The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-06

target. Expecting the station TO be
closed, he continued
He stated that he blew his whistle
for Takoma, Lamond, Stott's. and Terra
Gotta. On drawing near Stott's, he tes-
tiled, he kept a sharp lookout for a
iiagman with a red lantern or fuse. and
put on air brakes. reducing the speed
10 ten or fifteen miles an hour Had he
/ seen anything of signal from the flag
man of the work train he expected was
using the cross-over at Terra Gotta. az
the double green at Silver Spring had
/ suggested Hildebrand stated, he could
have stopped within hundred feet or
less.
Released Air Brakes.
Seeing nothing Of a warning signal
and judging by that that the work
train had cleared the cross-Over and left
the vicinity, Hildebrand testified that he
released his air brakes This he said
allowed his train to again gather mo-
smentum until it had again attained a
/ speed of about twenty or twenty-five
miles an hour He crashed into S. at
/ Terra Gotta station without seeing the
tail lights of that train. 1t was so foggy
/ Hudebrand said. that these lights could
not be seen, and the first intimation he
had that 66 was in front OF him was the
impact Of the collision.
/ Operator Dutrow viii again be called
and will be subjected to the most severe
| cross-questioning of the inquest. In his
testimony of Thursday he made what APP
pears TO be a slip of the tongue, that
/ while recorded by the official stenographer
WIS passed over lightly By the inyesti-
gators. A representative Of The Wash
/ ington Herald caught the slip. and upon
/ looking il up n the official records yes
/ terday found that il would have an i'm
portant bearing IN the ease. II was point
/ ed out TO Coroner hewitt and Commits
sioner West. and Dutrow viii be recalled
4 10 explain IT,
Mixed as go Lights.
/ It occurred while Dutrow was answer
/ ing a question as 10 what witnesses he
could produce to cOrroborate his state
ment that he had displayed the white
signal to 66 and 2l20 Dutrow gave Trum-
I bles name, and, in a long sentence, eX-
planned how Trumble would be able 20
! tell about the lights. and then, az the
/ close of his answer stated ahat a MT.
Hewitt. Of Silver Spring, was al the
station when 66 came along and saw
me when hung my green lantern He
was asked when he had hung the green
lantern, and, after hesitating moment.
said it was after Z 0-clock-when be is
supposed to hang it TO denote that Silver
Spring is the western end Of "a block ex-
tending all the way 10 the Rhode Island
avenue block station.
At that time his remark was passed
over and he was not questioned as 70
why he should have suggested Hewitt as
a witness 10 his having displayed the
proper signals 90 G6 and Z20 when Hewitt
only saw him hang the green lantern
after o'clock Both trains had passed
Silver Spring around or before 6.55.
Tumble was called Friday He sup
ported Dutr0w regarding the white light.
In one Of his answers he mentioned that
De was talking 20 AIr Hewitt who was
waiting 10 take the train into Wash
ington. The only train 10 Washington
az that time was O.. The question uatu-
rally arises, If Mr.. Hewitt saw Dutrow
hang the green lantern and also took
train 65 for Washington, how could Du-
trow have hung the green lantern after
o'cI0ck2
Hewitt To Appear.
Mr. Hewitt has been called by the cor
Oner and IS expected TO appear to-mor-
row. Should he testify that Dutrow hung
the green light burrows apparent slip
regarding the green light may be regard
ed by the Investigators as conclusive that
he did put up that signal and c0nse-
Quently may prove disastrous 90 him
Inasmu-h as The weight Of testimony
ElI .44G fsa
light. if displayed at Silver Spring when
zl2) approached and g. was only leaving
TakOma was an improper signal. and
might well have been the primary cause
~ the wreCk-DutTOW may find himself
IN an embarrassing position. Mai Syl-
vester stated last night that DutrOw was
being closely watched, and that If neces-
sdry would be arrested and held in Gus
t0dy until to-morrow's session of the in
quest
The trainmen examined yesterday were
firm upon the point that neither crew
knew Of the proximity of the other train.
The trains were together ar Washington
Junction. No. G6 went ahead The crew
saw 2l2e standing there. but did not know
where it vas going II was explained
that IZ0, although pointed toward Wash
ington. might have gone over TO the main
line and not come down the Metropolitan
Branch.
Relied on the Blocks
Hiidebrand said he had no way of know
ing that IS WAS not in Washington when
he reached Silver Spring. At that time.
he said, Is was six minutes overdue in
Washington He expected that 1t was "a
few minutes late, but relied on block sig
mails or special orders from the train dis
patcher 10 warn him if the train was So
late as 20 make his advance dangerous.
When asked as TO precautions IN foggy
weather, the trainmen could tell Of no
rules demanding special care at such
times. The railroad officials present
Nhen called upon to clear up that point
could not produce any special rules GOV
erlng such conditions. beyond the general
one that tF8inmen should be careful at
all times. Hildebrand admitted that had
he known No. 65 was not in Washington
he would have been still more careful in
approaching Terra Gotta.
The point regarding the watches of
trainmea developed when Hfdebraud
stated that it was 6.Sl by his watch when
be passed Silver Spring. The block sheets
show that the Silver Spring operator re-
corded the time as 6.28. and 80 reported il
10 Iakoma- This variation of three min
utes did not appear to be unusual Hide
brand stated that he compared his watch
with his conductors at Cumberland be
fore starting the run. He said also thai
il was right by the-clOck in the Office Al
Washington Junction.
Clocks often Wrong.
When asked regarding the printed rule
requiring trainmen to compare their
watches by the standard clock in the dis
patcher's Office before starting on a run.
HildeDrand stated that he did not know
where such standard clocks are He said
that the clocks in the station Offices along