The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-01-03
Not Since the Ford Theater Dis.
aster Has the Capital City
Received Such a Shock.
DISASTER DUE To FOG
Special Carrying Railroad Equipment
Crashes Into Regular Train From
Frederick, Nd, With More Than
200 Passengers Aboard.

Washington. ID. G., Jan. Am ap-
paliing disaster. resulting In the death.
as far as can be learned at midnight.
or thirty eight persons and the injury
OF about nifty more. occurred ut about
ESQ o'clock ON the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad Sunday evening ut Terra
Gotta. a suburb OF Washington.
Frederick City. Md. local train No.
sc. OF the point 81 starting from the
station. was run into by a train made
up OF eight passenger coaches bound
from the west for Washington.
II is said that the engineer OF tho
empty train had failed 10 see the red
signal. indicating that another train
was In the block. and had plunged
ahead OH the mission OF death.
Disaster Due to Fog.
Nothing since the Ford theatcr dis
aster, which occurred about fifteen
years ago. when "A large number OF
government clerks were killed by the
collapse OF n portion or the building.
has produced such "A shock as this dis
aster. No railroad accident within
great many years In the District OF
Columbia has approached IL In magni-
tudc.
A dense fog and a drizziing rain pre-
vailed during the day and night, and
the inability OF the engineer OF the rear
train to see the signal In attributed to
this. The grade at the place where
the tragedy occurred Is downward and
the track was slippery.
Carried Many Churehgoers.
The Frederick train. which Is run
on Sundays. In largely for the accom-
mediation OF those who have gone In
TO the suburbs on Sunday and for the
benefit OF churchgoers who desire to at
tend services I'm Washington at night.
Presuma bly, n number of the latter
were on the train. The train In sched-
uled TO reach Terra Gotta about 6;i5
o'clock and was about on time when
the crash came.
At first. owing TO the impenetrable
fog. IL was Impossible To determine the
extent OF the damage. and early re-
ports placed the number killed higher
than those which proved later to be
accurate. When the news reached
Washington people began To 70 to-
Terra Gotta. and many who had rela-
tivcs killed and injured remained at
the scene OF the wreck until the spe-
cial train conveyed the dead and In
tured TO the city.
Taken to Washington Hospitals.
An earlier train that had been dis
patched To Terra Gotta brought tho In
Jured. whose wounds had been hastily
dressed. and they were sent To the Va
rous hospitals. Three died on the way
to the city and one death occurred IA
one or the hospitals.
The engine OF the rear train IL said
TO be one OF the largest and latest
types OF passenger engines used on the
road. The fact OF it's size probably
saved IL from total destruction. the
principal damage being confined To- the
front OF the engine.
Ensinensn Are Arrested.
Because Engineer Hildebrandt Is sale
TO have been a substitute, lie
and his fireman were arrested. No for
NAL charge has been placed against
them pending an investigation.
The wrecked train was composed of
an engine. a 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 Ire
track for considerable distance. TraI-
fic was delayed by the accident and ~
was after midnight before the bodies OF
the dead could be- brought To the city.
Search in Sorrow for Friends.
As soon az possible the bodies were
covered and laid aside to await tho
coming OF the train sent from tho city.
Many pathetic scenes were enacted
as realitives searched amid the fog and
darkness for the bodies OF their loved
ones. whom they feared were I'm the
wreck.
From the appearance OF the bodies
II II believed that nearly all the vic
Tins were killed outright or died with
In n few minutes after the accident.
OF the dead bodies, some were
buried beneath debris. with tn. result
that they were recovered with DIFF
ncuity.
Fortunately the wrcckage did not
take FIRE.
Three Miles Out OF City.
Terra Cottn IL u station about three
miles distant from the city boundaries.
The nearest point from which aid OF
any kind could be summoned was
Brookland, small surban town a
mile from the scene OF the wheck, the
main communication with Terra Gotta
being by walking along the track or by
q round about country road which. be-
cause OF the recent rains. was in o
bad condition.