The Washington times., 1911-07-12
CORONER PLANS
INQUIRY TO Fix !
WRECK BLAME
Will Investigate Story of
Wife of Dead Engi-
neer of Express.
Continued from First Page.l

| 4
directed to the report circulated i'm
the crossover that failed and sent the
Express into the street below was
not properly set.
Today the officials of the New Hav-
en- issued a formal statement in order
to set at rest the report that Charles
S. MeIlen, the president of the road.
was one of the victims Of the wreck.
Fish-Car Crew Escapes.
Five Washington men We're in the
coach of the United States Fish Com
mission when It led the string Of cars
over the viadGct and into the street
below. OF the five. but one. Charles
Fraser, the colored cook, was injured.
Fraser was scalded by escaping steam.
were H. L. Garfield. w. H. Brittian,
George F. Fearnow and o. Ogden, jr.
This morning Charles D. Walcott
husband of Helena Walcott, one of the
Washington women killed In the wreck,
completed arrangements for taking the
BODY of his wife back to Washington.
When the bodies were recovered yes
terday, Mrs. Walcott's for time re-
mained with the unidentified dead, and
her description was sent out as a wom-
an of about ffty-two years. Later, at
the morgue, the name Helena Wal
cott' was found on her clothing. About
the same time message was received
from her sister In Lynn, Mass. and then
sonian Institution. was notified. He i'm.
mediately telephoned TO Bridgeport and
arrived here today.
Department Reports.
Bridgeport offi2ially learned of the
wreck through its fire department. Ac-
cording to the records, fire alarm box
from a corner near the wreck was
pulled at 20 a M. and Captain john
son. with his company. answered. john
son, as soon as he saw the extent OF
the wreck, sent for all the available
apparatus in the way of ladders and
and Prouty. Of the local police force,
had been sent from headquarters with
six policemen in an automobne patroi
wagon. When they saw that II was a
wreck on the New Haven, they sent
word ba"k to Chief Eugene Rirming-
ham that all the doctors in the city
were needed.
Birmingham got thirty-ave doctors to
the scene Of the accident inside OF a
few minutes. Most of them came In
their automobiles, and these were turned
into makeshift ambulances to carry the
injured to the hospitals.
Meanwhile an elderly but very active
woman, at whose very door the mass
of wreckage was strewn. had taken
hold of the situation In one quick grasp.
and had started a relief work within
minutes, almost seconds, after the first
roar Of the wreck had subsided.
The Horan home is fronted by a
large, sweeping lawn, tree shaded, and
sloping gently down to the street level,
over whihc the viaduct crosses. Mrs.
Horan saw the train leave the rails
was out aiding the injured Immediately.
The mocquitoes had kent me half
awake an hour before the wreck" said
Mrs. Horan. and when heard the bell
of the train coming got up to look
out of my window. Then engine SEEM
ed to stagger as It reached the viaduct,
hten II plunged down the embankment
this side of the viaduct, and l surely
thought 1t was coning straight at my
house.
There was q terrible roar, and a fly
ing of sparks, and I ran to get some
thing on and get outdoors. When /
reached the lawn few seconds after
ward the train was all off the track,
place seemed TO be filled with broken
cars Then heard people scream, and
neighbors came running in, and we
started to do what we could"
Details of the wreck escaped Mrs.
Horan's notice after. that, and she |
plunged into the work of caring for |
the unfortunate passengers who were |
thrown into her yard.
Firemen, policemen, baseball play
ers, and uninjured passengers carried |
scores OF injured and dying persons to |
the lawn and porches of the Horan |
home until the place resembled field |
hospital. AS fast as possible the dead, |
and the more seriously injured were |
taken away until by about o'clock |
the place was crowded only with |
those who had escaped all injury.
Then II was that Roger Presnahan
up the thanks OF them all
with a homely compliment to Mrs.
Koran when he told her that her cof-
Zee had kept them all going through
the stress Of the work following the
wreck.
Sergeant Philip Blansfield, who led
the first policeman to the scene, de-
clared that when he first saw the mass /
IF wreckage he believed that everyone
on the cars must have been killed out
light
TT was a terrible sight" said BIans-
field. THE whole train, except those