The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-04
LONG DEATH LIST
OPERATOR NOT TO BLAME
Fifty Three Persons Probably
Killed In Train Wreck
Appears to Have Set Danger
Signal Which Was Ignored by
Engineer OF Extra Train Which
Crashed Into Local Express

Washington, Jan. 1.-The Baltimore
and Ohio wreck at Terra Gotta Sunday
night grows in magnitude as the hours
pass. The most conservative estimate
of the dead is SO, with 60 suffering from
wounds and fractures sustained in the
rear-end collision which completely de.
molished the two day coaches and the
smoker attached to the local Frederick,
Md, express No. Sc. Several of the
most seriously injured are expected to
die and the death list may yet reach go
or more.
Heartrending and pitiful were the
scenes at the city morgue yesterday,
where hundreds of persons had fiocked
to assist the police in the Identification
of the dead. Women, girls and even
men with iron nerves shrieked, sobbed
and tainted as their relatives or friends
were found among the 81 corpses
strewn about the floor. Coffins, wicker
baskets and winding sheets were found
on all sides.
Officials of the railroad are conduct
Baltimore for the purpose Of placing
the responsibility for the disaster. Gen
eral Superintendent Todd eXonerated
Milton Phillips, the operator at the Ia
koma block station, the last signal sta
ton that the equipment train passed
before crashing into the passenger
train at Terra Gotta. Todd declared
that Phillips was obeying the instruc
tons when he went home at $50 O'clock
leaving the double green" signal burn
ing.
While making no positive charge,
Todd intimated that the burden of the
blame would fall upon the engineer
and crew of the extra. The five mem
bers of the crew, who were arrested
shortly after the accident, are now be-
ing held to await the result of the Off
cial investigation. They are Harry I'll.
Hildebrand, engineer; l. G. McClelland, |
fireman, F. F. Hoffmeir, conductor;
Ralph Rutter, brakeman, and w. A. |
Norris, baggage master.
Gazing vacantly between the bars |
Of his cell at the police station, Hide
brand is too full of emotion to make
any definite statement ut will all
come out at the investigation" he said
II don't believe that there is anything
for me to say, and l could not say it if
there was" Before he was arrested the
engineer made statement in which he
declared that if the danger signal light
was displayed at Takoma he failed to
IL of -
Milton w. Phillips, the operator, who
: also held a prisoner, said that the
Equipment train ran past his danger
ignal at a speed of from so to so miles
IN hour. He says there was a heavy
og, but not enough to hide red light.
he declares that he Immediately noti-
led the operator ct University station
hat the train mad taken the block
against orders. His statement is cor
tolerated by the University operator,
who says that he received the message.
Policeman Kennedy, stationed at the
Takoma park will testify that he saw
the signal light in its proper place and
that Hildebrand drove past the signal.
Fred Lemkum, gatekeeper at Takoma,
makes a similar statement.
C. w. Galloway, general superin-
tendent of transportation of the Balti-
more and Ohio, eXonerated the com
pany from all blame, and put the re-
sponsibility on the engineer of the
train or the operator at Ia
koma park block
Chairman Knapp of the interstate
commerce commission says that the
has considered the advisa-
bility of making a special investigation
into the causes of the wreck. No de-
csion has been reached, he says, as to
when this investigation will be made.
]. W. Kelley, trainmaster of the Balti-
more and Ohio for this division, de-
clares that to locate the responsibility
for the disaster at this time is an utter
1.-THE police have all Of
be trainmen locked up" he explained
'and until we can get at them, ask ques-
tions and compare stories, it will be
impossible to determine anything.
Meanwhile l could not make a state
ment, simply because l have not the
facts"
Horse Stricken With Rabies