Evening star., 1923-10-08
3 KILLED BY TRAIN
IN CROSSING CRASH
NEARD|STR|CTL LINE
Man, Girl and Youth, Takoma
Park, Md, Residents, VIC
tins of Accident.
AUTO DEMOLISHED, BODIES
DRAGGED BY LOCOMOTIVE
Driver Apparently Failed to Hear
Warning Bell, of Which Com.
plant Was Made.

plant was Made.
Three residents of Takoma Park,
Md, occupants of a small closed au-
tomobile. were instantly killed at La
mond grade crossing at o'clock this
morning, when the car was hit by an
express train on the Metropolitan
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road.
The dead:
Samuel D. Coe, thirty-five years old,
ia Elm avenue. Takoma Park, Md.
Miss Dorothea Hoogland, twenty
five years old, same address,
Herman Steiner, twenty years old,
118 Elm avenue. Takoma Park, Nd.
The train, the Cincinnati-LouisviIle
express, thirty-fve minutes late, was
going sixty miles an hour, according
to eyewitnesses. When it struck the
machine, the engineer said, he applied
his emergency brakes, but it was half
a mile before he brought his heavy
train to a stop. The body of Coe and
the engine of the car lodged on the
pilot of the locomotive. That of Miss
Hoogland was tossed aside on the
westbound track, while Steiner's body
fell under the train. All Of the dead
were badly crushed and mutilated.
They were removed to the District
morgue in the patrol wagon of the
tenth police precinct.
An inquest will be held at the
morgue this afternoon
No arrests were made. Witnesses
summoned for the inquest include
members of the train crew, Edward
Smith, Woodburn; Roy j. Linkins.
Lamond station; j. E. Denty, 120 Van
Buren street; A. B. Scheckels, 6319
Blair road; Ernest Bladen, rear Of
6307 Blair road, and J. 7. Mcknight,
SO Eastern avenue, Takoma Park.
Crossing Is Hidden.
Motorists approaching Lamond
crossing from the east are not only
handicapped by left turn, but a
small building and several piles of
lumber and terra Gotta pipe virtual
ly shield the tracks from a clear
view. The crossing is, however, pro-
tected in both directions by signal
bells which ring automatically.
Gomplaint has been-made before
that the bell does not ring suffi-
GENTLY loud for occupants of
closed car to hear it.
John Hammond. who lives near the
crossing, witnessed the accident. He
said he noticed the sedan, occupied by
young woman and two men, ap-
proach the crossing "at a good
speed Apparently falling to hear
the bell. the chauffeur drove upon
the tracks before he saw the ap-
preaching express almost upon him.
Stepping hard on the gas he tried
to cross the track. The automobile
train continued for half a mile be-
fore it could be stopped.
Nothing was left of the automo-
bile but its engine, which was drag
of the car were scattered along the
tracks. The bodies of Miss Hoog-
land and Mr.. Coe were terribly
crushed.
Engineer Tells Story.
G. NJ. Cage, engineer of the train,
precinct that he did not see the au-
tomobile until his locomotive was al
most on it. He said he applied the
emergency brakes Immediately, but
the speed of his train was so great
that the wheels virtually slid down
the rails for the half mile before it
stopped. Five policemen were rushed
from the tenth precinct to the scene
of the accident. The bodies were
placed in the precinct patrol, which
took them to the city morgue.
The Emergency Hospital ambulance
also made a quick run to the scene,
but there was nothing the surgeons
could do for the victims. All had died
the instant the locomotive struck the
sedan, physicians said
Conductor G. E. Selby of Baltimore
was in charge Of the train, and Cage.
the engineer, reported Off duty after
the accident and went to Baltimore to
attend an inquiry by railway officials.
They will be present at the inquest
this afternoon.
Near Previous Wreck.
The accident occurred only short
distance from the scene of the Terra
Gotta wreck the night of December 80
1906. when forty-one men, women and
children, passengers on a train en-
route to this city from Frederick, Md,
were killed and, fifty more injured. An
engine drawing a train of empty cars
crashed into the rear nd of the pas
senger train that had stopped.
Three cars of the passenger train
were telescoped. An exhaustive inves-
tigation followed, and ever since that
time residents of the vicinity of Terra
Gotta have displayed an anxiety to get
rid of the grade crossings.