Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-07-01
Western Maryland Blue Mountain Express
And Accommodation Meet On High
Bridge West of Thurmont.
Six Killed And Many Wounded When
Crash Came.
Accommodation train going ca
rnVVI

The citizens of this place and of the
country for miles around were almost
panic stricken when the news was flash
ed here and there that two passenger
trains on the Western Maryland Railroad
had collided head-on on the High Bridge
two miles west of Thurmont last Thurs
day evening.
High Bridge has become known to
thousands of tourists who travel the
Western Maryland the track being al
most one hundred feet high and reaching
from mountain to mountain, between the
hills of which runs the stream Owings
creek.
The two trains met about midway on
the bridge, the engines blowing into each
other to the smokestacks.
The engine and coach shown in the
picture is that of the Blue Mountain Ex-
press, the coach being second to the
engine, the baggage car and tender being
knocked clear of the track and into the
ravine beneath. In this baggage car
were three persons, Mrs. w. Edwin
Chipcha Sc and her son, Walter N. Chip
chase, of Baltimore, who were passengers
bonnd for their summer home at Blue
Ridge Summit, and Mr.. Luther Hull,
baggagemaster, of Hagerstown. All
three were taken from the debris alive,
Mrs. Chipchase and Mr.. Hull dying a
short while after being removed. Mr..
Chipchase died about 2 o'clock Thursday
night at Blue Ridge Summit. c. R.
Fritz, of Hagerstown, travelling fire.
man; J. R. Hayes, fireman, both on Blue
Mountain Express, of Baltimore, were
caught at their post and killed, their
bodies hanging over the sides of the
engine. Engineer Coleman Cook. of the
east bound train, was knocked from his
engine and landed in the public road be-
meath the bridge. He was picked up
dead
Frank Snyder, engineer on the Blue
Mountain, and j. R. Zendgraft, fireman
on the Accommodation, were both injur-
ed very badly. Mr.. E. J. Wade, road
master, was on the rear end of the Blue
| Mountain and at the time of the crash
was waving his hands to Messrs. Fogle
and Shriver, watchmen at the bridge.
Mr.. Wade was thrown violently and in
jured.
The coach in the picture was filled with
passengers, many of them being injured
to some extent. This car was showed
over the trucks of the baggage car and
was almost half over the rail and hang
ing in very dangerous position. 1t was
with the greatest difficulty that the
wrecking crew was able to get this coach
to the rail.
In the Accommodation train coming
east were many persons from Thurmont,
most of them being employees of the
road and riding in the smoker, viz: Chas.
and Edwin Baxter, Albert Rife, Richard
O'Toole, Evers Weddle, John Pittenger,
Roy Fogle, Paul Brown.
Riding as passengers on this train were
Mrs. Steiner Schley of Thurmont, Mrs
Harvey Ogle of Logs, and Mr.. S. j. Ro
dock of Frederick, who were badly shak
en- up.
To many persons of this place the com.
ing together of these trains brought t.
mind the wreck of ten years ago thi
month in which so many Thurmont people
were killed
AS soon as possible after the acciden
occurred, arrangements were made TO
the transfer of passengers. Some wer'
piloted up the mountain and placed on I
train near Deerfeld, while others were
brought to Thurmont and taken to thei
destination on the mountain in automo
biles.