Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-09
Story of the Wreck Which
Shocked the Whole Country

At haIf-past q o'clock on Sunday evening,
December 20. 1906. the biggest engine on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. pulling dead
head equipment train, rushed out OF bank
Of fog into the glare of the clay furnaces
at Terra Gotta and tore through the length
of Washington bound local. just pulling
out of the station. Forty-two passengers on
the local-men women and children-were
ground TO death in a twinkling and half
hundred others injured. the majority or
them seriously. 1t was the worst railroad
wreck that has ever occurred around
Washington and the worst disaster N the
history of the city since the collapse or the
floors of the old Fords Theater building,
when many government clerks were killed
and more than 100 injured.
Tried to Escape.
The local train No. &c had stopped at
Terra Gotta, discharsing and taking on pas
sengers. and was just beginning to get I'M
der way when the of the oncoming
train and the sinister glare of the great
headlight cut through the fog behind 1t.
The engineer OF the local knew his train
was doomed. but he threw open the throttle
aud tried TO get under Roadway to lessen
tie shock of the collision. But 1t was too
late.
While the wheels of the local were still
spinning on the wet rails. the big empty
train, rushing down the grade behind, tore
through the slowly-moving local like ak
splitting sapling. The impact was like
that of an explosive she'll The dead
head train was going between fifty and
sixty miles an hour. and shattered the
IightbuiIt cars OF the local into little bits.
The Coroner's Inquest.
January coroner's jury made UP
OF Oscar Ricketts,, formerly acting public
printer; George Mueller. "a candy manu-
facturer: A. J. Sanford, grocer; c. w.
Weaver, nveryman; John Beall, retired
merchant. and Joseph II. Bradley. a special
policeman. after taking voluminous testi-
rnony from many witnesses. returned YER
dict denouncing the signal system and the
practice under the system on the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad and holding the follow
Ing named railroad employees for the action
OF the grand jury:
William Dutrow, operator at Silver
Springs
William L. McCauley. assistant division
operator at Baltimore
i. F. Dent, night train dispatcher, Balti-
more
J. W. Kelly, jr.. division trainnaster. Bal
timore.
Harry II. HIdebrand, engineer Of 212O
Ohe dead-head train).
Frank + Hoffmeler conductor of 2l20.
II. l.. Nermllion. engineer of CO.
George W. Nage. conductor of 66.
The jury held that the collision was due
directly to the negligent action OF Operator
William VI. Dutrow, in displaying an i'm
proper signal to the c. ew of train 2l2o and
We direct that said Dutrow be held crimi-
nalIy responsible for the action OF the
grand jury"
Tho jury also found the other persons
whose civ en- above to be re
sponsiSle in a lesser degree. and directed
that they also be held for the grand jury.
The Jury's Findings.
Furthermore. the jury expressed itself
as OF the opinion that the manual block
system" as at present operated on the
Metropolitan branch OF the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. does not afford sufficient
protection to the lives and property OF its
patrons. that the wages paid to operators
and signalmen are not large enough to Sc
cure the services OF competent and reliable
men. We find that the practice OF closing
block signal stations for the day. between
the hours OF $50 and S o o'clock In the even
Ing. is not conducive TO the safety OF traf-
~, and we recommend that all block sig
nal stations be kept operative twenty-four
hours d day and that no additional duties
asid. from working the signals and attend
ing 10 telegraphtc duties be imposed upon
operators
We recommend a more rigid inspection
OF t'mepieces In by operators and
trainmen and also uniform compulsory
rule for the comparison. by trainmen and
others charged with the responsibility OF
operating trains. with clocks known and
designated as standard time.