Evening star., 1944-12-12
Killed,
10 Hurt in Train
Here
Southern Flyer and
Two Freights Crash
Near Highway Bridge
Wreck Pictures on Page BIZ

The engineer of the Southern
Railways crack Aiken Augusta
Special was killed and at least
four other trainmen and five or
six passengers were injured this
morning in a collision involving
three trains near the south end
of Highway Bridge.
The man killed was Claude Baxter
Beales, 55, of Alexandria, who died
of burns few hours after the flyer
ploWed into a freight car hurled in
its path by rear-end crash on an
adjoining track in which a Balti-
more & Ohio freight struck Penn
sylvania freight as both were pro-
ceeding to Potomac Yards.
The Southern engine rocked
along for yards, dragging four cars
off the track before it finally toppled
to its side, at the edge of a pond
just off the right of way.
Traffic Tied Up.
officials started an immediate in
quiry into the cause of the wreck
which occurred about tbs o'clock
and tied up traffic several hours.
The injured at Emergency Hos
pital:
William H. Smith, 26, Ala E. Glen
dale avenue, Alexandria, Southern
fireman, burns and cuts. He is the
son of Mrs. P H. Vennell of 1856
Tenth street NE, post Office en-
ploye.
William Kinger, %, of Philadel-
phia, B. 6, o. brakeman.
Charles Sweeney, Philadelphia,
B. & O. engineer. treated for shock.
At Alexandria Hospital:
Raymond Menker, Upper Darby,
Pa. fireman on the B. & O.. suf-
fering chest injuries,
There were about $50 passengers
on the Southern train which left
Augusta, Ga, at 2 pm. yesterday
and was due in here at $50 o'clock
this morning.
Engineer on Line 90 Years.
Mr. Beales, the dead engineer,
lived on Cockrells Mills lane, Alex
andria. He had been employed on
the Southern for 80 years. He died
at Emergency Hospital at 10:15 am.
Mr.. Beales was born in Loudoun
County, Va, near Leesburg. He is
survived by his widow, Mrs. Ethel
Beales, and six children, Mrs. D. c..
Webb, Mrs. Elmer Thomas, Elmer
Beales. fireman employed by the
Southern Railway; Betty and Betsy
Beales. twins, and James Beales.
| The wreck occurred while this
area was struggling with a wet
snowfall-the first of the season.
and ambulances summoned from
nearby communities and military
installations, found the going diff
cult as they hurried to the scene
with medical aid for the victims.
One ambulance coming from Fort
Belvoir skidded on the slippery
pavement. but Army authorities said
no one was injured and that the
vehicle was undamaged.
MPs Quickly Reach Scene.
| The mail car, the express car and
| two passenger cars were thrown from
the rails and partly overturned as
the engine struck the hurting
freight car Members of the mail
crew were tossed into an end of the
car and they reported later that
when they finally were able to get
outside they found a scene of con-
fusion as passengers and trainmen
sought to find out just what had
happened.
Military police quickly reached the
scene and the headquarters of the
three railroads were notified.
The injured were taken to Emer-
gency Hospital and Alexandria Hos
pital and the Southern Railway
chartered 25 Capital Transit buses
to take passengers to Union Station
from the wrecked train and others
tied up by the wreck.
Several railroads operate over the
tracks of the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg & Potomac Railroad where the
wreck occurred, and those were tied
up. Trains halted included 10 oper-
ated by the Southern and others by
the R., F. & P. and the c. & o.
| Among the trains held up were
the c. & O.'s George Washington,
from st. Louis and Cincinnati; the
| Atlanta Coast Line Champion. from
Florida, and two sections of the
Atlantic Coast Lines Palmetto Linz
tied, from the South.
Wrecking crews went to work i'm
mediately to clear the line and
repair trackage that was torn up,
but it was thought that it would be
midafternoon before traffic would be
, moving in both directions.
/ Safety investigators of the Inter-
, state Commerce Commission were
sent to the scene as soon as the
> wreck was reported Trains operate
by block signal in the area in which
the wreck occurred.