Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-08

which were loaded coal cars, pay Cd iii
kinds of tricks" as one old railroad man
expressed It, The first was overturned
and completely wrecked The second and
third overturned and were lodged cross
ways of the track Following the coal
cars were four five more box freight
cars, which escaped damage
Had the accident happened an nour
later, 1t 10 stated. there would have
been q force Of about ten clerks in the
part OF the building through which the
two cars plunged and some probably
would have been killed. A little more
than year ago the building was
damaged by q similar accident. while
prior to that time train had pushed
over the end Of track above the
building. crossing the street and dam
aging The building of the quarter
masters department OK the war De
partment.
This mornings accident. 1t Is believed.
resulted from the failure OF the brakes
to hold the heavy train OF twenty-nine
cars that had been left standing on a
steep grade last night 1t is Thought
the air escaped during the night ana
left the brakes in such CONDITION TINS
morning that they were unable 10 nold
the train.
The runaway train started north Of the
T street bridge and struck engine 1IO'
handling the ''empties at the ireisht
station a short distance east Of the long
platform building. II Is thought the run
away train had attained a speed of about
forty-five miles an hour by the time IL
reached the engine. which was handling
train of twentyeight cars
Tears Groove in Lawn.
So great was the force of the impact
that the train of empties was pushed in
the direction of the building. one car not
stoppine until it tore a groove in the
lawn and uprooted a small tree. the sec
ond car being caught by the falling tim
bers, bricks and mortar and remaining
inside the structure
The cars to which the engine was at
tached were being placed along the plat
form building for the morning distr1pu.
ton of express packages and freight and
occupied the tracks extending to the nrs'
switch away from the building.
Railroad employees working In the yaro
this morning when the accident happened
were terror1zed when they saw the run
away train going down the grace IN .ne
direction of the freight station They
knew that the engine was standing hea.
the end Of the long freight mouse ana
realized the danger
Fireman Is Caught.
Fireman Daniels happened to see the
runaway cars just before they crashed
into the engine. He shouted word or
warning to his engineman and then at
tempted to jump. but there was not time
enough for him to get of the engine De-
fore the crash came. and he was pinned
between the broken iron.
Il don't see how he escaped being
killed or having his leg cut on one OF
The bystanders remarked. for one piece
of iron that came in contact with his leg
was broken as IL it had been so much
wood
1t is estimated the freight in the twenty
nine runaway cars weighed about 1,1O
TONS while the weight OF the cars IS
estimated at about 1,65O tons surprise
was expressed by some OF the rauroao
employees this morning that such a heavy
train would be left on grade over night.
although, 1t was said, many such trains
had been left there before without an
accident resulting.
charge of the New York and Florida
avenue office. said the escape OF air from
the brakes during the night must nave
caused the accident He was unable 20
and Ohio Railroad Company will be. He
stated. however. that he thought 1t would
not exceed $4,000 The damage to the
building. he thought. would not be more
The question of the amount of damage
to the freight, he stated. could not be
definitely determined until the shippers
are heard from. Much OF the freight. he
added. is not damaged. while some Is
total wreck.
Some Marrow Escapes.
The janitor and several clerks in the
building narrowly escaped death. Fox
was seated at his desk only few feet
from the point where the train crashed
through the wall of the building Lee
was standing beside him. When employees
of the freight yard rushed into the build
ing following the crash they found MIN
pinned beneath a steel beam twenty feet
in length that had been torn from the
ceiling and hurled through the Office.
That Lee was not instantly killed by the
beam was miraculous. Had 1t fallen d.
rectly on him instead Of merely across
his leg it no =; 90 doubt Soa would nave crushed
Etchison went to work earlier than
usual this morning. He was due at the
office at O'Clock. but 1t was only rev
minutes after when he reached there
ed what was coming" he said. and went
through the window"
Fail to Get Away.
The others tried to get away. but tvs
were caught by the debris and injured.
1t was said at the Casualty Hospital
later in the day that Lee and Fox prob
ably will not be confined to the hospital
many days.
The accident this morning Is not the
FIRST experience local railroad men have
had with runaway trains. From Rhode
Island avenue into the Union station
there is a marked down-grade. and on
numerous occasions during the last ten
years trains have run away.
Shortly before the old b. & 0. sta
ton was removed several years ago q
freight train ran away late one night
and crashed across the passenger plat
form through a wall and into the big
waiting room. Fortunately the sta
ton was practically deserted and no
one was hurt. Three years ago run
away train Jumped a track a short dis
lance from the scene of the accident
this morning: and after dashing across
lexington place lodged itself in the
front of the depot Quartermasters
warehouse on the opposite side Of the
street.
A year ago last February another
runaway broke down the bumper on a
track running parallel with the one on
which the accident occurred this morn
ing and broke in one wall Of the same
freight station