The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1907-01-04
Acknowledgements
THIRTY-EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED
NEAR NATIONAL CAPITAL.
And Fifty More Were Injured on BAL
timore G. Ohio Railroad Near WASH
inqton, D.C.-Train Of Eight Empty
Passenger Coaches Crashed into
Loaded Passenger Train.

Loaded Passenger Train.
Washington, Jan. IAN appalling
disaster, resulting in the death OF 90
persons and the injury OF about %
more, occurred about $40 O'CLOCK
Sunday evening on the Baltimore q
Ohio railroad at Terra Gotta, supuro
of Washington. Frederick City. MO-,
local train No. 66, on tn point OF
starting from the station, was run lnto
by a train made up Of eight empty
passenger coaches, bound from the
west for Washington.
It is said the engineer of the empty
train had failed to see the red signal
indicating that another train was IN
the block, and plunged ahead on Ms
mission of death.
A dense fog and drizzling rain pre-
vailed during the day and the nlght
and to the inability Of the engineer
of the rear train to see the signal
showing that another train was In the
block, is attributed the cause OF the
accident. The grade at the place
where the tragedy occurred Is down
ward, and the tracks were slippery.
The Frederick train, which is run on
Sundays only, is largely for the &C
commodation Of those who have gone
into the suburbs on Sunday and for
the benefit of church goers who de-
sire to attend services in Washington
at night. Presumably number OF
the latter were on the train. The
train is scheduled to reach Terra Cot
| ia about 6:15 o'clock, and was about
on time when the crash came.
At first, owing to the impenetrable
fog, it was impossible to determine
the extent of the disaster, and early
rumors placed the number of killed
at higher figures than those which
proved later to be accurate. When
the news reached Washington people
began to go to Terra Gotta, and many
who had relatives killed and injured
remained at the scene Of the wreck
until the special train conveyed the
uCdu IHJuIC GU W IHC Slty. All
early train that had been dispatched
to Terra Gotta brought the injured,
whose wounds had been hastily
dressed, and they were sent to vari-
Gus hospitals. Three died on the way
to the city and one death occurred in
one of the hospitals.
The engine of the rear train is said
to be one of the largest and latest
types of passenger engines used on
the road. The fact of its size prob
ably saved it from total destruction,
the principal damage to it being con-
fined to the front Of the engine
Because of this, Engineer Hide
brand and his fireman escaped.
Hildebrand is said to have been a sub
stitute. He and his firemen were ar
rested. No forme charges have been
placed against them, pending an in
vestigation.
Coaches Reduced to kindIinq.
The wrecked train was composed of
} an engine, smoking car and two day
} coaches. The two rear coaches were
reduced to kindling wood and the rear
of the smoker was telescoped.
So great was the impact that the
local train was scattered along the
} track for considerable distance. For
tunately the wreckage did not take
fire.
Traffic was delayed by the accident
} and it was after midnight before the
bodies OF the dead could be brought
to the city. There was an entire alb.
sence of any attempts at theft AS
son as possible the bodies were GOV.
, cred and laid aside to await the COM
\ ing of the trains from the city,
Nearly All Killed Outright.
From the appearance of the bodies
: 1t is believed that nearly all of the
) victims were killed outright or died
3 within few minutes after the acct
l dent. OF the dead bodies some were
l buried beneath debris, with the result
that they were recovered with diff.
Guilty.
81 DR.. e. o. Bolt, one Of the most nrom-
: inent physicians Of Washington. and
his sons, Edwin, aged 7 years and
sinclair, aged 5, were passegers on
the train. Edwin was killed and the
rather and son are missing. It is
, feared they are among the list NJ I'm.
identified dead