Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-12-31


list of dead as result of the appal-
ling wreck at Terracotta on the Bal
timore & Ohio Railroad last night had
reached forty-seven at noon today.
An inquiry at the various hospitals
of the city where the injured were
taken shows that there are number
of persons whose conditions are re-
garded as hopeless The injured
number over fifty.
Two distinct stories are being told
today by friends of those who will
naturally be implicated. The entrance
to the block on which the accident oc-
Cured is at Silverspring, Maryland.
1t Is said local number 66 from Fred
erick had entered the block with a
clear track.
Dispute as to Color Of Signal Lights.
Red lights We're then Set on the
signal tower showing that the block
was occupied. The engineer of the
dead" train which was following, ac-
cordingly slowed down as he entered
The block, and ran cautiously. At
Takoma station, near the center of
the block it is said the day operator
had tied down the white signals show
ing clear track and left his station AT
this Indication the engineer of the
dead" train crowded on all steam and
forged ahead at tremendous speed
IN the dark foggy night and on slip
perry tracks.
Huge Engine Driven With Terrific
Force.
1t was only few moments until
the huge engine of the dead" train
plunged into the rear of the local, just
pulling out of Terracotta Operator
Phillips at Takoma denies that his sig.
nails were white. He declares he was
at his post and that red signals were
set showing occupied tracks, He was
Rlsch astonisfed 10. see the dead
train rush past and expected it to
slow down and back up Instead he
heard of the accident in few min
utes.
Death List Now Totals Fifty-Three
At 2 o'clock this afternoon the nun.
Der of dead as result of the Terra
Gotta wreck, according to the police
had reached fifty-three, and forty-fiye
of that number have been identified.
Superintendent Says Investigation
Will Be Thorough.
C. N. Galloway, superintendent of
the Baltimore & Ohio. who went to
the scene of the wreck at Terracotta
last night, returned to Baltimore to-
day. He said thorough investigation
of the disaster would be held here as
soon as possible. No effort he said
would be spared to fix the blame.
Number Of Dead Estimated at Forty
Washington, d. c., Dec 31,-The
total number of killed in the rear end
collision on the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad at Terracotta, District of Co.
lumbia, a block station three miles
from Washington last night, is esti-
mated this morning at about forty
and the number of injured at fifty.
The wreck was caused by an engine
drawing eight empty cars running in
to q passenger train that had pulled
out Of the station bound for this city
Engineer Who Disregarded Signal
Under Arrest.
Engineer Hilderbrand, who was in
charge of the dead train, and who
was arrested shortly after the disas
ter declared that on account of the
dense fog he was unable to distin-
guish the signal lights al the Takoma
Park block station.
Operator Says Danger Light Was
Displayed.
The tower operator. Phillips, de-
clared that the danger signal was In
Its proper place and that Engineer
Holderbrand train passed the tower
of the station going at a speed of fif
Ity or sixty miles. Officials of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad who were
unable to fix the responsibility for
the disaster. last night, will begin an
at Baltimore today to
determine the cause of disaster.
Trainmen and Operator Must Tell
Cause Of Accident.
Engineer Hilderbrand and the fire
man of the dead" train, Operator
Phillips and all others in any way
connected with the operation of the
train will be examined.
Terrible List Of Mangled Dead.
| The following is revised list Of
| the dead:
| Colonel Robert Anderson, Newark,
Ohio; Lewis Baldwin. East Orange,
New Jersey; DR.. e. Oliver Belt, sur.
geon for the Baltimore and Ohio; Ed
ward w. Belt, and his son; Miss Co
nine NJ. Bohrer, Washington; J. A.
Bond, address unknown; s. L. Bond,
address unknown; Commodore P.
Brown. compositor in government
printing once; Mrs Sallie V. Butts,
wife of ]. F. Butts, Washington
Health Department; Mrs. Mary A.
Caher, Nettie Lee Compiler, Wash
ington; Mrs. May Cook and infant
|child, Washington; DR.. E. Gather
Harris. Washington; Henry Higbie.