellicott City, about six miles east,
and the engineer left his post to sum
mon Alb many physicians al he could
find.
The Wrecking trains arrived within
few hours after the news of the
catastrophe reached the central
Office
The rock was 30 large that il had
to be blasted before it could be re-
moved This done, it was not long
before the tracks were cleared and
the broken rails reDlaced
Those who have made a study of
the question say that the falling Of
the rock was due to the freezing and
thaWing Of the sand which surround
ed 1t. A short time ago the sharp
curve at that point was eliminated by
cutting away the wall Oh rock beside
the eastbound track and filling in on
the side toward the Patapsco river.
liz iB said that at least dozen wrecks
have occurred AT this place In the last
five years.
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