Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-07
FIVE DEAD IN WRECK
Belief That Others Are Buried
Under the Debris.
RAILWAY TRAINS COLLIDE
Four Employees Injured, Two Of
Whom May Die.
TRAFFIC BLOCKED FOR HOURS
Disaster Occurs on the Western
Maryland Main Line, East
Of Pen Mar.
Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
HAGERSTOWN. Md, December 4, 1872.
A disastrous wreck occurred on the main
line of the Western Maryland railway
last midnight when a train Of empty pas
senger coaches met in head-on collision
with an extra freight train at point just
east Of Pen-Mar near an overhead bridge.
Five men are known to be dead, sew
eral others are believed to be dead under
the wreckage. and a half dozen are in
jured. several probably fatally.
The dead: Harry Herbig. freight engi-
neer. Hagerstown: Frank Letter, bag
gagemaster. Highfleld Md: William H.
town: George Clayton. freight fireman,
and James McCaffrey. in charge OF
cement shipment, Belmar, Pa.
The seriously injured are: Coleman
Cook. passenger engineman, Baltimore,
head and chest crushed. in semi-conscious
condition and will probably die; P. G..
to live: Oscar Bixler. assistant IN
charge of cement shipment, Westmin-
ster. body crushed. condition serious.
Others slightly injured We're: Engine
Fireman J. C. McWhitter. Baltimore. in
charge of engine No. 61O, which was
helping extra freight No. 757 over the
mountain.
Buried Under Wreckage.
Several trainmen, reported to be dead.
but names not learned, are reported to be
buried under the wreckage, which will
not be cleared away for hours.
The freight train that figured in the
wreck was known as extra No. 7b7, west
bound, while the train Of empty coaches
was running as first No. 2O4. east bound.
The cause of the wreck Is not definitely
known. and the railway officials decline
to make a statement, pending an tnvesti-
cation. One report is that the east-bound
station for orders. which, if followed.
would have side tracked this train at
Blue Mountain, at a point west Of the
scene of the wreck.
Running swiftly in the mountain sec
ton. a short distance west of the high
est point in the Blue Ridge region. the,
two trains went together with q crash
that echoed for miles. One Of the first
to reach the scene was Harry H. Myers.
who conducts a hotel and general store
near Pen Mar station. Mr.. Myers at
once telephoned to the Western Maryland
headquarters in Hagerstown, and a wreck
train, with physicians aboard, was fur-
ried to the scene.
Injured Trainmen Aid Others.
When Mr.. Myers arrived he found that
only three trainmen had managed to
crawl from under the wreckage. Although
injured. these men were already at work
trying to rescue their less fortunate COM
rades. One by one the bodies were taken
cut, some dead and others apparently dy-
ing or injured beyond hope of recovery.
One of the most pitiful cases was that of
Fireman Clayton. whose leg had to be
amputated by the physicians before he
could be rescued. AS the wreck occur
red in Pennsylvania. about fifty yards
north of the Mason and Dixon line. Coro-
ner McClay of Franklin county directed
that the bodies be not removed from the
state until an inquest could be held.
Aboard the wreck tran which left
HagerstOwn shorty after midnight were
DIR. ]. Mcpherson Scott. chief surgeon OF
the Western Maryland railroad. here. and
Drs w Roth, Campbell Waga man and
LaughIin. They rendered aid to the in
jured and were later assisted by physi-
clans from WaynesbOro, who were hur-
ried to the scene by trolley.
Both engines were badly damaged. the
coach being smashed into splinters, and
eight freight cars, several loaded with
cement, We're derailed and badly broken
up, the debris being piled high and scat
tered over n large area
Baggagemaster Frank Letter vas a
son OF Deputy Court Clerk George T
Letter of HagerstowE. and was formerly
a Western Maryland passenger conduc-
tor.
Heavy Traffic on Single Track.
Speaking of last nights wreck. which
was but continuation of the series of
fatal wrecks on this road during the pa st
few months, a veteran railroad man
stated today that il was a plain case of
an effort to do a double-track business
on a single-track road. He pointed out
that since control of the Western Mary
land had passed to the New York Cen
trail an enormous amount of freight
originating In and around Pittsburgh
and at points west of there was beinl
diverted tn the Western Maryland, and
that this business was more than the
Western Maryland could handle on a
single track.
Ii is stated the interstate commerce
commission. which has been investi. atins
the recent wrecks on the Western Mary