The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-04

pened Within Three Miles of Wash
ington-Offcials of Road Conduct
ing Inv stigation for Purpose of
Placing Responsibility.
Washington, December 30.-An ap-
palling disaster occurred tonight at Z
o'clock on the Baltimore 4 Ohio rail-
road at Terra Gotta, about three miles
from this city, in which about 50 per-
! sons were killed and over 60 injured,
some Of them SO seriously hat they
will die The accident was caused by
! the collision of train No &c, due here
at 6.25 p. m, from Fredericksburg,
! Md, known as the Frederick special,
| with a dead-head passenger equipment
special Of eight cars Over 1900 pas
sengers were aboard the Inflated train.
The railway officials tonight were I'M
able to assign any cause for the col
lision. AS soon as the news of the
wreck reached this city all ambulances
available, with as many physicians as
could be assembled, were sent to the
scene.
Of the injured seven were taken to
Freemans hospital, II to the nited
States Soldiers Home hospital, and 20
have been brought into the city on a
special train to De carried to various
hospitals. Among the injured was Dis
Il friaf A topnn polynr IF chic 1;tx- ma
despite his injuries walked almost two
miles to Brookland and brought the
first news Of the wreck. He was COM
pletely exhausted, and after medical
treatment was sent to the city De-
scribing his experiences MI. Baker
said:
Il was in the second car from the
end, coming from my home in German
town. | was four seats from the end Of
the ear and just as the train left Terra
Gotta station the crash anne We were
carried in the wreckage for some dis
lance | do not know how ! got out
OF the wreckage, but Mr.. Darby, of
Washington, assisted me to the drug
store"
Frank P. Bodlitz, a newspaper man
OF Frederick, Md, who was slightly in
jured, in describing his experience
said:
Il was in the car next to the smoker
talking with a gentleman and his wife
from Detroit, Mich. We were all stand
ing up, the car being crowded Sud
denly we heard an awful noise and
then a crash. Women began screaming
and the next thing 1 knew l found my
SELF f0lIlnU 6nWn an on hq U N ont
where some n picked me up and |
found | was not badly hurt. 1t is
impossible to describe the scene Wo-
men and children were running about
crying for their parents, and mothers
and fathers were rushing around trying
to find their childen. The dead asG
injured were strewn along the track
for a distance of a mile"
The dead bodies were found lying be-
side the track for a considerable dis
lance The wreck occurred at 6:39
p. N. A dense fog was prevailing and |
made objects ~perceptible but a few
feet ahead 1t was impossible at first
to determine the exact extent of the |
catastrophe. !
The moment the first of the survi-
Vors reached Brookland a general call !
was sent out for doctors and ambu-
lances- DR. r. ". FrischOrn, DR.. Stern
and DR.. J. H. Brooks, of B~rooklanu,
responded and were taken to the scene
IN automobiles.
One member of the crew of the pas
senger train, who hobbled into a drug
store a half hour after the acciden,
I can't tell how many have been kell-
ed. Il is awful | don't even know
Just how it happened.
The freight engine went through the
entire train, and it seems to me as If
every one was killed in the last coach
and many in the first"
When the news of the accident
spread about Brookland, many citizens
With their wives fastened to the scene
give their aid and comfort to the
wounded.
Mrs. H. F. Fisher. of this city, while
to the call of a sufferer,
almost stumbled over the body of a
w~o-year-old child lying near the track
The baby was terribly bruised. but was
till alive. 1t was said that the mother
f the infant had been killed.
The Inflated train runs only on Sun
for the benefit OF Washingtonians
rho either lave country places ON the
inc or go to visit relatives. 1t leaves
frederick at 4 O'Clock in the afternoon