The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-01
HORROR GROWS
IN MAGNITUDE
,Fifty-Tmee Persons Dead as
the Result of the Baltimore
& Ohio Wreck.
OTHERS EXPECTED TO DIE
TRAIN CREW BLAMED FOR THE
DISASTER.
OTHERS EXPECTED TO DIE

Washington. Dec. 31.-The Baltimore &,
Ohio wreck at Terra Gotta last night
grows in magnitude as the hours pass.
The most conservative estimate Of the
dead tonight is fifty-three. with three
score OF injured in the hospitals or al
their homes suffering from wounds and
fractures sustained in the rear-end COLI
sion which completely demolished the two
day coaches and the smoker attached TO
the local Frederick Express No. &c. Sew
eral OF the most seriously injured are
expected to die during the night. and the
death list may yet reach sixty or more.
Heart-rendng and pitiful were the
scenes at the city moTgue today. where
hundreds OF persons have flocked to as
sist 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 thirty-two corpses strevn
about the floor. Collins. wicker baskets
and winding sheets were found on all
sides
Train Crew Blamed
Officials of the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road are conducting investigation of
the wreck IN Baltimore for the purpose of
placing the responsibility for the terrible
SUPERINTENDENT
eNonerated Milton w. Phillips, the tele-
graph operator at the TalSOma block sta
ton, the last signal station that the equip
nent train passed before crashing into
the passenger train at Terra Gotta. The
superintendent declared that Phillips was
ODeElng instructions when he went home
at 6:S9 clock. leaving the double green"
signal burning While making no positive
charge. superintendent TODD minated
that the burden of the blame would fall
UPON the engineer and crew of the extra
of e1a rrrt,.,
arrested shortly after the accident are
now being held to await the result Of the
r. HiIdebrand engineer; Ira c. McClel-
land, fireman: Frank +. Hoffmeyer. con-
ductor; Ralph RutIer, brakeman, and viii
lam A. Norris. baggagemaster.
Engineer Not Talking.
Gazing vacantly between the iron bars
Of bis cell at the police station Engineer
10 make any definite statement. eft will
all come out at the nveStigation 3" he said
T don't believe that there is anything
Tor me TO say. and could not say it if
Before he was arrested the engineer
made statement to the Associated Press
in which he declared that IL the danger
signal light was displayed at Takoma ne
fog.
Operators Story.
Milton w. Phillips The operator. who Is
cinct. said today that the equipment train
ran past his danger signal at a speed OF
from fifty to sixty miles an hour. He says
mere was heavy fog. but not enough
10 hide a red light. He declares that he
notified the operator at University sta
ton that the train had taken the block
against orders. His statement is corrob-
Grated by the University station operator.
who says that he received the MESA Re
Flagman a. Kennedy. stationed at ia
koma park VIII testify that he saw the
signal light In its proper place and that
Hildebrand drove past the signal Fred
Iemkum. gate keeper at Takoma makes
q similar statement.
Some One Responsible.
9. w. Galloway. general superintenden+
or transportation OF the Baltimore <. ohio
railroad. exonerated the company from ali
blame and put the responsibility on the
engineer OF the equipment train or the
operator at Takoma block. 'Tf the coro-
nsr's jury fails to hold the engineer ar
the block operator" he said Eve shall
not consider the matter settled We shall
60 70 the bottom OF the wreck This bor-
ribe accident should have been avoided
Some one is responsible and we intend to
leave no stone unturned until the resnon-
sibility has been fixed"
Government May Investigate.
- Chairman Knapp Of the interstate COM
merce commission tonight said to the AS
ISOLATED Press that the commission today
considered the advisability Of making
special investigation into the causes Of
the WTcCk. no decision has been reached
1e says as 10 when this investigation will
be made
J. w. Kelly traInmaster or the Ra1ti-
more & Ohio for this division. is i'm WASH
ingtOn TO make further Investigation fato
the cause OF the wreck. He declared that
10 place the responsibility at this time
was an utter imDOsSibility.
The police have all of the tTainmen
locked up" he explained. land until we
can get them. ask questions and COM
pare stories Il viii be impossible to de-
termine anything"
Flags at HaIf-Mast.
As n manifestation OF sorrow and SYM
pathy for all afflicted by the Sunday night
disaster at Terra Gotta the district COM
missiOncrz today ordered that flags on al
public buildings be displayed q half ma
until the funerals OF tile victims The
Washington stock exchange "in view of
Inc terrible calamity" and as a mark of
respect. held no session today
Tho funeral Of many Of the victims who
resided I'm WASHINGTON auI suburbs will
y" held tomorrow. The bodies Cf the other
killed viii be forwarded to their homes hv
inc Baltimore e. Ohio railroad officials
The railroad company Is snaring no ex-
rense in providing for all the injured at
the hospitals
CUE EXPERT ARRESTED.
Lexington. KY. Dec 3i.-H Wilson 81
n afrrrn a La.