Wreck of the Crescent Limited Amtrak Railroad Anacostia Bridge

wreck of crescent limited train on pennsylvania railroad s anacostia river bridge.

there amazingly little loss of life. engineer , fireman both killed, , 13 passengers injured (but 2 severely). 30 passengers aboard, limited casualties. couplings between cars held, preventing more cars crashing river. other factors helped. when train left baltimore, railroad officials warned engineer slow down because of conditions created hurricane, , locomotive s steam had been cut off (with object of allowing train coast down grade city). cost of disaster estimated @ between $80,000 , $240,000 ($1,500,000 $4,400,000 in 2016 dollars). more 300 workers began clearing wreck next day.

the clearing of wreck , reconstruction of bridge cause of several injuries. dredge, several cranes, , pile-driver brought on site shore bridge , assist removal of debris , wreckage. 2 men hurt on august 24 debris , cranes attempting lift locomotive water. 2 days later, man killed when telephone pole on bridge toppled on onto him. same day, pile-driver toppled on river well. worker injured on august 27 after being hit boom. @ least 1 wrongful-death lawsuit filed. temporary single-track span erected on august 28, , traffic on bridge resumed shortly thereafter.

an inquest wreck scheduled august 30. inquest determined flooding caused hurricane had undermined bridge s piers. there concern dredging of river s bottom, had been going on since bridge completed, may have cause velocity of river speed , helped undermine bridge s foundation. experts interstate commerce commission ruled out in november 1933.