The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-27
Coroner Holds That Deeter,
Falck, CaIkins and Rogers
Were at Fault in Catastro-
phe Last Wednesday.
VERDICT WAS FILED
WITH CIRCUIT COURT.
Substance of the Testimony
As Given by the Various Men
Who Participated in the
Event, Presented.

coroner "A. L.. BrdmKdMp mas udae
thorough investigation of the wreck
which occurred at Hagerstown last
Wednesday evening and today makes
his report in the case to the circuit
court. Coroner Bramkamp places the
blame of the wreck on Operator Ray
mond Deeter at Hagerstown and John
Falck, conductor of No. ~, Frank
Calkins and Harry Rogers, members
of the wreck train crew Below is the
substance of the testimony and the
verdict:
Frank CaIkine' Testimony.
In his testimony Frank Calkins says:
"We got orders some where on the
road that we were to pass No. -. II
overtaken. We overlook - at Mill
Vile, but we had some repairs here SO
~ left before we did. After finishing
our work at Millville toward evening,
I don't know the exact time. my con-
ductor. Rogers, came to me while l
was on the engine and said the local
will be in the clear for you at Hagers-
town; come on / don't remember
that he said anything there about hur-
rying up. | was given the white
block and pulled out. When we got to
the top of the hill west of Hagerstown
] shut off steam and the train coast
ed. When about mile west of Ha-
gerstown | saw the white block at Ha-
walters attention to it. l said to him
that it was white and told him to look
mt 1t. 1 don't remember but l think
he called the block to me, which is ac-
cording to the rules. / think we went
down the hill at about twenty-five
miles an hour until l saw the signals.
/ had the brakes on some all the way
down the hill till / saw the white
block. Then I put on steam. This
was about mile from the station. The
track makes a sharp curve a short dis
tance from the station, probably $50 to
200 feet. Because of this curve. which
is at the water tank and because of the
building and the cars on the siding on
the inside of the curve, the track in
front OF the station and beyond is not
curve and are within 200 feet of the
depot. / watched the signal till
reached the cut curve, then | dropped
my eyes to the track on the outlook
had been blowing my whistle all the
way down at the crossings. l blew
for the crossing just before reaching
the water tank. Just as soon as we
got around, put on air and jumped. II
think / was going about 40 miles an
hour at the curve. / don't think /
was going faster than / ought to have
been going. | was not trying to make
fast time. | am sure when we struck
the curve we were not going unusually
fast Going as we were at the curve
was not going at what is called under
control To have avoided the COLI
sion I would have had to have the red
signal at least a half mile from where
the wreck occurred.
In my opinion the cause of the
wreck was improper signals by the OPP
orator at Hagerstown and poor judg-
ment on the part of the ~ crew r
fully expected TO find ~ in the clear
both at leaving Millville and especially
when I saw the white block at Hagers-
town"
ShowaIter's Story.
Laurel Showalter. fireman on. the
wreck train, said: Il did not hear con-
ductor give any word to Calkins I i
don't remember seeing the white block |
i don't remember seeing the other |
train and don't remember getting off |
/ don't think we We're running unusual |
ly fast when we reached Hagerstown |
/ think probably twenty-five or thirty |
miles,
AS to Trains Speed.
In regard TO the speed at which the /
train was moving. Conductor Harry |
Rogers. of the wreck train. testified:
I'VE have orders not to exceed forty 1
miles from a point two miles west of /
Hagerstown to a point a quarter OF /
mile east of where the wreck occurred. |
This applies TO freight as we'll as pas
senger trains. We have no special or
ders as to speed at Hagerstown cross
ing We didn't see the signal until /
we got close to town and then we saw
the arm down and the white light /
While we were at Millyille the operator
there told me the conductor on y said /
Come like II, we will be in the clear
at Hagerstown and let you by This
with the white block
made me feel safe in approaching Ha-
gerstown fast. In my opinion the
cause of the wreck was the failure of