Thurmont Loses Long-Time Doctor by James Rada, Jr. The Bessie Darling murder. The Spanish Flu pandemic. The wreck of the Blue Mountain Express. The Blue Blazes Still Murder. In the early 20th century, if there was a death or serious illness in the Thurmont area, Dr. Morris A. Birely was usually involved. Not in the…

2by James Rada, Jr. Note: This is the second of three articles about the wreck of the Blue Mountain Express between Thurmont and Sabillasville in 1915. On June 25, 1915, the Blue Mountain Express, bound for Hagerstown, crashed head-on with a mail train traveling east from Hagerstown, crumpling the two engines and sending a baggage…