New-York tribune., 1907-01-06
IGNORED THE RULES.
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system II they being treated by everybody

Continued from first page.
system II they are being treated by everybody
in the way you treated them?''
Phillips refused to answer.
Answer the question the Judge has asked
you." said Mr.. Wilson, and Phillips slowly said:
Possibly it does"
On redirect examination Phillips admitted that
there were torpedoes in the office. but said that
they had never been examined and never used
and that none had been given him for the last
two years.
This closed the examination.
THE CORONERs INQUEST
The inquiry of the coroner's jury as to the
cause of and the responsibility for the Terra
Gotta wreck resulted to-day in developing a
direct issue between the block operator at Sill
yer Spring and the crews of passenger train
66 and the dead train, No. 2.120. The Op-
orator says he gave both trains clear block
on white signals to Takoma. The trainmen say
both trains got the double green signal. indi-
eating that Takoma closed for the day. and
that train might be using the switches at
Terra Gotta University.
The witnesses repeated the testimony they
had first given before the Interstate Commerce
Commission Hildebrand, engineer of the dead"
train, the stand in the afternoon, and
will resume his testimony Monday. His ex-
PLANTATION that when he got to Silver
Spring it was 6:31 o'clock; that No. 66 should
have been in Washington six minutes. and the
station Takoma should have been closed. He
said he got the double green signal and let his
engine drift to Terra Gotta. but admitted it
going twenty-five miles hour. When
he passed Takoma. he said, he saw nothing
but the station light. and did not see the red
signal which several witnesses have testified
was displayed there. The green signal at Sill
Spring. he said, indicated that the switch
at Terra Gotta might be in use but the rules
required a warning from the train using il. and
he got no such warning and went ahead. His
headlight penetrated only two feet into the fog.
and he saw absolutely nothing of the train he
into.
Preceding Hildebrands testimony. the mem
bers of the crew of No. So were examined and
all said they received double green signal at
Silver Spring. The block sheet at Silver
Spring showed that Hedebrand passed there
at ;28. and the sheet at Takoma that he passed
there a 6:31. Hndebraud testified that he
passed Silver Spring at 6:S1. and that the
wreck occurred at 6:3S. Taking his time cor
rect. his speed from Silver Spring to the wreck
was twenty-seven miles an hour. He said he
slowed down at Stotts TO look for hagman of
any train that might be using the cross-over at
Terra Gotta, and did not use any steam in his
engine coming from Silver Spring.
Vermillion. the engineer of No. &c. admitted
that il he had been running the dead" train he
would have approached Terra Gotta under con-
troll" and not going more than eight or ten
miles an hour. The double green signal at Sill
yer Spring he said would have indicated the
of the Terra Gotta switch
Asked about the wreck. Vermlli0n said the
first shock knocked him down. and his first act
was open the throttle to get away from the
following train. He could not remember whether
the collision occurred just ne stopped al Terra
Gotta a he pulling away Engine No.
2,120 pushed his train down the track consid-
cradle distance.
Il did not know what hit me- he said. "and
my first thought to get away and save as
many of the passengers as possible"
Crawford. the fireman Of No. 66. who IL SON.
in-law of NermilliOn. cOntradiCted by An
derson and Crockett, an engineer and fireman,
who riding the engine of No 66. to the
effect that when the wreck occurred Crawford
said, THAT must have been 2,120 that hit us"
Nermillion and Crawford had testified that they
did not know any train was behind them, and
Crawford could not be made say that he
membered making the remark. which would in
dicate that he did know that No 2,120 was
coming IN the rear.