The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-01
COMPLAIN OF DELAY
District Officials Say Railroad
Did Not Act Quickly.
EXPRESS GOT RIGHT OF WAY
Excuses offered by Baltimore and
Ohio Agents Fail 10 satisfy Cor
Oner Nevitt-BOdies Of the Dead
Were Allowed to Lie for Five
Hours Before Being Removed.

officials Of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad were severely criticised yester-
day by Commissioner West for the man
ner in which the removal Of the bodies
from the scene of Sundays deplorable
catastrophe was conducted According TO
the Commissioner. the railway officials
saw fit to give preference to a wrecking
train and a through Western express
over the morgue train that was to carry
the mangled bodies into the Washington
depot, where hundreds of relatives and
friends of the passengers of the wrecked
train were waiting.
Arrangements were made by the rail-
road officials to have the local under
takers send out their wagons to the
wreck and convey the bodies into the
CITY. Instead of sending back a second
relief train This plan was frustrated
by the police authorities, who insisted
that the train be used, and finally carried
their point. This action of the railway
authorities is strongly condemned by
Commissioner West. Coroner hewitt, and
the police officials.
The Commissioners criticism. sustained
Sylvester, and eycwitnesses of the spec
tacle of forty or more bodies lying be
side the railway tracks for nearly five
hours, mct yesterday with more or less
evasive explanations by J. c. Carr, as
sistant trainmaSteT, VINO had complete
charge of the work of removing the dead
and injured When interviewed by a rep
Tesentative of The Washington Herald.
AR. Carr made several explanations in
defense of his method Of conducting the
Telief-train work, none of which. when
reported TO the Commissioner, answered
that officials criticism to his satisfac-
ton
Asked for Clear Track.
When asked why the Western express,
known as train No. 9, was permitted to
p-ecede the morgue train, Mr.. Carr re-
piled:
1.-THE Baltimore train dispatcher asked.
Have you a track clear?' to which I re-
piled Yes and almost Immediately the
train dispatcher directed the station mas
ter at the Washington terminal, Send out
No. g.
Mr.. Carr was then asked why it was
that any regular or scheduled train should
be given right of way over any relief or
morgue train at the time Of such a terri
bic calamity Mr.. Carr replied that the
express ran on the regular schedule and
that the morgHe train was an extra
How is it, then" was asked, that this
morEue train was not already at the scene
of the wreck. lnasmuch as the wreck oc-
CURED at about $50 and the express was
not due to leave until after o'clock Civ
fassf
trains TO the scene of the smash-Up?
Wasn't there sufficient engines and roll
ing stock to equip an extra relief train p
MI Carr replied that there We're engines
and cars to equip more relief trains, but
that the railroad officials were cognizant
of the fact that there was a law in the
District of Columbia prohibiting the re-
m0val of a dead body before it had been
viewed by the coroner
Orders Train to Proceed.
At about 10.5 o'clock instructions were
received by Mr.. Carr from Superintendent
O. H. Hobbs, in Baltimore, to the effec'
that Coroner hewitt had consented Il
the removal of the bodies to Washington
and ordering the morgue train TO proceed
to the scene of the wreck. Mr.. Carr, who
was at Terra Gotta at the time, showed
the telegram 10 Inspector Cross. who Wa:
conducting the rescue work of the police
and the police official readily agreed.
Coroner hewitt, when questioned re
garding the law prohibiting the remova
of dead bodies without the permission o.
the coroner. said that whereas there wa.
such d law, and that it dated back Z
great many years, he had never, durin.
d.. 4
nected with the cOrOEer's office, enforced
the letter of the law
Il have always been willing that bOdie
of accident victims in public place
should be Immediately removed, withOu
waiting to get my permission" said III
coroner. and this fact is well known {
the railroad officials and the police Tn
claim that the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road could not send out the morgue trail
until they heard from me is absurd.
Reached Depot Early.
Il was first notified of the wreck b
the police. who informed me that Their
were four dead I went directly to tn
depot. and reached there about $50 Tn
relief train for the injured had gone.
asked how I was to reach the scene o
the wreck. and was offered by the rail-
road officials the choice of an ambulance
a patrol wagon. or a cab.
after over an hours argument with tn
officials. ] was told that the relief trail
would soon return, and that it wOul
again be sent TO the scene Of the wreck
and that I could go on it. The trail
started back 10 Terra Gotta at abou
$50. They backed and switched the trail
about the yards for many minutes, an
finally allowed the express called No [
pass US. Il took nearly an hour 10 z
the four or five miles TO the scene of tn
disaster. The delay seemed to me to b
entirely unnecessary, and in my opinio
The railroad officials deserve severe cen
sure"
FIees with $4,000.