The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-02
On the Scene of
Tragic Wreck
MORBID PERSONS DRAWN TO
TERRA coTTA-PATHETic
AND STRANGE INCL
DENTS.

Has 49,
WASHINGTON, Jan. lin spite of
the downpour of rain. which at times
assumed the fury of a midsummer
storm, thousands OF persons visited
Terra Gotta during the day Monday.
Tie railroad company, eager to clear
away all evidence of the disaster. sent
hun ireds Of men to the place long be-
fore dawn, and before noon almost ev.
cry vestige Of the most frightfui dis.
aster that has occurred in this vicin
ity was cleared away.
The grea majority of those who
listed Terra Gotta we're of that class
whom a morbid curiosity drag to ev-
cry Of suffering N death, but
even worse than these were a horde
of ghouls who prowled about the
scene, searching for coins, or jewels
or other valuables that may have be-
longed to those SO suddenly hurled
into eternity. and who sought to reap
a pitiable harvest on the field of
death. Some Of them were rewarded
in their %atrocious work. A boy is
said to have found a small silver watch
which may have belonged to some
child or to some young woman, and a
eolored man Is reported to have been
seen picking up a roll of banknotes.
Near the track stood half a dozeu
black wagons Of undertakers, waiting
to bring to Washington the bodies OF
those who had died in the houses to
which they had been taken in Terra
Gotta just after the wreck.
Amid all this endless tale OF woe
there occurred nj happy i%nterlude.
In the list of dead published in pa
pers was the name of Mr.. Don M.
Carr. who is the stenographer to Chief
Clerk Macy, OF the General Land Of
flee. All the clerks in that office had
read with sorrow Of Mr.. Carr's death,
and their amazement may, perhaps, be
fancied when Mr.. Carr, a triae pale but
entirely alive, entered the office. He
was overwhelmed with congratula-
lions. and found opportunity at last
to explain that he had not been on the
train. His wife had been on the train
and suffered a fracture of her ankle
and a few cuts about the head and
face, but Mr.. Carr himself had not
even been on the train.
Miss Elizabeth Hughes, who lives
in this city, was taken to the Casualty
Hospital. When she was brought in
the surgeon in charge asked her name.
This Miss Hughes readily gave. Then
he asked her age.
Must I really give my age?" asked
Miss Hughes In some concern. els it
absolutely necessary"
Miss Hughes was told that she must
given her age to complete the record
that is made in every hospital of all
patrons on whom an operation must
be performed.
Then, IL l must, I must" she said.
81 am 30 years old"
Miss Hughes was taken to the ope.
rating room. where she sustained with
superb courage the operation neces-
sary to reduce a fractured collar bone,
a sprained ankle and "a broken arm.
She was sitting In the office Of the
hospital later, when she heard the
surgeon telephoning to police head
quarters the names, the age, the in.
juries and the addresses of the vic
tins of the wreck who had been
brought to the hospital. She heard at
last her own name and address.
"Forty-three," she head the surgeon
say at the telephone. mo, not As;
30, l told you"
Miss Hughes left the hospital with
a friend.