Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-04
Inquiry Into Terra Gotta
Disaster Resumed.
Coroner Indignant at the Treat.
ment He Received.
Also Dlsapproves Certain Other
Acts By Railroad Company.

washington, Jan. 1.-The most inn
portant testimony in connection with
the investigation by the coroner's jury
to determine the cause and to place the
responsibility for the disastrous wreck
| at Terra Gotta on the Baltimore. Dc
| Ohio Railroad last Sunday night was
that given by w. NJ. Detrow, who was
the operator at Silver Springs. He said
| he was sure that No. &c, the local eX-
press train that was smashed up, had
| cleared the block at Takoma park be-
fore he displayed the white target for
No. 212O, known as the Dead train,
which crashed into the local. 1t Was
| brought out by the coroner that Mr..
DctrOW was an extra operator and had
not worked at Silver Springs regular
ly, but was shifted from post to post.
according to the needs of the service.
| The witnes said that because Of the
fOggy weather last Sunday night he
| had taken unusual precautions to see
| that red light was put up early.
! He testified that the local was about
| Is minutes late when it passed him.
, and that when No 2120 came through
| it was running about 80 miles an hour.
Detrow will be examined further.
At today's session eight witnesses,
! all employees of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, were examined. The teSti-
| mony mostly related to the block sys-
| tenn and the signal lights. Coroner
hewitt demanded that the railroad Of
| ficials gave a definite answer as to
why the first relief train for Terra Cot
| ta was delayed at University station
| for 13 minutes and fast passenger
allowed to pass it and why the railroad
company took it upon itself to arrange
| for the removal Of the dead before
he had seen the bodies. The coroner
charges several Of these railroad wit
| nesses with being evasive in their an
swers to his questions. The coroner
declared that when he went to the
Baltimore & Ohio station Immediate
| ly after hearing of the accident and
| asked how he could get to Terra Gotta,
a railroad official told him the only.
way was to take an ambulance or pa
troll wagon.
THAT was all the satisfaction I, the
coroner. could get at the station and
| finally I ordered Il second relief TRAM
| sent out and after some delay the
train was started
| j. w. Kelley. trainmastor OF the Bal
timore division. in his testimony.
| thing for No. &c to be from 10 to 20
minutes late in reaching Washington.
Asked whether the engineer of No.
2l20 had a right TO suppose he would
be protected by the block signal ana
| by the use of torpedoes. the witness
said that the block signal system is alb
soute and for that reason No. a12D
| should not have been in the block at
| the same time with No c6
| Assistant Division Operator McCau-
| ley Of the Baltimore & Ohio said that
| he went TO Takoma Park about mid
night on the night of the accident to
investigate it. He said that he found
! Operator Phillips. who told him that
| he lad tho red light on and that tho
| engine of the dead" train ran past il
| and that this statement was corrobor-
| ated to the witness by the gatcm3r.
He said that both rains. 2l-0 and G6
| got the white light nj Silver Springs.
which, he said, was entirely proper.
Coroner hewitt asked McCaulcy if he
| had any reason to believe that the en-
eincer Of 2l20 did not know that &c vas
| in trent of him. The witness replied
| that he did not believe the engineer
did not know it. He said that he should
have known it. Coroner hewitt asked
what he (McCauley) would have done
unGcr the circumstances if he were
| running 212o.
McCauley replied IF l had been the
engineer. / would have been looking
out for &C ahead, ara also for signal
at Takoma Park. especially on being
so Close on the time Of No. Go