Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-03
COR0NER'S JURY
HEARS EVIDENCE
Further Testimony Regarding the
Railroad Disaster at Terra
Gotta Station.

they did It in the prescribed manner
| through the coroner. He also indicated
| that the Commissioners were taking the
| keenest interest in the investigation of
| perhaps the most horrible happening that
| has ever taken place within their bailiwick.
| Another evidence of the general interest
| that is being taken in the most important
Investigation is the long press table crowded
| with newspaper men making reports of the
| testimony, many of them representing out
| of-town newspapers.
Nature of the Evidence.
There is expectancy as to the nature OF
the evidence that will be given by the con,
| ductor, engineer and other members OF
the crew of the empty equipment train
| which crashed into No &C. One railroad
man declared at the morgue today that the
| higher railroad officials were making a
mistake in trying to fasten the entire blame
| for the catastrophe upon the train crew.
| The officials should remember there is
| such thing as retaliation he added. III
! the crew is pushed to the wall In this mat
| ter some of them may give away some OF
| the unwritten laws and rules that prevail
| ON certain railroad systems and then the
| public will see where the blame lies
| Pressed for a fuller explanation the man
| suddenly became dumb to all interroga-
| tories.
According to an official who is attend
| ing the inquest, Operator Detrow, whose
| station is al Silver Spring, will testify
| that he gave the engineer of locomotive
| 212o, that was hauling the empty equip
ment train. white signal. which, 1T is
sald. gave the train the right of way on
a supposed clear track through the Uni
| Versity, as the station at Takoma is Off
| cially closed. according to standing or
| ders, at $50 o'clock every evening 1t
was added that upon the statement of the
silver Spring operator the engineer of
212O and the crew of that train will claim
eXoneration from all blame.
White Light at Silver Spring.
The important question seems to be by
| whose orders or lack of orders the dead
head train got into the block from Silver
| Spring to University when aecommoda-
| ton train No. &C was still In the block
| 1t will be commended by the crew, If the
operator at Silver Spring testihes, as Is ex-
pected that he gave the white light at a
| time when the Takoma station had become
| dead by reason of the expiration of the
| official day at that signal station. then the
! conductor and engineer of the equipment
train had the right to proceed on the clear
| track that was indicated to University
station.
Had a white light been shown at Silver
| Spring station earlier In the day or later at
night an official stated, lit would have
| been plain to the conductor of the dead
| head train what to have done. But being
| shown at just one minute after the time
! set for the closing of the station at Ia
koma Is the point that will cut much of a
figure in the investigation. and its solution
Will do much toward fastening the blame
where it rghtfully belongs"
| Another matter that is expected to be ex-
plotted at the inquest will be the probable
| responsibility for the deaths of some of the
| wounded victims of the disaster whose
| lives might have been saved had a relief
| train been sent to the scene of the wreck
sooner. 1t is said the first delay was caused
| by the time consumed in the red tape pro-
| cress Of finding Division Superintendent
| Hobbs in Baltimore and having him order
train sent to Terra Gotta. Then, 1t is
added, after such an order had been re-
| ceived the relief train was held here while
| a passenger train was given the right Of
| way as to not delay traffic, as 1t was
| explained.
Lack of Ambulances.
Added to this is the lack of ambulances
at the immediate disposal of the police de-
| partment. 1t is said there came near being
a delay in removing the wounded from the
depot because of the trouble Maj. Sylvester
experienced in getting together from the
various sources a sufficient number of such
| vehicles.
1t was the opinion of some of the officials
| at the inquest today that the police depart
ment should have sufficient number of re-
serve ambulances, motor machines If nee
| essary. in order to be provided for such
| emergencies In the future.
Another official said Congress should pass
| a law empowering the police department to
| seize any cars and locomotives that may be
| necessary to be used as relief trains, and
| with added authority to clear the track of
traffic and give such relief trains the I'M
| disputed right of way. Some of the lives
| at Terra Gotta might have been saved 1t
was suggested, had relief train with ply
1 sicians reached the scene earlier. Several
| witnesses can be produced, it is said who
| will testify that the relief train was held
back to give No. 0 the right of way.
First Witness Today.
When the inquest was resumed at 1O:45
o'clock this morning several officials of the
Baltimore and Ohio were called. but they
| were not present and Superintendent of
| Transportation Galloway took immediate
| steps to secure their attendance later in
| the day
! j. T. Carr, assistant tranmaster Of the
/ Baltimore and Ohio in Washington, was
the first witness. He said he was at his
home at Gas o'clock Sunday evening when
ing the wreck. Witness read two kilograms
| received from Superintendent o. H. Hobbs
| containing instructions to get wreck and
| relief trains to the scene.
| THE first train with injured left Terra
Gotta as nearly as l can place it about
S:45,' said Mr.. Carr, land 1t must have ar
| rived in Washington shortly after o'clock
| though did not go with 1t. l remained al
i
| the train could get in to carry away the
| dead"
| Reading from the train sheet witness
| said: THE first relief train with doctors
| left Washington at 7:20. passed University
| at 1923 and proceeded directly to Terra
| Gotta"
Mr.. Carr also read his first report to his
company, which placed the number of dead
| at thirty-three.
| by what authority did the engine and
one or two unchanged coaches of train 68
proceed TO Washington" the coroner asked
ut ran on it's schedule witness re-
piled.
| why was not the remainder of 66 used
| to carry il the injured?'
Gathered Up the Injured.
II gathered up all the injured myself and
put them on the relief train, and 66 fol-
| lowed the relief train to Washington
Mr.. Carr said that after the injured were
Continued on Second PaSe)