The Washington times., 1908-02-14
Passenger Whose Wife
Was Hurt Says Motor
man Passed by Red
Light.
Men Are Ordered to
Set Signals When
They Enter a
Block.

ALTHOUGH LllE-E 4ilAtstlE aAlDA 4S lLGbilL-
plete. officials of the Washington Elec-
tric and Traction Company declared to-
day that the wreck on the Georgetown
and Rockville trolley line last night was
due 10 rank disobedience Of orders on
Hhe part OF the conductor and mOtorman
Of the car bolnd for the Maryland town.
Secretary r. J. Whitehead said the in
kestigation probably would be completed
khis evening and doubtless would show
that the crew was entirely blamable for
khe collision
The injured are:
GEORGE SMITH. of Rockville, Nd. !
ECntusions and decorations about limbs
MRS. GEORGE SMITH. of Rockville.
Md, contusiOns about body, shock and
probable internal injuries.
B. LENONITZ, Rockville. Nd. sprain-
BROOKE EDMONsON. of Rockville.
Md. lacerated wounds about head and
RoBERT b. PAXTON, conductor of
EOTthbOund car. bruises and COnIuSlOns.
BRUCE CARR, Of Rockville, Md,
bruises and cuts about head and shoul-
HARRY MOFFETT. Of Rockville, Nd,
SAMUEL BUTT. Of Rockville. bruises
and contusiOns about body
All Likely to Recover.
At the Georgetown University Hospi-
tai IL was said this afternoon that Mrs
- smith, of Rockville, Nd, was the most
seriously injured 1t was not expected.
however. that her injuries would result
fatally. Her husband was reported as
resting comfortably. as were B. Leno-
vitz and Brooke Edmonson. both of
Rockville. Nd,
All the injured who were taken TO
their own homes or treated IN Rock
willie are doing well, and VIII recover
within n short time, EXCEPT Harry Mof-
fett, whose jaw was fractured.
He is in a serious condition. and the
attending physicians are fearful that
blood poison may develop.
Passenger Scores Motorman,
George W. Smith. a slater and tim
ner living in Rockville, whose wife was
severely injured in the wreck, says the
rnotornan pe ssed a red signal displayed
on q pole about four miles from Rock
VILE. Mr.. Smith, who was also a pas
senger on the car, declared the wreck
was due 10 utter disregard OF sig
nails" II Is said the mOtOTman on the
Rockville car was supposed, according
to written orders, to bring his car TO
a staudstil at the station known as
TRANSFORMERS and wait there two min
utes for a clear signal If clear sig
nal was shown he should proceed with
caution TO the next turn out. which
IS TWO miles nearer Rockville. A turn
cut is light in a lantern which is
turned on or out by pulling a switch.
Upon entering a block the motorman
IS supposed to pull the switch and
show a rel light indicating that the
.sThe wrecE,'' said Mr.. Smith, was
due TO criminal negligence on the part
of Little und Trotter, who had charge
Of the Rockville bound car
Investigation today tended 10 eXoner-
Rte the crew OF 1.-THE car coming TO
Washingten-
Girl Kept At Home.
Among those who went home last
might without realizing the extent of
their injuries was Miss May Smith of
Rockville. employed in Washington.
Miss Smith was treated at the Uni
Nersity Hospital out did not regard
her injuries as serious at the time. This
morning she WAS compelled to remain
in bed. and is now suffering consider
ably from bruises and sPrains.
Miss smith is not related to Mrs.
George smith who sustained the most
serious injuries of any of the wreck
Fictims
Company Not to Blame
r. J. Whitehead, of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, said
this morning that the company was
not responsible for any of the blame
OF the wreck on the Rockville line.
Orders of the road are explicit and
are expected 10 be carried out by the
employees" he said. "As far as 4 know
Hhe orders Of the road are carried out
and the men who have charge of the
cars on thus line are particularly care
fuI when they approach the single
tracks.
From Somerset Heights TO Rockville
dhere are only single tracks with turn
outs at intervals. Strict orders govern
ing the approach from one turnout 10
another are contained in the rules Of
ahe company and they are enforced"
Our investigation, So far as we have
been able to go. throws the blame on
S0ndgCtoT TTOtter and MOtOTmaH Little.
tIhey seem to have proceeded along the
line IN accordance with the rules of the
company Later developments, how
ever, may completely turn the situation
around and switch the responsibility"
Mr. Whitehead and a party from the
company offices went to the scene Of
the accident last night and made a COM
plete investigation Of the road and par
ucularly concerning the signal system.
They positively state that the electric
signals were in perfect order, and that
Continued on Second Page)