Evening star., 1950-01-01
BY John CIoeett Proctor

GIG S0O IVSHtS IOI LIS
BY John CIoeett Proctor
by engine 212o. one of the new Sc
ries of locomotives. the heaviest in
the service.
"'The impact was like an ex-
plosive shell. The deadhead was
going at between so and 60 miles
an hour. OF the rear end of the
local there was simply nothing
left. Telescoping does not de-
scribe 1t. The car simply burst
into splinters, and the monster
engine, its speed scarcely slack
ened by the blow. split the next
car lengthwise like a cardboard
box.
1T is said there were two pas
senger coaches and a smoker to
the local. There might have been
three, or there might have been
six cars. There was no judging
from the ruins. The mad engine
dashed half through the smoker,
and 1t was here that the tele-
scoping really commenced. The
rush of the empty cars was not
checked, but the smashing rear
end blow had walked the local into
and the big engine
picked up the crushed and twisted
smoker on its back, and with a
shrek hurled it through the fog
and darkness. half a mile along
the track. The whistle of one of
the other engines was full on, and
like a mad thing it yelled through
the rain and gloom. For half a
mile the track was strewn with
splinters and wreckage. Bodies
were under what was left of all
the cars. The wheel Of the en-
gine was across the body of one
dead man, and out of a pile of
twisted iron bars, big as a farm
wagon, the workers picked the re-
mains of two victims"
Grew Listed
The engineer of the train that
ran into the local was Harry
Hildebrand; Frank Hoff was the
conductor; j. c. McCallum, fire.
man; Robert Rutter, brakeman,
and w. A. Morris baggagemaster.
All Of those killed and wounded
were not on the wrecked train
Indeed. as stated, the train had
been tagged at this point for the
purpose of taking on passengers
and some of the fatally injured
and others were standing on the
platform and thus met their
deaths or injuries by flying parts
of the wooden cars or by being
crushed. One of those who was
killed in this way was Miss Mary
Lippold, who had been visiting
friends in the vicinity of Terra
Gotta and was about to board the
train for Washington. Miss Lip
pold was an active member of the
Order of the Eastern Star and an
officer in Ruth Chapter, No. /
She was employed in the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing ard
her untimely death was greatly
mourned.
Clarence A. Proctor who, with
Mrs. Proctor, was injured in this
wreck. was a native of Washing.
ton and an athlete of some
prominence, having once beer
we'll known as a trick bicycle rider
and as once having held the ore
mile championship bicycle title OF
the District. He was for a while
a professional baseball player and
played for a short while on the
Washington team. In this city he
held several departmental posi-
tions and finally went with the
Engineer Department of the Dis
trict. from which he was drafted
in 1908. by the city Of Detroit ss
an expert to take full charge OF
the city works in laying asphalt
pavement. Prior to this he mat
ried in Washington, Mamie
Leatherman, daughter of DR.
Leatherman of Frederick, Nd,
and it was while they were visit.
ing Maryland and the District,
during the holiday season OF
1867, that they were return
ing from Mrs. Proctor's old home
in Frederick to Mr.. Proctor's rel
atives in Washington and got in
the Terra Gotta wreck.
Reporter Still Alive
Mr.. Proctor, a portly man, had
his leg so severely crushed that
it was for some time thought that
amputation was necessary, but
this was prevented by his surgeon,
DR.. William Philips Carr of this
city. Subsequently Mr.. Proctor
returned to Detroit and resumed
his post, which he retained until
February %, 1910, when he died
suddenly on his return from
Florida.
Many will recall the Terra Gotta
wreck, but none more so than 1t.
Howard S. Fisk, who still writes
for The Star and who covered
This tragic accident in 1906, which,
he says, was scoop, in that it
beat all the other Washington
newspapers. in telling the story
to the public. Mr.. Fisk, in talking
TO the writer about this wreck, says
| "Proctor's Washington" a
compilation of the writings of
John Clagett. Proctor on the
Nations Capital, which have
appeared in The Sunday Star
since 1928. is available in lin
tied quantities at the business
counter in the lobby of The
Star Building. The volume,
cloth bound, is priced at $6.