Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-01
BIC DEATH LIST GROWING
Number Of Fatalities In Terra Sofia
Wreck Will Reach Sixty.
ALL or TRAIN CREW UNDER ARREST
Railway OmciaI Says Responsibility
for Disaster Rests Between TeIe-
graph Operator and
Engineer.

"AbftlNGIONt Dec Sl.-lne BalllnOTe
& Ohio wreck at Terra Gotta last night
grows in magnitude as the hours pass. The
most conservative estimate of the dead to-
night is fifty-three, with three score of in
jured in the hospitals or at their homes
suffering from wounds and fractures sus-
tained in the rear-end collision, which COM
petely demolished the two day coaches
and the smoker attached to the local Fred
erick, Md, express No. &C. Several OF the
most seriously injured are expected to die
during the night and the death list may yet
reach sixty or more.
Heartrending and pitiful were the scenes
at the city morgue today. where hundreds
OF persons have flocked to assist the police
in the Identification of the dead Women,
girls and even men with iron nerves
shrieked, sobbed and tainted as their rela-
tives or friends were found among the
thirty-two corpses strewn about the floor
Collins, wicker baskets and winding sheets
were found on all sides. 1t was a day never
to be forgotten,
Railway Omcials Investigating.
Ofncials OF the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
are conducting an investigation of the
wreck in Baltimore for the purpose of
placing the responsibility for the terrible
disaster. General Superintendent Todd ex-
onerated Milton w. Phillips, the operator at
the Takoma block station, the last signal
station that the equipment train passed be-
fore crashing into the passenger train at
Terra Gotta The superintendent declared
that Phillips was obeying instructions when
he went home at $50 o'clock, leaving the
double green" signal burning. While max
ing no positive charge, Superintendent Todd
intimated that the burden of the blame
would fall upon the engineer and crew or
the extra. The five members of the crew,
who were arrested shortly after the acci-
| dent, are now being held to await the re-
suit of the official investigation They are
Harry II. Hildebrand, engineer; Ira c. Nc
Clelland fireman; Frank F. Hoffmeier, con-
ductor; Ralph Rutter, brakeman, and Will
liam A Norris. baggagemaster.
! Gazing vacantly between the iron bars OF
his cell at the police station Engineer Hide
brand is too full of emotion to make any
definite statement. 1T will all come out al
! the investigation" he said. II don't be-
lieve that there is anything for me to say
and couldn't say it If there was"
Before he was arrested the engineer made
a statement to the Associated Press in
which he declared that IL the danger sigma
was displayed at Takoma he failed to see II
on account of the dense fog.
=, Statement of Telegraph Operator.
Milton w. Phillips, the operator, who Is
also held prisoner at the Tenth precinct
said today that the equipment train rar
past his danger signal at speed of from
fifty to sixty miles. He says there was q
heavy fog but not enough to hide a rec
light. He declares that he Immediately
notified the operator at University station
I that the train had taken the block against
| ge
the University station operator who says
that he received the message. Policeman
j. T. Kennedy, stationed at Takoma park
will testify that he saw the signal light il
Its proper place and that Hildebrand drove
past the signal Fred Lekum, gate keeper
at Takoma, will make a similar statement
C. w. Galloway, general superintendent
of transportation for the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad, exonerated the company from al
blame and put the responsibility on the
engineer OF the equipment train or TIL
operator at Takoma block. IF the coro
ner's Jury fails 10 hold the engineer oil
the block operator" he said, 1--WE shall moi
consider the matter settled. We shall 60
to the bottom Of the wreck. This horrible
catastrophe could have been averted. Somt
one is responsible and we intend to leave nj
stone unturned until the responsibility hai
been fixed"
Commission to Investigate.
Chairman Knapp of the Interstate Com
merce commission tonight said to the AS
ISOLATED Press that the commission today
considered the ACCESSIBILITY OF making G
special investigation into the cause Of thu
wreck No decision has been reached, h'
says, as TO when this investigation will b'
made
]. w. Kelly, trainmaster of the Baltimore
& Ohio for this division, is in Washington
to make further investigation into the cause
Of the wreck. He declared that to locate
the responsibility for the disaster at this
time was an utter impossibilty.
"The police have all of the train mer
locked up" he explained "and until we
can get at them. ask questions and com
pare stories, II will be impossible to de-
termine anything
As a manifestation of sorrow and sym
pathy for all afflicted by the Sunday might
disaster at Terra Gotta, the district com
missioners today ordered that flags on al
public buildings in the district be dis
played at half mast until after tho
funerals of the victims. The Washington
Stock exchange I'm view of the terrible
calamity" and as a mark Of respect held
no session today.
The funeral of many OF the victims whC
resided in Washington and suburbs viii
be held tomorrow. The bodies of otheI
victims will be forwarded 10 their homes
by the Baltimore & Ohio railroad Utf
cials. The railroad company is sparinl
no expense in providing for all the in
jured at the hospitals.
Revised List of Dead.
Following is the revised list of dead:
AUSTIN, Frannie, negro, Washington.
| BALDWIN, Lewis w, East Orange, n. J
BELT Dr. E. oliver, Washington, chic