Note
See The Times, July 19, 1912, p.1Note
The crews of local freight No. 301 and work train extra No. 801, on the Western Maryland Railroad, narrowly escaped death early on the morning of July 13, 1912.
Before leaving Westminster, the engineer of No. 301 was warned that there was a crew working on the line about a mile west of the city, between Spring Mills and Avondale. His train was pushing a box car ahead of the locomotive and pulling several box cars and steel coal hoppers behind. The engineer slowed as he approached the area but, as he rounded a sharp curve at the bottom of a steep grade, the work train stood directly in his path.
No. 301 and the box car were demolished as they slammed into the stopped train. The crews were lucky. The engineer of No. 301 was thrown clear and sustained minor injuries. The fireman was trapped in the wreckage and sustained serious injuries but would recover. The brakemen jumped for their lives. One suffered minor head injuries and the other broke both legs. On the work train, the engineer and fireman jumped off the tracks. The engineer received minor head wounds but the fireman was trapped in the wreckage and suffered a broken leg.
Local residents rushed to the scene and began caring for the injured men. Doctors arrived from Westminster and used their cars to transport the men back to the city. The railroad provided a special train to take the men to a hospital in Baltimore. Thankfully, none of the men were killed and they all recovered from their injuries.
Railroad crews quickly cleared the wreckage and traffic on the line resumed that night. 