The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
FOG AND 4 DRIzzLING
 RAIN CAUSES ENGINEER
 ID RUN PAST SIGNALS
Nearly Two Score Are Dead and the List of Injured at Terracotta Will Run Up to an Appalling Fig ure-Accident Three Miles
 From Capital.

Washington, December 3o.--An appalling disaster resulting in the death so far as can be ascertained at midnight of thirty eight persons, and the injury of about fifty more, occurred about 62o o'clock this evening on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Terracotta, suburb of Wash ington.
 Frederick City, Md, local train No. 66 on the point of starting from the station, was run into by train made up of eight empty passenger coaches, bound from the west for Washington It is said that the engineer of the empty train had failed to see the red signal indicating that an- other train was in the block, and plunged, ahead on it's mission of death.
 All Washington Shocked.
 Nothing since the Ford theatre disaster. which occurred about fifteen years ago, when a large number of government clerks were killed by the collapse of a portion of the building, has produced such a shock as the disaster tonight. No railroad accident within great many years in the District of Columbia has ap- preached it in magnitude. A dense fog and drzzling rain prevailed throughout the day and tonight and to the inability of the engineer of the rear train to sec the signal showing that another train was in the block, is attributed the cause of the accident.
 The grade at the place where the tragedy occurred is downward, and the tracks were slippery.
 The Frederick train which is run on sundays only is largely for the accommo- dation of those who have gone to the sub urbs on Sunday and for the benefit Of chruch goers who desire to attend ser 7 vices in Washington at night, and pre- sumably a number of the latter were on the train. It leaves Frederick at 4:05 in the afternoon, and is scheduled to reach Terracotta about 6:15. The train was about on time tonight when the crash came.
 Heavy Fog conceaIs Disaster.
 At first, owing to the impenetrable fog it was impossible to determine the ex- tent of the disaster, and early rumors placed the number of killed at higher fig ures than those which proved later to be accurate.
 A special which had been dispatched to Terracotta brought the injured whose wounds had been hastily dressed, and they were sent around to the various hos pitals.
 Three died on the way to the city and one death occurred in one of the hos pitals.
 The engine of the rear train is said to be one of the largest and latest type of passenger engines used on the road. The fact of its size probably saved it from total destruction, and because of this Harry Hildebrand and his fireman es- capted with their lives. Hildebrand is said to have ben C substitute.
 He was arrested, together with his fireman. No formal charge has been placed against thenl, but they will be held pending an investigation
 The wrecked trail was composed of an engine, smoker and two day coaches. The two rear coaches were reduced to kindling wood. and the rear of the smoker was telescoped.
 Train Scattered Along Track.
 So great was the imp-et that the To- cal train was scattered along the track for a considerable distance.
 Thaddeus T. Rodey, a laborer, was working at the terracotta plant at the time of the wreck. He says he heard a loud noise which sounded like an ex- plosion. He ran out to the track and saw two women. one of whom was alive, and whom he assisted to her feet. It was only moment when he saw many other bodies stretched along the track. He im- mediately telephoned the news to the Bal imore and Ohio railroad at Washington.
 Traffic was delayed by the accident and 1t was after midnight before the bodies of the dead could be brought to the city. There was an entire absence of any at- tempts at theft As soon possible the bodies were covered and laid aside to await the coming of the train sent from the city to bring them here.
 Many pathetic scenes were enacted in the vicinity of the wreck, as relatives searched amid the fog and darkness for the bodies of their loved ones whom they feared were in the wreck.
 Nearly All Killed Outright.
 From the appearance of the bodies it is believed that -ry all of the victims | were killed outright died within a few minutes after the accident. pr. E. o. Bolt, one of the most promi- nent physician of Washington, and his cons, Edwin, years of age, and Sim claira 5 years, were passengers on the