Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-31
GROUND TO KINDLING
SEARCHING FOR THE BODIES
STORIES THAT CONFLICT.

In the vicinity of the little station at
Terra Gotta the scene was frightful one.
All that remained of the passenger coaches
was ground into kindling. The large force
of police and firemen with the aid Of VOL
unteers lifted the remaining framework
of the sides of the cars and careful search
was then made for bodies AS fast as
they were found they were removed to the
placed in long rows. In number of in
stances the mutilation was terrible
Clothing of every description was inter-
mingled with the dead and mutilated bodies,
and the work of removing the bodies was
most narrowing one. At Terra Gotta a
number OF passengers were either waiting
to board the train or to alight therefrom
About half mile north of the Brook
land station the first indication of a wreck
was noticeable. Standing on the south
bound track was the only remaining rem
nant of the Inflated train. 1t consisted of
combination smoker and baggage car
with the fragments of the two passenger
coaches which composed the balance of the
train. The engine had been detached and
was In front Of the station at Brookland.
One of the First at Scene.
Among the first to reach the scene of the
wreck was Mr.. Thaddeus T. Roddy, who
Is employed at the Terra Gotta works.
tracks when 1 heard the crash" he said.
Il rushed out and the first object which
met my view was woman painfully in
1ured lying on the nOrthbound track NV
initial thought was of an approaching train
SO lifted her to g. more comfortable
place. then called for help, and when l
looked around / saw dead and diving living
everywhere. l Immediately telephoned to
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and to the
eighth and tenth police precincts for as
fhar nit nhnl
removing the dead and injured from the
wreck"
DR.. G. B. Heinecke of Brightwood was
among the first of the physicians to arrive
was active in aiding the injured and pre-
pairing them for removal to hospitals.
Portion of Green Flag.
A visiting railroad official who was at
the scene of the wreck about o'clock this
morning, was presented by a souvenir
hunter with half portion Of green flag
which was rem we'd from the socket on
the rear coach of the Inflated train against
which the freight engine was damned.
Inc railroad man in question, having in
mind the :1gnlfcance of this point it is ex-
planned. as indicating whether lights or
flags were on the back end of the wrecked
train, questioned the party very closely in
the presence of witnesses The souvenir
hunter was very explicit in his statement
coach: Green flags are used signals by
day. it is explained, and are taken down
and replaced by reu Lights after nightfall.
Stories That Conflict.
The stories told by the crew of the train
that did the wreckins and the operator
Milton Phillips. and his friends at Takoma
conflict. Phillips says he has witnesses to
prove the danger signal was set dead
against the train that crashed into the local.
Hildegrand, the engineer. denies that and
says that there was white light at the
Takoma station.
Fred Lemkum. the gate keeper at the
Cedar street crossing Of the Baltimore and
Ohio, saw the dead-head train as it went
through Takoma. He says that the red
train and that it clearly had no business
IN the block. Policeman Kennedy of the
tenth precinct, it is stated, was another
who saw the signals and will testify that
the red light was displayed.
Engineer Hildebrand of the dead-head
says that the cautionary signal Of double
green was displayed at the entrance to the
block, but that when the train reached
Takoma he saw no lights.
The first news Of the wreck was received
at the Emergency Hospital shortly before
o'clock last evening by a telephone mes
sage for the ambulance. DR.. Sutton started
with the ambulance for Terra Gotta at once
He worked there for more than an hour
giving temporary aid to many of the in
jured and helping in all ways that he could
to prevent any increase in the loss of life
When the injured were all taken care of
In various ways he returned to the city
Fixing the Responsibility.
c. w. Galloway, general superintendent
of transportation OF the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, was quoted today as placing the
responsibility for the wreck upon the en-
gineer of the freight train or the operator
of the block at Takoma. He added that the
horrible catastrophe could have been avoid
ed and that some one was responsible for it.
According to him, the company will leave
no stone unturned until that responsibility
has been fixed.
Aged Man Killed.
MONTICELLO, Ga, December 3l.-Jas.