Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-31

suit of the Terra Gotta wreck, accord
ina to the police, had reached So. For
ty-five of the number have been identi-
fled.
Washington. Dec 31.-The list of
dead as a result of the appalling wreck
at "eIIa Gotta ON the Baltimore u
Ohio railroad last night. had reached
A at noon today. Inquiry at various
hospitals of the city, where the in
Jured have been taken, shows num-
her of persons whose condition is re-
garded as hopeless. The injured num-
Der over fifty.
1t has been decided to postpone the
cOroner's inquest until Wednesday.
This will be the first official step to-
wards fixing the responsibility for the
disaster. In the meantime. it is under
:tood, railroad officials are making n
searching investigation.
Two Stories Told.
Two distinct stories are today being
told by friends of those who will ma
turaIly be implicated. At Silver
Springs. Md. the operator said local
10. GG from Frederick had entered the
block with a clear track. Two green
lights were set on the signal track
showing the block occupied. The en-
glneer of the dead" train, which was
following, accordingly slowed down as
he entered the block to run eau
tiOusly.'
Tied Down Lights,
AT Takoma station, near the center
Of the block. IL is said the day Operat-
or had tied down the white signals
showing a clear track, and left the sta
ton. At this Indication. the engineer
Of the dead train crowded on all
steam and forged ahead at tremendous
speed in a dark, foggy night, on slip
perry track. 1t was only a few minutes |
until the huge engine of the dead"
train plunged into the rear of the To- |
cal. just pulling out of Terra Gotta, |
aud only three miles from Washington |
Denies the Charge.
Operator Phillips at Takoma denies |
his signals were white. He declares |
he was at his post and that red signals /
were set showing the occupied tracks. |
He was much astonished to see the |
dead" train rush past. and expected |
it to slow down and back up. Instead |
he heard of the accident in a few min
utes.
Causes Deep Sorrow.
The wreck has brought deepest sor-
row TO scores of Washington homes.
A triple portion visited that of DR.. E.
o. Bell, who lost his life with two of
his sons. Mrs. Bell at home. nursing
the youngest son, three years old. who
has broken leg. Hearing of the
wreck and knowing her husband and
sons were on the train, it was with
increasing horror she awaited their
coming. She summoned Dr. Morton
Griffith and started him in search of
the missing ones.
Found the Bodies.
Griffith first visited the hospitals and
then turned to the morgue. Here he
found the father. and one of the sons
The little fellows body was badly man.
gled and nothing but the trunk OF DR..
Bell remained Later the other lad
was located in hospital, where he
had died
Estimate Raised.
Washington, c., Dec. 31-The total
number of killed in the rear-end col
lision on the Baltimore & Ohio rail
road at Terra Gotta, d. c., last night
Is estimated this morning al about ,
forty and the number of injured at
fifty.
The wreck was caused by an engine
drawing eight empty cars running into
a local known as the Frederick ex- !
press, just as the passenger train had
pulled out from the station bound for
this city
Fog Hid Signals.
Engineer Hildebrandt in charge of
The dead" train was arrested shortly
after the disaster, and declares on ac- I
count of dense fog he was unable to 7
distinguish the signal light at the Ia ;
homa park block station.
Tower operator Phillips declares
train passed the tower
station going at a speed of so to so t
niles an hour 9
List of Dead. S
The dead: r
COLONEL ROBERT ANDERSON, a
Newark, Ohio n
FANNIE AUSTIN, negro, Washing-l v