Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-07
TWO CARS CRASH At CURVE
Eight Dead and Many Hurt Near
Annapolis, Ind.
CONFUSION OF ORDERS CAUSE
Many Passengers on Way 60 Academy
Graduation Ball--secOnd Acc
cident in Two MONTH
for Road.

ANNAPOLIS, Nd, June 6.-Eizht dead
and nearly a score badly injured lie the
toll taken BY the second serious accident
within two months on the Annapolis
branch OF the Washington. Baltimore &
Annapolis Electric railroad, which occurred
about S o'clock last night at a point be-
tween Camp Parole and Best's Gate. two
small stations about two and three miles
from this city.
A special, carrying no passengers, from
Annapolis for Washington, and q regular
car from Baltimore for this city, we'll
filled, while travelling at about thirty-flve
miles an hour, met head-on or a curve
which prevented the motormen seeing each
others cars until too late to avoid the
catastrophe. Confusion or disregard of
orders is said to have been the cause OF
the wreck.
The dead are: ,llAAAl,
WILLIAM L. NORTON. SuAtI9s
A. H. SCHULTZ, jr. SNFh'd
], w. M'DANIEL .lTs n
GEORGE WHITE.
JAMES O'NEILL, motorman.
POLICEMAN sHRFIBER, employed by
the railway company.
RUTH SLAUGHTER, aged 10 years,
daughter of the traffic manager OF the
AN UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, IN ball
costume, possibly a Miss Harris OF Phila-
delphia.
The seriously injured include;
William +. Slaughter, general traffic
manger of the railway.
State Senator Peter ] Campbell of Baiti-
more. his wife and their daughter
Schultz, McDardel and Norton met death
while sitting by their wives, who did not
know oftheir losses until after being taken
to the hospital. Traffic Manager slaugl-
ter, whose injuries are more serious than
those OF any Of the others, was taken to
the hospital UNCONSCIOUS.
Many of the passengers from Baltimore
were coming to this city to sttene the
graduating bah at the Naval academy.
A few of the passengers caught a glimpse
Of the other car as 1t Approached ard
rushed for the rear Of their coach. A
moment later there was a terrific crash
and men. women and children, torn, bleed
ing, dying and dead, were piled In tho
splintered and twisted wood and steel of
the two cars. one of which was thrown
entirely from the track, as the body OF the
other. The authorities of the Naval
academy gave every possible assistance.
sending an ambulance. cots and orderlles
to help care for the wounded.
Responsibility for A~ccident.
The responsibility for the accident has
not been definitely determined. but It was
caused, II was said. by a confusion in the
orders as to where the cars should pass.
II is said that the Baltimore car was
ordered 10 wait at Best's Gates, but that
tho orders were not received or understood.
J. J. Doyle. manager of overhead wiring,
thinks the orders were misunderstood He
said the original instructions were for a
meeting Of the two cars at Best's Gates,
that these were eountermanded by orders
TO stop at Camp Parole. Motorman Wads-
worth Of the northbound car said:
There were no passengers on board the
special Of which 1 was the motorman. Our
orders were to stop at Best's Gates. Sud-
denly a car which we were supposed TO
pass at the point doomed up in front OF
us and l jumped. When / recovered con-
sciousness the wreck was over"
Motorman James o'Neiil Of the SOUTH
bound car was instantly killed.
The body OF the young woman was iden-
titled as that Of Mrs. George w Greene
Of Washington. Her husband also was
killed. He was an architect employed in
the construction department at the SOL
diers' Home at Washington. Harry ia
eobson OF Baltimore and William F..
Slaughter grew worse today and fears for
their recovery were expressed. Both sus-
tained fractured skulls.