New-York tribune., 1907-01-05
BLOCK SIGNAL INQUIRY
Interstate Commerce Commission
Investigating Railroad Wrecks.

Washington Jan. 4-What promises to be
rigid investigation of the recent wrecks on the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Terra Gotta, D. c.
in which twoscore passengers lost their lives. and
on the Southern Railway, at Lawyers, Va. on
THANKSGIVING Day. when President Samuel
Spencer and six others We're killed. was begun
to-day by the Interstate Commerce Commission
acting under a general resolution passed by
Congress the last session providing for an in
quiry into the operation OF the block system on
railroads throughout the country. 1t is the
purpose Of the commission to determine whether
the responsibility for these two wrecks should be
placed on the workings of the block system or on
the carelessness of the railroad employees at the
block signal stations. Commissioner Clements
is conducting the inquiry, and the raAroaos are
represented by counsel.
Many witnesses have been summoned. and the
INQUIRY NAV last several days. The result of the
commissions findings will be submitted TO Con-
gress and it is understood that II the olock sys-
tenn is found to be untrustworthy some inrne-
diate legislative remedy may be urged on Con-
gress by the commission
The commission has forwarded to congress d
recommendation for the enactment Of legislation
that will enable either the commission or some
other government body to conduct experimental
tests Of automatic devices for the prevention OF
railroad accidents The communication says the
commission is credIbly informed that sucn oe-
vices have been invented. and expresses the
opinion that they ought to be tested at govern
meut expense.
The Terra Gotta wreck was first taken UP To-
day T F. Dent, chief dispatcher OF the f1aiu-
more &, Ohio Railroad at Camden Station BAL
timore testified that the location OF trains H
often unknown to him for five ten minutes
because of the failure or inability OF operators
at the block stations TO communicate with MIN
when a train passes their stations.
Harry II. Hndebrand. engineer of the dead"
equipment train which crashed into the Fred
eriok local at Terra Gotta, was the most i'm
portant witness Of the day. He testified that
the double green" light was displayed at ST.
Spring the night OF the accident, which
indicated that there was a work train in the
block between Silver Spring and University
Station. II there was any danger light" at
Takoma Station. the witness declared. he did
not see it He testified that between Friday
evening at 630 o'clock and Sunday evening at
$780, when the wreck occurred. period OF
forty-eight hours, he had had only eight hours
sleep He said, however. that when he was
called to make the fatal run he did not feel
lack OF sleep but was IN good condition TO make
the He said that under no circumstances
would he have gone out on the run IL he had
felt unable TO do so. he could have asked
another engineer to take his place.
II only after repeated questions by Com
missioner Clements and Mr. Walters. attorney
for the commission. that Hidebrand admitted
he had been suspended engineer for an in
fraction Of the rules of the company. Comulis-
soner Clements admonished the witness that he
must give testimony that point. Finally he
admitted that he had been suspended on at
least three occasions. once for allowing his en-
gine boiler 10 become short of water. then for
thirty days because he did not stop after the
explosion OF torpedo which he ran over. and
again for running through a switch. He said
he had heard of a number of instances where
engineers have passed by red signal. but he
could not give any specific instances He ad-
mitted that he sometimes took drink while off
duty. but that on the day of the wreck he had
not touched drop nor had he drank anything
in the holidays
The coroner's jury investigating the Terra
Gotta wreck heard testimony all day from tele
graph operators and others at the Silver Spring.
Takoma and University stations all of which
went to show that the two trains received
white light at Silver Springs, that the passenger
train cleared Takoma for University, and that
the dead" train ran by red light at Takoma.
The Takoma operator was Corroborated by four
witnesses as to his statement that ne gave the
dead" train the stop signal. Members of the
train crew will be heard tomorrow.