The Grenada sentinel., 1907-01-05
B & 0 WRECK
HEARTRENDING AND PlTiFUL
SCENES AT MORGUE WHERE
EVEN MEN FAINT.
DEAD MAY REACH go
Supt Todd Intimates That the Burden
of the Blame Will Fall on
Engineer and Crew of
the Extra.

Washington, Jan. 1.-The Baltimore
& Ohio wreck at Terra Gotta grows in
magnitude as the hours pass. The
most conservative estimate OF the
dead is SO, with three score of injured
in the hospitals, or at their homes suf-
fering from wounds and fractures Sus-
tanned in the rear-end collision, which
completely demolished the two day
coaches and the smoker attached to
the local Fredericw (Md) express No.
&C. Several of the most seriously in
jured are expected to die in a few
hours, and the death list may yet
| reach 60 or more. Heartrending and
pitiful were the scenes at the city
morgue, where hundreds of persons
flocked to assist the police in the
| Identification of the dead Women
| girls and even men shrieked, sObbed
and tainted as their relatives or
friends were found among the 80
cOrpSes strewn about the floor. Cof-
fins, wicker baskets and winding
sheets were found on all sides. 1t
was day never to be forgotten.
Railroad Officials investigating.
Officials of the Baltimore & Ohio
are conducting an investigation of
the wreck in Baltimore for { sur
pose of placing the responsibility n pr
the terrible disaster Gen. Supt Todd
exonerated Milton w. Phillips. the op-
orator at the Takoma block station,
the last signal station that the equip
ment train passed before crashing into
| the passenger train at Terra Gotta
The superintendent declared that Phil
| lips was obeying instructions when
he went home at 6: 80 o'clock, leaving
| the double green signal burning.
| While making no positive charge, Supt
| Todd intimated that the burden of the
blame would fall upon the engineer
and crew, who were arrested shortly
| after the accident, are now being held
to await the result of the official in
vestigation. They are Harry H. Hide
brand, engineer; Ira c. McClelland,
fireman; Frank F. Hoffmeier, conduc-
tor; Ralph Rutter, brakeman, and
William A. Norris, baggagemaster.
Engineer HiIdebrand.
Gazing vacantly between the iron
bars of his cell, at the police station,
Engineer Hildebrand is too full of
emotion to make any definite state
ment
1T will all come out at the investi-
CATION" he said. Il don't believe that
ttere is anything for me to say, and
l could not say it if there was"
Before he was arrested, the engi-
neer made a statement to the press,
in which he declared that If the dan.
ger signal light was displayed at
Takoma, he failed to see it on account
Of the dense fog
Operator Phillips Has Witnesses.
Milton w. Phillips, the operator, who
is also held a prisoner at the Tenth
precinct, said that the equipment train
ran past his danger signal at a speed
of from so to 60 miles. He says there
was a heavy fog, but not enough to
hide a red light. He declares that
he Immediately notified the operator
at University station that the train
3.
His statement is corroborated by the
University station operator, who says
that he received the message. Police |
man ]. T. Kennedy, stationed at Ia |
koma Park, will testify that he saw
the signal light in its proper place,
signal. Fred Lemkum, gatekeeper at |
Takoma, makes similar statement.
Commerce Commission Investigation. |
Chairman Knapp of the interstate |
commerce commission said to the |
press that the commission had con-
sidered the advisability of making a
special investigation into the causes
of the wreck. No decision has beenf
reached, he says, as to when this in
vestigation will be made.
j. w. Kelly, trainmaster of the Bal
timore e Ohio for this division, is in
Washington to make further investiga-
tion into the cause of the wreck He
declared that to locate the RESPONSE
bility for the disaster at this time was
an utter impossibility.
AS a manifestation of sorrow and
sympathy for. all afflicted by the Sun
day night disaster et Terra Gotta, the
District commissioners ordered that
flags on all public buildings in the
District be displayed at half-mast un-
til after the funerals of the victiys.
The Washington Stock exchange, "in
view of the terrible calamity and
as mark of respect, held no session
The funeral of many of the victims
who resided in Washington and
suburbs we're held today The bodies
Of other victims will be forwarded
70 their homes by the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad officials. The railroad ]
is sparing no expense in pro-
1iding for all the injured at the hos
,ftalS