Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-03
Inquest Will
Take A Week.

Washington, Jan. Am inVestiga-
ton TO ascertain the cause and fix the
! responsibility for the disastrous train
wreck on the Baltimore d ONO Rail-
road al Terra Gotta, d. c.. last Sunday
night, was begun here before a coro-
hers jury today. The principal Witness
es we've three officials Of the road, none
of whom could give any reason Tor the
wreck Nearly 50 witnesses nave Deen
summoned and the inquiry promises To
occupy the entire week.
Engineer Hilderbrand and the other
men If the train crew of the dead
,roin which telescoped the passenger
train. and who are under arrest were
seated in the inquiry room when the
inquest began, but We're later excluded
with the other witnesses.
The testimony developed the move
n,.nts of the trains involved from the
time they were both at Washington
Iunction. between 4 and ) O'Clock Sum
d.v afternoon until the accident took
place. :.
No. C6. the passenger train, lelt
washington Junction for Washington
on time. The dead train. No. 2l2o,
lett Il few minutes dItei wal ~
The messenger train stopped at every
station and the special MADE no STOPS
No 81; had passed Takoma Park when
No. 212O was allowed into the block at
Silver Springs. The train record kept
lv Dispatcher Dent. who had entire con-
troll of the trains, shows that he recclV-
cd y message from the operator at Tako-
ma Park that No. 212S had run by his
red signal. This message came seven or
eight minutes after the train had run
past the danger signal. Dent immedi-
ately called up University station, the
next towards Washington. and was told
that No. c. was not coming. From
this, he said he feared trouble, and in
six or seven minutes he got word from
the conductor Of No. &C from University
station that the wreck had occurred.
Dort said there WAS no cause to appre-
bend danger from the proximity of the
two trains until the rear train ran by
the "stOp'' signal at Takoma.
Division Superintendent o. TT. HOtb
said the company had made no effort to
investigate the accident. 1T was impos
hers of the train crew were under arrest
Coroner hewitt Uniformed him that al
though these men We're under arrest they
were available as witnesses. Mr. Hobbs
ascribed the accident to "a violation of
rules but said that without a full in
curry he could not specify what rules.
c. w. Galloway. superintendent of
transportation, said he had no doubt that
Engineer Hildebrand knew that No. &c
was ahead of him as both trains We're
at Washington Junction at the same
time. He said there We're no REQUIRE
ments that the crew of No &C should
send out a warning to the crew when it
made station stops, as it was running on
regular schedule. Mr. Hobbs estimated
the speed of the dead train between
Silver Springs and Takoma as % miles
an hour. while Mr.. Galloway said it
might have beer 80 miles an hour.
Dr. Edgar Snowden testified that he
performed the autopsy on Prof. King
VINO lost his life in the wreck. and Cor
"her hewitt explained to the Jury that tho
Veidict would be based on this autonsv
Inc weather was foggy on 1h.. nirbt or
me accident was testified TO from tba
oihcaal records of the weather bureau Inv.
Prof. o. c. Day
hoth Mr.. Hobbs and Mr.. Galloway
gave Engineer IIildebrand an oxce,,o,.
character ~ NJ
inc inquest will proceed tomorrow