New-York tribune., 1907-01-03
B. 6 o. WRECK INQUIRY.
Freight Ran Past Red Lights, Tram
Dispatcher Testifes.

Washington. Jan. 2-An investigation TO as
certain the cause Of and fix the responsibility
for the wreck the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
at Terra Gotta last Sunday night begun
here before coroners jury to-day. The prin-
cipal witnesses We're three officials Of the road.
none OF whom could give any reason for the
wreck. Nearly fifty witnesses have been sum
rnoned, and the inquiry promises to occupy the
entire week. Hidebrand. the engineer, and the
other members Of the train crew OF the dead"
train which telescoped the passenger train and
who under arrest, were in the room when
the inquest began. but were later excluded with
other witnesses.
The testimony showed the movements of the
trains involved from the time they We're both
al Washington Junction between 4 and o'clock
Sunday afternoon until the accident took place.
No. &C. the passenger train, left Washington
Junction for Washington on time. The dead"
train No. 212O. started a few minutes after
ward Hildebrand had special orders to run
with caution because OF another extra train.
freight No 1865, which at Brunswick.
several miles nearer Washington. and bound the
same way At Tuscarora No. 2120 passed the
freight and Dent, the train dispatcher, testified
that the caution responsibility thereby
transferred from the engineer of No. 2,120 to
the engineer OF No. S65 The dead" train
gained on the passenger train from this time on.
No &C had passed Takoma Park when No.
Q 100 was let into the block at Silver Springs.
The train record kept by Dent, who had entire
control OF the trains, shows that he received
a message from the operator at TakOma Park
that No 212O had run by his rec signal. This
message came seven or eight minutes after the
train had run past the danger signal. Dent i'm
mediately called up University Station the next
toward Washington, and was told that No. SO
was not coming" From this, he said. he
feared trouble. and in six or seven minutes he
got word from the conductor OF No 66. from
University Station that the wreck had occurred.
Dent said there cause to apprehend
danger from the proximity OF the two trains
until the train ran by the stop" signal at
Takoma.
o. H Hobbs division superintendent. said the
company had made no effort TO investigate the
accident 1t was impossible to do so. he said
| because the members of the train crew We're
| under arrest. Coroner hewitt informed him
| that. although these men We're under arrest
| they were available as witnesses. Mr. Hobbs
ascribed the accident TO "a violation OF rules"
| but said without full inquiry ne could not
| specify what rules.
C. w Galloway, superintendent OF transporta-
! ton, said he had no direct connection with the
| operation of the trains although he had been
! superintendent Of the division TO December 20.
! when he promoted and Mr. Hobbs sue
! ceeded him. He had doubt that Hlldebrand
! knew that No. G6 was ahead of him, as both
| trains were at Washington Junction at the
| same time He said there was no requirement
| that the crew of No. 66 should send out a
warning 10 the rear when II made station stops,
| as IL was running regular schedule. Mr..
! Hobbs estimated the speed OF the dead" train
| between Silver Springs and Takoma as twenty
| five miles an hour. while Mr.. Galloway said IL
| might have been fifty miles hour.
DR. L. j. Battle, resident surgeon of the road.
] testified that all possible dispatch used in
| caring for the injured and removing the dead
! Coroner hewitt indicated there was a delay in
/ both these procedures. and asked many ques-
| tions TO bring out the cause. Mr.. Galloway
! frankly told the coroner that he regarded the
| delay as the fault of Mr. hewitt himself. This
Mr. hewitt disclaimed The fogsiness Of the
! weather on the night of the accident was testi-
| fed to from the official records Of the Weather
| Bureau by Professor .. c. Day.
! Both Mr.. Hobbs and Mr.. Galloway said Hill
| debrand was an excellent engineer. He has
| been an engineer ON that road for tWenty-thrAA