The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-06-25
SIX KILLED In RAIL
ROAD CRASH

FEEL Huh, NEAk IHUkMUNl-
ENGINES TELESCOPED- MIXED TRAIN
ORDER CAUSE OF ACCIDENT.
A head-on collision on the Western
Maryland occurred yesterday evening
about $50 o'clock, when the accom-
mediation train No. 10, from Hagers-
town, and the Blue Mountain Express
train No. IT came together on the high
bridge just west or Thurmont. The
dead are: Mrs w. Edwin Chipchase
and son, Walter N. Chipchase, of Bal
timore; Coleman Cook, engineer, OF
No. 10; c. r. Fritz, Hagerstown, trav-
cling fireman on No. IL; J. r. Hayes,
fireman, No. I'LL; Luther Hull, bag
gageman on No. IL.
Injured seriously: G.. R. Zentgraft,
fireman on No. I'LL, Lee and ribs brok-
en-. Slightly injured: Frank Snyder,
engineer of No. IL; H. w. Smith, ex-
press messenger, on No. 10; T.. u.
Wade, roadmaster.
The cause of the accident could not
BE- verified on the scene, although the
common report prevailed that the
westbound train had orders to pass
the eastbound at Flint and the east
bound was ordered to take the 60
mile siding.
Between these sidings there are
several high bridges. On the first of
them, west OF Thurmont, known as
High Bridge, the two trains crashed
into each other. The impact was
terrific. The engines completely tele-
scoped each other.
The express car of the Blue Noun
tain Express crashed down into the
little mountain stream about 100 feet
below. There are guard rails Oh the
trestle, but they were carried away
by the wreckage.
The first pullman car of the west
bound train was hanging perilous.g
over the side of the high structure
damned up against the tender of en-.
gine No. 200.
! Baggageman Hull was in the ex.
press car that went down. Although
the car was pile of kindling, Hull
survived about an hour He had lost
one of his legs in a previous wreck.
The Blue Mountain Express was
made up OF six coaches and an ex.
press car, while the accommodation
consisted of two coaches and bag
gage car. Fireman zentgraft, or thu
! latter train jumped into the tree top.
as he saw the coming wreck. 1t il
\ believed that his back was broken.
Engineer Frank Snyder, Of the west
bound train, stuck to his post unit
the impact With two broken legs III
dragged himself across the wreckagt
of his train. He was taken to the
home of I'll. a. F1ohr, at Sixty Mile
Siding. 1t Is thought that he will re
cover.
The accident attracted hundreds d
persons to the scene. When the bill
engines came together the whistle o
one Of the locomotives started blow
Ing and kept up until the steam was
exhausted
OF the passengers only a few wer,
injured. They left the train and wer,
conveyed in automobiles to Thurmont
Falling Goals from the Hagerstow1
train engine for while threatened
the wooden structure.
A sharp cure on either side of tn,
bridge prevented the engineers from
seeing the approaching trains unit
each had gotten we'll ON the bridge
The Blue Mountain, i'm charge of Con
ductor ]. ID. Ecker, was well upon thu
trestling when the express in chargt
of Conductor e. T.. Seigman dashed
around the curve.
The trains met with terrific impact
both locomotives were practically
welded together. The tender or thu
express and baggage car were hurled
over the trestling. In the baggage
car on the cot was Mrs. Chipchase, at
tended by her son, Walter III. Chip
chase, on their way to their summer
home. She with Baggagemaster Hull
was instantly killed.
| When the trains crashed together
I, the weight OF the parlor car of the
Blue Mountain express drove the bag
gage car, Immediately ahead Of it
from the trucks, and the baggage cal
tumbled 100 feet to the rocky bed 81
| the little stream below the bridge The
cars trucks remained on the bridge
When men from the train Chamber
ed down the embankment they found
Mrs. Chipchase and the baggagemas.
ter dead i'm the ruins of the car. Mrs
Chipchase's son was still living, but
died soon afterward.
scene OF the wreck. AT midnight the
bodies of the dead fireman and en-
gineer on the locomotive of the Blue
Mountain train were still dangling
from the sides of their cab.
The dead bodies of Fireman Fritz
and Fireman Hayes on the Blue Noun
tain train were suspended from the
windows on each side of their en-
gines. The CHASTITY sight was viewed
by hundreds OF persons who went to
the scene and viewed the wreck from
the ravine
Eight or ten persons on the train
were cut with flying glass and bruis-
ed
The dead were placed alongside each
other and later removed to an under
taking establishment i'm Thurmont
The collision was due to an error
OF orders given by the train dispatcher
at Hagerstown," stated Clarence II.
Porter. IN official or the railroad,
speaking for President Gray last
night