Theodore Gharst

Theodore Gharst died on March 27, 1913, when the train he was operating plunged into Blue Hole. Due to extensive flooding of the West Fork of the White River, the trestle had weakened to the point that it could not support the weight of Engine 401 when it crossed. Four members of the six-man crew died that day. Mr. Gharst’s body was found under six feet of sand. He had just turned thirty-six years old the day before the tragedy.

After several years as a fireman for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, he had been promoted to engineer and had been working in that position for approximately four years. Theodore Gharst was a native of Illinois but had lived in Washington for ten years. He married Eliza Leone Davis (1878-1924), and they had three children living at the time of the accident: Tolman, Mildred, and Adeline. One child, Devota, was deceased.