Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-09
FINAL SESSION
Of THE INQUEST
Verdict of Coroner's Jury Ex-
pected This Afternoon.
MORE WITNESSES TESTIFY
Second Wreck Narrowly Averted
Night of December 30.
TWO TRAINS IN SAME BLOCK
Statement of One Operator Regarding
Another-Developing the Facts
Lack of Confidence.
TWO TRAINS IN SAME BLOCK

AS the coroner's inquiry into the
causes of the Terra Gotta station
railroad wreck draws to a close evil
dence of a startling character as to
the risks human life and limb are
subjected to by reason of incompe-
tent employees and a stretchable and
enigmatic block system has been
brought into the limelight. The
questioning OF the many witnesses
has been deity accomplished and the
public has learned much Of the I'M
written methods of railroad COM
panies in caring for the comfort and
safety of their patrons.
1t has been shown that few cleo
trio dots and dashes of the telegraph
wrongly given or wrongly inter
preted by an inexperienced operator
mean perhaps the crashing together
of two trains crowded with human
itv in a "head-on" collision or the
smashing OF passenger coaches into
splinters, as was the case at Terra
Gotta, by ''hind-end' smashup, as
it is expressed in the parlance of the
men of the iron rail.
The jury retired at 8 :o2 o'clock
this afternoon TO consider a verdict.
Whatever may be the verdict of the cor
oners jury, the public has learned several
salutary lessons that, II Is apparent, Will
not soon be forgotten. The wide diverG-
ence of statements of the witnesses sug-
rested to Coroner hewitt that perjury was
being resorted to by witnesses for some I'LL
terror purpose, while the testimony today
again shows a serious blunder in signals
and that a second disaster was narrowly
averted the fateful Sunday evening. De-
cember 20.
Referring to an operator in whose hands
the lives of hundreds of people have been
intrusted, another operator declared, ac-
cording to testimony today:
i've got the clear from Silver Spring.
but l don't feel any too sure of that kid
down there"
Juryman Oscar Ricketts, also brought out
that certain operator was considered a
novice and was inexperienced and that
messages had to be repeated to him. These
statements and other nerve-racking tes-
timony late this afternoon were about to go
to the jury for it's determination as to
where to place the responsibility for the
killing Of nearly half hundred men,
women and children, and the manning Of
many others.
Beginning Of the End.
With the end of the inquiry in sight,
Coroner hewitt this morning opened the
seventh day of the inquest to determine the
responsibility for the wreck on the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad at Terra Gotta sta
ton the evening of December 80 last.
The first witness called was w. l.. Stou-
a.. l,,- OF thD tQS int ION rtv,a
ton tower. He was asked regarding the
regulation of the clock in his station each
day at noon.
Was that clock regulated Sunday, the
9Oth?' the coroner inquired.
The time does not come through Gun
days" Stoufer answered.
ION Saturday,"
Eyes, sir"
lis the regulation { the time required
II do not know whether it is required
by written rue-but II is a regularly under
stood duty OF operators"
Carrying further inquiry into the case
of train Is, which was brought into prom
inence yesterday by the statement of En-
gineer Peer that he had been admitted into
the block between kensington and Silver
Spring when another train had not cleared
at Silver Spring. thus narrowly averting
another wreck the same night as the dsas-
ter at Terra Gotta. Coroner hewitt called
William Moore, The operator at Hens ngton,
10 the witness stand.
Confusion of Signals.
After preliminary questioning concerning
the time train 90 and extra 2120 passed
his station. the coroner asked Moore
whether there had ever been confusion OF
signals between himself and the opera tor
at Silver Spring. particularly during the
time Operator Dutrow was serving at the
latter station. Answering generally tina,
Dutrow seemed capable. witness said the
young operator. like all beginners, under
IN no. fart han
What time did No. Is enter your block
Sunday night?'
AT 9:3S pm"
What signal did you give?''
Il stopped him with red block
What time did YOU let No. is into the
block?"
Had YOU received confirmation tina
the block was clear from Silver Spring.
Yes. but ! told the engineer to go dowr
there carefully because / had my doubt:
about the other engine or train being ou
of the block. My words to him were: =
can't hold YOU any longer because I've go
the clear from Silver Spring but l dom
feel any too sure Of that kid down there
Are YOU sure YOU had confirmation from
SILVER Spring.?
Certainly. How else could have opened
the blocl TO No. IS
Moore was asked further about the lat
est hour he heard from the operator a
Randolph Sunday evening, and he reaC
from the block sheet the hour Glib.
That he said. was the time he though
extra @I20 passed Randolph. but added h.
had heard later that the operator. Mat
thews. left Randolph before 2l20 entere,
tie block Moore could not be posit~ye
however whether the time entered on hi
record indicated the time 2l20 passed
RockY'1'e or Randolph
somewhat of Novice.
''Wodld you consider Dutrow somewha
Of a novice?' Juror Ricketts, queried.
Yes"
''Why?"
well. because of his general actions
sometimes he would only get part of