The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-01
Investigation Shows That Engineer Was Guilty
of Awful Bunder
HEARTRENDING SCENES WHEN
MANGLED VICTIMS WE'RE
FOUND BY RELATIVES.
WHOLE CITY MOURNING
And Flags Are at Hall Mast--Operator
Held Bameless But Train Crew
Is in JaiI-Commerce Commits
sion May Investigate.

Washington, d. c., n&c, 3l.-rh'
Baltimore and Ohio wreck at Terri
Gotta Sunday night grows in magni
tude as the hours pass The most con
Scrvative estimate of the dead tonlgh
is 50, with three score injured Sew
eral of the more seriously injured arc
expected to die during the night anf
the death list may reach go or more.
Heartrendlng and pitiful were the
scenes at the city morgue today where
hundreds of persons have fiocked to
assist 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 mangled corpses streWn about the
nCor Coffins, wicker baskets and
winding sheets were found on all
sides. 1t was day never to be for
gotten.
Operator Freed From Blame.
Officials of the Baltimore and Ohio
CATION of the wreck in Baltimore for
the purpose of placing the responsible
ity for the dsastec, General Superin-
tendent Todd eXonerated Milton w.
Philips. operator at Takoma block sta
ton, the last signal station the equip
mcnt train passed before crashing into
the passenger at Terra Gotta. The
superintendent declared that he was
obeying instructions when he went
home at $50 o'clock leaving the
double green signal burning.
Trained Grew is Held,
While making no positive charge,
TODD minated that the burden Of the
blame would fall upon the Engineer
and crew of The extra Five members
Of the crew, arrested shortly after the
accident, are now being held to await
the result of the official investigation
They are Harry II. Hildebrand. en-
gineer Ira c. McClelland. fireman;
Frank F. Hoffmeier, conductor;
Ralp Rutter brakeman; William A. !
Norris, baggagemaster
Engineer Hildebrand said tonight |
1T will all come out at the inyestiga |
titn. | don't believe that there is any !
thing for me to say and couldn't say |
it if there was. Before he was ar
rested the engineer made statement
to the Associated Press in which he |
declared that If the danger signal light
was displayed at Takoma he failed 20
see 1t an account OF the fog.
Says Train Passed Signal.
Melton w Phillips. operator, who
Is also under arrest said today that
the equipment train ran past his dan
ger signal at speed OF 50 to GO miles
al hour. He says there was heavy
fog but not enough to hide the red
light. He declares he Immediately
notified the operator at University sta
tion thai The train had taken the
block against orders. His statement
is corroborated by the University sta
tion operator who says he received
the message
Policeman Kc1edy. stationed at Ia. !
Roma Park will testify that he saw the ,
signal light in its proper place and ,
that Hildebrand drove past the signal.
Fred Lemlrum. gate keeper at Tako- /
ma will make Il similar statement. t,
c. w. Galloway. general superintend-
ent OF transport ton for the Balti 4
more and Ohio cxonerated the com !
pany from all blame and put the re.
spoDsibility on the engineer of tho .
equipment train or the operator at g
block
Warts Commission TO Probe. In
Chairman KNAPP Of the Interstate n
Commerce Commission tonight said n
to the Associated Press that the com G
mission today considered the adyisi. a
bility of making a special Investigation \
into the cause of the wreck M do. A.,
E sion has been reached he saws as
to- when This Investigation will b.
D. ade. i,
J. w kellv. train master ~ the Bal In
imore and Ohio. for this division is in h
Washington 10 make an investigation i.
nto the cause of the wreck. He de. n
Jared that To locate the responsibility "a
u this time was an utter impossibiliiy. Ito
he police have all the trainmen lock- ID
q up he explained. "and until We d
an get at them ask questions and d.
ompare stories it will be impossible.
. determine anything Meanwhile | OF
rould not make statement simpll Il
ecause ] haven't the facts" g,
FLAGS at HsH Mast. III
As a manifestation Of sorrow and le
ympathy for all afflicted by The dis