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Page 34 February 2017 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
1915 The Wreck of the Blue
Mountain Express, Part 3
by James Rada, Jr.
Note: This is the third of three articles about the wreck of the Blue Mountain Express between Thurmont and Sabillasville in 1915.
On June 25, 1915, the Blue William H. Webb was a sixty-five- the children or grandchildren took Photo Courtesy of Roger Troxell
Mountain Express bound for year-old watchman on the bridges him his lunch one day. It was pouring
Hagerstown crashed head-on with west of Thurmont. Each day, he down rain and he found him (Webb) William H. Webb
a mail train coming east from would walk to his shanty next to the sitting on the railing holding his
Hagerstown, crumpling the two bridges from his home on Kelbaugh umbrella, and he was dead.” was hired to replace Webb. Also,
engines and sending a baggage car Road. Every day, his wife, Sarah, one of the trains that wrecked was
off the bridge where the wreck would have one of their children or This differs from the accounts the fast mail train that Webb usually
occurred and into the ravine below. grandchildren take William his lunch. in the Frederick Post and Catoctin signaled.
Coleman Cook, engineer; Luther Clarion. They reported that the
Hull, fireman; J. R. Hayes, fireman; “As watchman of those bridges, day watchman had found William Had Webb still been alive and on
Mrs. W. C. Chipchase, Baltimore; Mr. Webb’s position was an lying beside the cross-tie block on the job, he may have been able to
and Walter Chipchase, Baltimore, important one. The safety of many February 24, 1915. signal the trains to stop before they
all died in the crash. Twelve others passengers and trains depended upon wrecked on the bridges. Bloom may
suffered serious injuries. his watchfulness during the hours of “When found his overcoat was also have been able to call the shanty
the night. He walked those bridges drawn up over his shoulders, and a directly about the mix-up, rather
Edgar Bloom, a dispatcher for at regular intervals during all hours raised umbrella lay beside him,” the than telegraphing a message to the
the Western Maryland Railroad, of the night,” the Frederick Post Frederick Post reported. Western Maryland Railroad Station
took responsibility for mixing up reported. in Thurmont in the hopes to stop the
the right-of-way orders issued from The Catoctin Clarion explained train before it left the station.
Hagerstown that had caused the By 1915, he’d been an employee that it appeared as if Webb had come
crash. of the Western Maryland Railroad east from his shack, across the iron
for thirty-five years. His job was bridge to “signal” the Fast Mail train
What if there was another isolated, but he enjoyed it. going west soon after 6 o’clock, and
contributing factor in the accident while walking to his post east of
that no one realized because it had Webb was Roger Troxell’s great- the bridge was stricken with heart
happened months earlier? grandfather. According to stories trouble and died.
that his mother told him, “One of
The day watchman telephoned to
Thurmont and Dr. Morris Birely, and
Magistrate E. E. Black came out to
the bridges to examine the body. No
marks were found on it, and Birely
said that heart failure was the cause
of death.
Although this was months before
the summer wreck, there’s no
indication that another watchman
a d s @ t h e c a t o c t i n b a n n e r. c o m
BOLLINGER HOMES, LLC
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• Additions
Custom Homes &
Remodeling • Garages
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building additions and remodeling for over 20 years in • Decks
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Phone 301.447.6917
Fax 301.447.2704
1 Creamery Way
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
1915 The Wreck of the Blue
Mountain Express, Part 3
by James Rada, Jr.
Note: This is the third of three articles about the wreck of the Blue Mountain Express between Thurmont and Sabillasville in 1915.
On June 25, 1915, the Blue William H. Webb was a sixty-five- the children or grandchildren took Photo Courtesy of Roger Troxell
Mountain Express bound for year-old watchman on the bridges him his lunch one day. It was pouring
Hagerstown crashed head-on with west of Thurmont. Each day, he down rain and he found him (Webb) William H. Webb
a mail train coming east from would walk to his shanty next to the sitting on the railing holding his
Hagerstown, crumpling the two bridges from his home on Kelbaugh umbrella, and he was dead.” was hired to replace Webb. Also,
engines and sending a baggage car Road. Every day, his wife, Sarah, one of the trains that wrecked was
off the bridge where the wreck would have one of their children or This differs from the accounts the fast mail train that Webb usually
occurred and into the ravine below. grandchildren take William his lunch. in the Frederick Post and Catoctin signaled.
Coleman Cook, engineer; Luther Clarion. They reported that the
Hull, fireman; J. R. Hayes, fireman; “As watchman of those bridges, day watchman had found William Had Webb still been alive and on
Mrs. W. C. Chipchase, Baltimore; Mr. Webb’s position was an lying beside the cross-tie block on the job, he may have been able to
and Walter Chipchase, Baltimore, important one. The safety of many February 24, 1915. signal the trains to stop before they
all died in the crash. Twelve others passengers and trains depended upon wrecked on the bridges. Bloom may
suffered serious injuries. his watchfulness during the hours of “When found his overcoat was also have been able to call the shanty
the night. He walked those bridges drawn up over his shoulders, and a directly about the mix-up, rather
Edgar Bloom, a dispatcher for at regular intervals during all hours raised umbrella lay beside him,” the than telegraphing a message to the
the Western Maryland Railroad, of the night,” the Frederick Post Frederick Post reported. Western Maryland Railroad Station
took responsibility for mixing up reported. in Thurmont in the hopes to stop the
the right-of-way orders issued from The Catoctin Clarion explained train before it left the station.
Hagerstown that had caused the By 1915, he’d been an employee that it appeared as if Webb had come
crash. of the Western Maryland Railroad east from his shack, across the iron
for thirty-five years. His job was bridge to “signal” the Fast Mail train
What if there was another isolated, but he enjoyed it. going west soon after 6 o’clock, and
contributing factor in the accident while walking to his post east of
that no one realized because it had Webb was Roger Troxell’s great- the bridge was stricken with heart
happened months earlier? grandfather. According to stories trouble and died.
that his mother told him, “One of
The day watchman telephoned to
Thurmont and Dr. Morris Birely, and
Magistrate E. E. Black came out to
the bridges to examine the body. No
marks were found on it, and Birely
said that heart failure was the cause
of death.
Although this was months before
the summer wreck, there’s no
indication that another watchman
a d s @ t h e c a t o c t i n b a n n e r. c o m
BOLLINGER HOMES, LLC
Custom Home Builder & Remodeler
We specialize in...
• Additions
Custom Homes &
Remodeling • Garages
• Patios
Bollinger Homes, LLC have been building custom homes,
building additions and remodeling for over 20 years in • Decks
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. • Concrete Walks
• Siding & Roofing
Call for a FREE ESTIMATE!
Phone 301.447.6917
Fax 301.447.2704
1 Creamery Way
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
