Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-03

u,
should the engineer Of 212O have taken
into considerat ton that the Takoma Office
was supposed to close at 6:30?'
No SIR
Under the conditions. when Takoma was
supposed to close within two minutes.
should Silver Spring have given 2l2O
clear signal at 6:2S PM"
Operator Justified.
1.-The operator was perfectly justified. be-
cause the block was clear. and the station
at Takoma had the same power over 2120
as Silver SPRING
If you were running the engine passing
Silver Spring at 6:2S what would you have
done upon reaching Takoma?"
II would have looked for a signal, ana
If none was visible would have stopped.
Should the engineer Of an extra exercise
more precaution than the engineer OF
regular train?'
HE is governed by the schedule. by
weather conditions and by orders that he
may receive along the line.
Have you any reason to believe that the
engineer of 2l20 did not know that train
No. e. was ahead of him.?
He should have known"
Mr. McCauley was still on the stand
when The Stars report closed.
Session Late Yesterday.
After The Stars report closed yesterday
Coroner hewitt continued the examination
of Superintendent of Transportation Gallo
way with reference to the operation OF the
two trains concerned in the fatal collision.
The block sheet from the Takoma tower
was handed to witness. the sheet showing
that engine 2120 had passed red signal.
he was asked what he would DO upon re-
ceipt of such a report, whether serious re-
suits followed the engineers disobedence
of rules or not.
II would order the entire crew out OF
service and make an investigation ne re-
piled.
Questions were also asked regarding the
delay of the relief train and OF the tram 70
carry dead bodies from the wreck, ana
about the moving of regular passenger
train known as No. 0. past the wreck be-
fore the train to carry bodies away was
sent to the scene.
continued train No. 66 and the extra.
drawn by engine 1920 passed at Washing
ton Junction. the latter arriving SIX min
utes ahead Of the passenger train and per,
at the junction while the train proceeded
to Barnesville and both were held on SID
ings to permit train No. l. the 81. LOUIS
limited to pass. The same RECORD sho"eo
that train sc left Washington Junction on
time.
Service of Engineer Hi1debrand.
From that point the examination branched
off to a series of questions covering the
service of Engineer Hildebrand, Mr.. Gallo
way STATING that T1iluOOi anu hoU oSSAA WA
tinuously employed on the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad for twentythree years. and
that he had been running on the Metropoh-
tan branch for twelve years.
He was classed as a regular freight ana
extra passenger engineer, the superin.
tendent continued, land he ran nothing put
passenger trains. being frequently at the
throttle of high speed express trains to and
from the west
"Did he ever run train No. esq., the cor
oner asked.
but he asserted that he had always re-
garded Hldebrand as one of the most COM
petent engineers in the service OF the CON-
pany. Replying to a further question, wit
ness stated that the night of the accident
Hildebrand was running extra, and
added: IAN extra has no rights. but must
give way to all regular trains
DO you know the law regulating speed
of trains in the District of Columbian was
the next query and the superintendent an
swered: "All l know Is down In the center
of the city enginemen are supposed to keep
within ten miles per hour
What is the grade between Silver spring
and Takoma?''
"About three-fourths of 1 per cent, or. I
should say. forty feet to the mile, ana ap-
proximately the same between Iakoma
Park and Terra Gotta"
Mr.. Oscar Ricketts, of the jury asked what
lights train as was supposed to carry, ana
witness replied Markers, and described
further the two red lights placed on the
rear of the train He added that the lights
must have been in proper position the night
of the wreck because IL they had been aD-
sent the fact would have been noted at
each station passed and report mace OF It.
Another question brought out the STATE
ment that the crew of train 6b could not
have been required or expected to place Tor
pedoes or fusees after stopping at any
station on the route. because the tram was
travelling under the protection of the block
system.
Personnel Of Train Crew.
Asked to describe the personnel OF
regulation train crew and the duties OF
each member, Mr.. Galloway said the chief
duty of observing signals and of handling
the train in accord Herewith Is charged
to the engineer; that the fireman assists In
watching signals as frequently as his
otherwise arduous duties permit; that the
conductor is expected to observe signals
but not required to note them all, thoush
held equally responsible with the engineer
for the safe conduct of a train, and that
the brakeman is charged equally with tne
conductor, as far as signal ooservaton Is
concerned. but is not held responsiDie e.,
With the consent Of the coroner. Assist
ant United States Attorney Turner asked:
WAS it the duty of the conductor Of the
extra train. drawn by engine 2i2o 20
watch for sSnals?"
lit was his duty and there was nothing
TO prevent" witness replied.
WAS it the duty of the fireman.
Under the conditions l have stated
WAS it the duty Of the brakeman?
1.-The duty lay with him equally as II did
with the conductor, but he was not equal
ly responsible"
Another question brought out the state
ment that there was no record of the ap-
paratus at Silver Spring or at any other
station along the line being out of order
December 30.
III engine 212O entered the block at
Silver Spring under white or proceed
signal at 6:2S o'clock, what had the en-
gineer reason to anticipate at Takoma
Park" Mr.. Turner queried.
Must Have Expected Signal.
"He must have expected a signal at Ia
koma," witness answered. IF the office
was closed the lights out. and no
signal showing, he should have stopped.
got off his engine and ascertained If the
operator had departed. If the office was
really closed he should have proceeded
slowly until he reached a station where
definite orders could be secured
assuming that all engineers know that
the Takoma Park Office closes regularly
at G:30 O'Clock p. M. at 6:31 O'Clock, for ex-
ample. how is an engineer to know whether
a white light at Silver Spring entities him
to proceed to Takoma University or Rhode