The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-01
over FIFTY DEAD;
OTHERS D ! !| !: S MAY v ||.'YI DIE.
Sunday / K: Nights Wreck
at Terra ! 'E'lI' otta / Grows { J
in n Magnitude. 1u
.HEARTRENDING
SCENES T: E AT lNORGUE.
Women, Girls and Men With
Iron Nerve Sob and Faint as
Friends Are Found-The
Engineer Seems to
Have Been Re
epQnsi1le

yvASH1SGTOS, d. c., December 31.--
The Baltimore and Ohio wreck at Terra
Gotta last night grows In magnitude as
the hours pass. The most conservative
estimate OF the dead tonight is fifty
two. with three scores Of injured In the
hospitals or AT their homes. suffering
from wounds and fractures sustained in:
the rear-end collision which completely
demolished the two day coaches and the
smoker attached to the local Frederick.
MIDI train No So. Several OF the most
| seriously injured nre expected to die.f
and the death list may reach sixty or.
more. s3 e
Heartrepding and pitiful were the
scenes at 1.-THE city morgue to-day, where
hundreds pf persons nocked to assist the
police In the Identification OF the dead.
Woman, 4iris and even men with iron
nerves, Ssdbbcd and tainted as their res
Iatives or friends were found among
the corpseH strewn bout the floor
Making an Investigation.
o .ials OF the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
roa,. are conducting an investigation OF
the wreck in Baltimore for the purpose.
of placing the responsibility for the dis
aster. GenarM superintendent Todd ex-5
9oncrated Milton w. Phillips, the opera
tor at tho Takoma block station, the!
last signal station that the equipment
train passed before crashipg into the
passenger train at Terra Gotta. The SUI
perintendent declared that Phillips was
obeying Instructions when he went home
at $3.50 o. clock. leaving the double
green" signal burning. While making no
positive charge. Superintendent Todd I'm
stimated that the burden of the blame
would fail upon the engineer and Crew
OF the extra The five members of the
crew, who were arrested shortly after
the accident. are now being held to await
the result of the official investigation.
They are: q as
Harry III sEIi ldehrand.. engineer: Ira c..
.McCelll and. fireman; Frank F. Hoffmeyer.
conductor; Ralph Rutter, brakeman, and
William "A. Norris baggagemaster.
Did Not See Signal.
Gazing vacantly between tho, iron bars
OF his cell at the police station. Engi-
neer Hildebrand Is too full OF emotion
to make any definite statement at
Will all come out Mt the investigation.
he said; II don't believe that there is /
anything for me to say, and couldn't
say 1t II there was
Before he was arrested the engineer
made a statement to the Associated
Press. In which he declared that II the
danger signal light was displayed at
Takoma lie failed to see it on account,
OF the dense fog.
Milton w. Phillips the operator. who
Is also held prisoner at the Tenth
Precinct Station, said to-day that the
equipment train ran past his danger i!
signal at speed OF from fifty to sixty
miles. tss8 III
He says there was a heavy fog, but not
enough to hide a red light. He declares
that he Immediately notified the oberator
at University Station that the train had
hal al
ment is corroborated by the University
Station operator. who says he received
the message. Policeman j. T. Kennedy. |
stationed at Takoma Park. will testify |
that he saw the signal light in its proper
place. and that Hildebrand drove past the,
signal. Fred Lemkum. gatekeeper at Ia
koma. makes similar statement.
The Engineer Responsible.
c. W.. Galloway, general superintendent
OF transportation for the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, exoncTnted 4 the company
from all blaQt and pufssthe responsibility |
on the engineer OF the equipment train
or the operator at Takoma block. IF the |
coroner's jury falls to hold the engineer
or the block operator he said. "we shall
rot consider the matter settled. We shall
gclto the bottom Of the wreck. This hor-
rlble catastrophe could have been avoided.
Some one Is responsible, and we intend
to leave no stone unturned until the |
responsibility has been fixed. The Takoma
block system was installed two years /
ago. and is the safest known to railroad
men.
Commission May Investigate.
/ Chairman Knapp. of the Interstate
commerce Commission, tonight said toll
the Associated Press that the commission
to daysconsidered the ndvisabilIty OF max
ing q special Investigation Into the
causes OF the wreck, No decision has
been ched. he says, as to when this
invest tigation will be made. Another
member Of tho commission. in discussing
the proposed investigation, said: 'It has
peen suggested that We ought to have
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