Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-01-04
THE TERRA GOTTA ACCIDENT.

At the coroner 3 investigation 10 Wash
ingion Yesterday OF tho disaster Sunday
evening at Terra Gotta on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad two vital points were
brought ont in the testimony OF Operator
Dulrow, at Silver Springs, and MIR W.
G.. Robey, night station master in Wash
ington, the first being whether there
wac really any light at all set at Takoma
Park, and secondly, whether it is the
general practice Of engineers to disregard
TakOma Park, as asignal station after
G:30 O'Clock 10 the evening.
10 regard TO the light at TakOms, the
absence of the signal, Of course, wAs not
stated in 40 many wofd' bnt not a few
Of the spectators, as well as one CT the
Commissioners FOR tho District Of & Jlum-
bia, inferred from the testimony OF the
operator that there we're grave doubts
whether the red signal was displayed at
all.
Duirow, who * youthful operator,
male poor witness for the railroad,
lie showed wotfol lack of familiarity
with the line upon which he was called
upon to assist in the moveu slt o: TIT rs.
GA several occasions he did rot know
the distance between points. while at
other times he cou not tell when certain
subsidiary block stations closed. AT ore
point of his testimony he became thor
oughly at sea and could not answer from
which station east Of him he had re-
ceived word that The ''extra," which was
known "a "No. 2l20," was approaching.
Under the volley OF questions from the
coroner, the operator alsO declared that
he did not hear any message sent from
Takoma to University, the next station,
after No. 2l20 had passed Silver Spring,
which was to the effect that the engineer
had disrfgarded the danger signal. lie
also went 80 far "a TO say that he could,
but did not, hear any message sent 70
the train dispatcher at Baltimore by The
Takoma operator stating that Eogineer
lIildebrand had rushed by the danger
signal.
81 far a. Hihlebrand is concerned, this
ia important, as the operator 81 Iakoma
not only says that be placed the red
light, indicating that 4 stop should be
made, but he sent two messages to
Baltimore and the other TO University
notifying both Offices that number 2l2O
had disregarded the signsl
Tne other point regarding the discon-
liuuance Of Takoms rs block station
after $50 0 clock is equally a. impOr
ant 10 the interest OF Hldebrand, inas-
much as the jury will most likely wan:
to know the custom pertaining TO this
particular place, and il, by not stopping,
the Baltimore engineer simply followed
the unwrtten rules of the company
That there Is plenty of latitude Tor
such belief that train No 2l2O VIC
lated no written rule OF the company
may be Cleaned from an admiss on OF
Night Trainmaster RObey, who, upon
being closely questioned BY assistant
District Attorney Hunter, said that while
on duty he never considered Tskoma as
block station, inasmnch IS ii was put
out of commission after G 80 o'clock, and
it was implied from his testimony that
no signals were TO be looked Tor Il, that
place.
Engineer Hildebrand and tie four
other members Of train Nc. 2l20, who
were arrested On Monday pending the
action Of the ;oroner's jury, were re
leased &c .erday afternoon uader habeas
corpus proceedings.
just as the members OF the train crew
we're leaving the courthouse they we're
served with subpcenas calling upon them
to attend as wiinesse, 10 John Doe pre-.
ceedings This means that the United
States district attorney has taken the
matter up independent of the coroner's
Investigation.