Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-02
ANAPPALLINGWRECK
THIRTY-EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED
near NATIONAL CAPITAL.
And Fifty More Were Injured on Bal.
timore & Ohio Railroad Near Wash
ington, D.C.-Train of Eight Empty
Passenger Coaches Crashed Into
Loaded Passenger Train.


Loaded Passenger Train.
Washington, Jan. IAN appalling
disaster, resulting in the death of 50
persons and the injury Of about 30
more, occurred about $40 o'clock
Sunday evening on the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad at Terra Gotta, suburb
Of Washington. Frederick City. Md.
local train No. 66, on tn point Of
starting from the station, was run int
by q train made up of eight empty
passenger coaches, bound from the
west for Washington.
1t is said the engineer Of the empty
train had failed to see the red signal
Indicating that another train was In
the block, and plunged ahead on his
mission Of death.
A dense fog and drizzling rain pre-
vailed during the day and the night.
and to the inability Of the engineer
of the rear train to see the signal
showing that another train was in the
block, is attributed the cause Of the
| accident. The grade at the place
where the tragedy occurred is down
ward, and the tracks were slippery.
| The Frederick train, which is run on
Sundays only, is largely for the &C
commodation Of those who have gone
into the suburbs on Sunday and for
the benefit Of church goers who de-
sire to attend services in Washington
at night. Presumably a number Of
the latter were on the train. The
| train is scheduled to reach Terra Cot
| ia about 6:15 o'clock, and was about
On time when the crash came.
At first, owing to the impenetrable
fog, it was impossible to determine
the extent of the disaster, and early
rumors placed the number Of killed
at higher figures than those which
proved later to be accurate. When
the news reached Washington people
| began to 60 to Terra Gotta, and many
who had relatives killed and injured
| remained at the scene of the wreck
until the special train conveyed the
dead and injured to the city. An
early train that had been dispatched
to Terra Gotta brought the injured,
whose wounds had been hastily
dressed, and they were sent to vari-
GUS hospitals. Three died on the way
to the city and one death occurred in
one Of the hospitals.
| The engine of the rear train Is said
to be one of the largest and latest
types Of passenger engines used on
the road. The fact of it's size prob
ably saved it from total destruction,
the principal damage to 1t being con-
fined to the front of the engine.
Because of this, Engineer Hide
brand and his fireman escaped.
Hildebrand is said to have been a sub
stitute. He and his firemen were ar
rested. No forme charges 'hhssve-5eeQ
placed against them, pending an in
vestigation.
| Coaches Reduced to KindIing.
The wrecked train was composed of
an engine, smoking car and two day
coaches. The two rear coaches were
reduced to kindling wood and the rear
Of the smoker was telescoped.
So great was the impact that the
local train was scattered along the
track for considerable distance. For
tunately the wreckage did not take
fire.
Trafic was delayed by the accidenta
and 1t was after midnight before the
bodies Of the dead could be brought
to the city. There was an entire alb
sence of any attempts at theft As
son as possible the bodies were COW
cred and laid aside to await the CON-
ing of the trains from the city.
Nearly All Killed Outright
From the appearance of the bodies
it is believed that nearly all of the
victims were killed outright or died
within few minutes after the acct
dent. OF the dead bodies some were
buried beneath debris, with the result
that they were recovered with diff.
Guilty.
Dr. E. O. Bolt, one of the most prom
inent physicians of Washington, and
his sons, Edwin, aged 7 years. and
Sinclair. aged S, were passegers on
the train. Edwin was killed and the
father and son are missing. 1t is
feared they are among the list of I'M
identified dead.
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