Evening star., 1944-07-03

II Others Treated;
Freight Hits SpecioI
Near Germantown
Seven persons injured. early yes
terday when freight train crashed
into the rear Of the Baltimore &
Ohio Metropolitan Special from st,
Louis to New York, near German
town. Nd, were receiving treatment
in, local hospitals today, while II
others had been released after re-
eeiving medical aid. Railroad on
cials estimated 4S persons were In.
jured or shaken up in the crash.
The Federal Bureau of Investi9a.
ton, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and railroad ofncials were
investigating the accident, Mont
gomery County police said. They
said no indication OF sabotage was
found.
B. & o. oficials said the. crash
occurred after the passenger train
had been stopped to investigate q
broken coupling between the first
and second cars. They said six cars
of the freight were derailed and
that a truck of one car .fouled the
westbound track, delaying traf1lc for
about two hours.
Coach Raised 5 Fset.
Police said they were told by pas
sengers that the impact of the crash
raised the rear sleeping car OF the
passenger train five feet into the
air. They said they were told that
the passenger train had backed up
after the coupling broke, and the
freight, which had gone onto q sid
ing to allow the faster train to
pass, pulled out and ran into its
rear.
b. Il O. ofncials said the passenger
brakeman threw = red flare on the
track Immediately behind the
stopped train, and then went TO q
point approximately 1000 feet from
the train, where he tagged the ap-
preaching freight, then proceeding
at half speed.
Omcials said both the freight fire-
man and brakeman reported to the
engineer that the brakeman from
the train ahead was showing the
red stop light. They said the freight
engineer applied air to his brakes,
but failed to stop before his train
struck the rear of the passenger.
Workers Lowered Down Bank.
Montgomery County police said q
Gaithersburg telephone operator
gave the first word of the accident,
calling out Civilian Defense doctors
and nurses. Firemen lowered res
cue workers down steep banks to the
tracks with the aid of ropes.
Ambulances from Gaithersburg
and Rockville were sent to the scene,
but it was decided to bring the in
jured to Silver Spring on the front
section OF the train, police said.
They were removed to hospitals from
the station there by ambulances
from the Silver Spring. Kensington
and Takoma Park rescue squads
and the Warner e. Pumphrey fu-
neral home. Red Cross and Army
personnel assisted in giving tirst aid
at the scene.
DIR. F. J. Broschart, county medi-
cal examiner, as well as DR.. Read
Culvert and DR.. Claude Mitchell,
Silver Spring, also aided in treat
ing the injured,
Two Inductees Hnrt.
Two inductees from Nashville.
Tenn, Roy o. williams and Horace
Travis, en- route to the Naval Train
ing Station at Bainbridge, Md. were
taken to the Naval Hospital at Be-
thesda. but their injuries were de-
scribed as minor.
The most seriously injured was
Martha Lake, colored porterette,
who was first treated at the WASH
;ngton Sanitarium and Hospital,
Takoma Park. for back injuries, and
was later transferred to Emergency
Hospital here. Hospital attendants
today described her condition as un-
determined.
Passengers who remained at the
Washington Sanitarium and Hos
pital today were: Jack c. Rhody
and Mrs. Lucy Woods, Baltimore; /;
Mrs. Walter Pomper and Mrs. Roy
Beckwtth, Westfield, Mass.
Those released after treatment
at the Takoma Park hospital were
Mrs. Adelaide Mixter, Spring.
field, Mass; Mrs. Anna B. Green,
Cumberland, Md; Cecil Woods, Bal
timore; Mr.. and Mrs. Bernard
Gamer and their two children,
Bradley, 2. and Judith Carol, l.
Westf1eld, Mass; Christine Pomper,
infant daughter Of Mrs. Pomper.
Those released after treatment at
Casualty Hospital are: .
Fairfax George, Lovettsville, Va.
Mrs. Ida M. Young, Berwyn, Pa, and
Mrs. Virginia M. Sabateili,, Clarks.
burg, w. Va.
Baltimore & Ohio ofYicials said
Mrs. H. L. Robinson, New Castle
Del, also was given hospital first aid
treatment, but her name did not
appear on any local hospital list.
Boy, 10, browns After Fall