The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-24
VERDICT PROBABLE
BY MONDAY IN THE
RECENT ACCIDENT
Coroner Bramkamp Is Look
ing Thoroughly Into the Ca
tastrophe on the Pennsyl-
vania Near HagerstoWn.
SOME RAlLROADERS SAY
DIETER WAS AT FAULT
Also Claimed Engineer CalkinS
Should Not Have Been Run
ming at Such Rapid Rate---
Injured Recovering.

Coroner Bramkamp is now conduct
ing a thorough investigation to ascer-
tain where the blame should be placed
for the Haserstown wreck Wcdnes-
day night, and according To his state
ment this morning. will file a verdict
by Monday at the latest. He has ex-
ing train as well as those connected
with the local freight train No. ~.
Ray Deeter, operator at Hagerstown,
and the operator at Millville have al
so been examined. Coroner Bran
kamp will say nothing as to what the
probable contents uf his verdict VIII
be-
The railroad officials too, are still
further investigating tie wreck and
will probably reach a decision within
the course of the next few days.
The operator at Millvii,e has been
cleared of any completely in the wreck
by the statements OF wrecking crew
stated today that the operator it Mill.
vile had received his orders from
Hagerstown. that the track was clear
and to send the wreck train ahead,
that the local freight IN front of 1t
would be sidetracked. The operator
at Hagerstown released the block tn
the wreck train. stating that there was
nothing in front, he says
The injured men say that Ray
Deeter the operator at Hagerstown. is
TO blame for the accident on the
ground that he should not, after hay-
ing released the block both east and
west of HaGerstown. allowed tE%
freight train to leave the switch at
Hagerstown, when he well knew that
the wrecking train. pulled by a pas
senger engine hauling only four cars
could reaca Hagerstown within the
course of a few minutes.
Was IL Red or White7
1t is understood that Deeter gave
the white light on the block signal
tower to the local freight. and did not
change this until he heard the wreck
| ing train coming. The wrecking crew
4
erstown is not discernable until after
trains turn the curve almost at the
bottom of the long grade from Mill
vile and therefore the block system
they state is defective mt tNis place.
Engineer Calkins and his fireman,
Morris Showalter, are confident that
the white light was still burning when
they reached the block although Deet-
er asserts that he changed IT 10 red,
when he heard the train approach
ing Owing to the rapid rate of speed
at which the train was going. all
wrecking crew trainmen declaring It
to be running al sixty miles an hour.
the train reached the block "A few sec
onds after II was heard coming.
whether Deeter had the red or white
light burning, it is asserted by the
railroad men that he was negligent In
not turning the light sooner than he
did, when he probably knew thai the
| wrecking train was hearing down on
Hagerstown at a terrific rate OF speed.
having given IL orders that the track
was clear.
Caikins Is Censured.
II is also asserted that Engineer
Calkins Is TO blame TO a considerable
extent, as he should not have been
running his train more than forty
miles an hour through Hagerstowr.
one of the Pennsylvania train rules
specifically stating that this speed
shall be the maximum. The Souble
curve. which has caused several
wrecks. probably the most serious ne
ing several years ago when No. IL
went into the ditch, killing three peo-
ple. lis known among Richmond divis-
ion railroaders as the Dead Mems
Curve and for this reason train or
ders are issued against fast running
in and around Hagerstown. This ord
er. however. has been but little obey
ed since ii was issued, engineers ana
conductors sending their trains
through Hagerstown as fast as they
cared to.
All the injured men are doing very
well. w. p. Owens of 80 North Tenth
street is still in serious condition.
He is so badly bruised about the chest
and shoulders that he is required to
keen his bed or chair during the en-
tire time Moving about is out OF the
question. His head is badly cut. His
body is almost black, caused from the
bruises he received in the smashup.
4 Engineer Calkins and Fireman Sho-
walter, who are confined at Reid Hos
pital are slowly recovering from the
effects of the wreck All other MEM
(Coutinued on Page Three.)