Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28

various hospitals. There beds had been
! made ready for their reception and skilled
surgeons were in readiness to perform any
operations that might prove to be immedi-
ately necessary in order to save life.
Those unframed survivors living in
Pomona made at once for their homes;
those survivors living beyond Pomona who
were fortunate enough to have garments
on their backs, were sent direct to the
hotels in the immediate vicinity of the
station.
The others were taken into the terminal
waiting rooms, where they were supplied
with clothing received from two or three of
the towns big stores. Then they, too, were
sent to the hotels. A physician went to
| each hotel to look after the hysterical ones,
or to be close at hand should nerves give
way-nerves of men well as of women.
To save the feelings of the relatives OF
| the dead much as possible, the bodies
| were taken, not to the morgue, but to repu-
| table undertaking establishments. They
| had. been identified by survivors and rail-
| road claim agents, who had gone to the
| wreck on the second train. that an accu-
| rate list of the passengers, dead, injured
| and living, might be secured. A number
/ of the dead had lived In Pomona 1t was a
comparatively easy task to notify the rela-
| tives. AS for the rest, kilograms were sent
| to the addresses found in letters or identi-
| ffcation cards. etc. on the bodies, and to
| the police of the various cities from which
| the dead had hailed. Nothing more in this
| direction could be done until word was re-
| ceved concerning the disposition to be
! made of the bodies.
How the Dispatcher Handled Traffic.
Just about the time that the last of the
| injured were being received in the hos
pftals the wrecking crew succeeded in
| clearing the second track. In a short while
| the damage done to the roadbed was re-
| paired sufficiently to permit of the safe
| passage of trains. That part of the wrecked
| train which was still on wheels was htched
| to the wrecking train for hauling away to
| Pomona. The debris, having been rolled
| down the side of the embankment, was set
| fire and the wrecking crews work was
over.
When the wrecking train reached Harps-
| burg, on the way back to Pomona it went
on to the turnout there, as per orders sent
| to the Harpsburg operator by the dis
| patcher. A few minutes later the first
| train to use the east track since the wreck
| occurred went past HARRISBURG, and thence
| forth traffic went on uninterruptedly on
| both tracks.
But while the west track only was clear,
/ the dispatcher with that sharp mental
picture of his division in. his mind, shuttled
| his trains back and forth around the wreck
| on the one clear track This he was able to
| dc by issuing the necessary orders to this
| or that or the other train to cross over
| from the east track above the wreck at a
| designated cross-over, and to cross back
! at designated cross-over below the wreck.
! And while such train was on the clear
| track all the trains properly belonging to
| that track were held on sidetracks and
| turn-outs at points outside the distance be-
| tween the two designated cross-overs until
/ the train. from the east track had crossed
over to its proper track.
The dispatcher was able to do this be-
| cause in dispatcher's hands lies the power
over all trains. A dispatcher is the car
| of railroad operation. By means of his
| train sheets, he knows where very train is
| minnie that if is his division
| And So this particular dispatcher, in order
! to move his various trains with little de-
| lay possible on account of the wreck,
began running his trains ION orders" as
| track had been cleared.
| With the skill of a great general con-
| summately moving his men into battle, he
sent orders to the operator at Merton to
| hold on the side track there the fast freight
| then approaching the station on the west
| track until No. & the eastbound limited, .
| had gone by. The operator at Hampstead
| station hung out his order board for the
limited" and when it slowed down, hand
| ed the engineer a duplicate order for him
! self and his conductor to cross over at
| Harpsburg to the west track and to cross
| back to the east track at Merton. Pas
| senger trains We're given the right of way,
| and before the east track had been cleared,
| four had been sent by the wreck, their oc-
cupants all unconscious of the tragedy that
| had so lately been enacted right beyond
| their windows.
| The Claim Department.
| 1t was early morning when traffic was
| running smoothly again. With their nerves
! steadied by the advent of full daylight, not
| few of the survivors after sending mes
sages that they were safe, began making
| preparations to continue their respective
| Journeys to turn back home There was
a general inquiry for baggage. Naturally.
! tacy .o1ao t,aI Lost
as baggage and garments which had been
| twelve hours before.
| The claim department now came promi-
| nently to the fore. That passenger who
| could satisfactorily prove that such and
| such a trunk was his, got it. after releasing
| the railroad from further responsibility in
| the matter-provided, of course. that the
| passenger was satisfied that his possessions
| had come through the wreck unframed In
| other cases claims for damages were filed.
| and in still others survivors were started
| on their way who did not so much as
breathe the word baggage" or .'claim"
| until days after. Their frame of mind was,
evidently, what is matter of little thing
| like lost baggage SO long and ours
! have escaped with our lives?
| The claim department did not hear the
| last of the wreck for months. majority
| of the claims however, were settled with
| out recourse to law, simply by conferences
| between the railroads lawyers and those
representing the famllieS OF the deaQ anu
injured. All told, eight cases dragged their
| snuous way through the courts. In SIX OF
! them the railroad had verdicts pronounced
against 1t for larger amounts than 1t con-
| sidered just and all were sustained on APP
peal The remaining cases turned out VIC
| torious for the railroad. Both complain-
| ants had declared themselves to be perma-
| nentiy disabled and incapa citated for work.
hence they wanted enormous damages. The
railroad felt that two sly attempts were be-
| ing made to victimize It, Detectives were
| nut on the trail of the men, who were
shadowed for months and the evidence
| that the sleuths gave at the trials led to
| the conviction later of the complainants on
| indictments presented against them for
| perjury.
1t is safe to say that the Cases which APP
! pear in court growing out of a wreck are
| relatively small as general rule, compared
with the number settled out of court In
deed. the hig majority are settled outside
| as soon as possible, releases being taken by
1 the railroad
AS a usual thing II Is not difficult for the
/ injured and the railroad to reach a working
basis. While they are in the hospitals the
injured receive the best of care.s the rail-
road paying all bills. Nothing Is left undone
1 that may contribute TO their comfort. This
/ solieitude serves to lead the Injured to the
/ belief that the railroad desires to 10 the