The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-30
RAILROAD BLAMED
Coroner's Jury Declares Death of Cow
ngtons Due to Negligence.
(Special to The Times. Dispntch.)

PETERSBURG. VA. June 29.-The
isoroner's jury. under Justice George L.
sLundie, acting coroner, after inyest-
eating the wreck Of the cannon-b bali
train at Dunlop's Station Saturday,
brought In verdict that Harry Coving.
ton. the engineer. and Robert Coving-
ton. the fireman. lost their lives as a re-
suit OF negligence OH the part Of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railway authors
ties in not using due negligence In hay
Ing the line clear. The Jurors were
Messrs. j. r. Cousins doremanl, j. j..
sFIcardat. w. Ridout, w. E. GIL. George
Essig and G, II. Hefner.
"A Judge W. II. Mann. who was a pas
{senger, testified that as the cannon-b ball
approached Dunlop Station he felt brakes
on the train and felt the train tslrn into
the siding. In a second the shock came.
The train moved forward about s feet
AS soon MS 1t stopped he went out to
see who was injured. He saw the engl-
neer. who was dead, and looked for the
fireman. but could not find him. and
went to the telegraph office and saw
Mr.. Riddle, who had teleEraphed for
physicians. He went to see the switch
and saw II open.
#S. ]. Meadows. the operator at the
station. said that Saturday morning at
o o'clock the extra freight arrived and
had eight cars. to pick up, 1t came into
went up main line north beyond house
signal about o:1O. then came In on
branch line and coupled these cars and
tried to back out of The way. Engineer
was not able to move cars and about
p:27 got back south Of office. IT was
impossible TO handle the switch. Could
not do a thing When he saw a Nor
folk and Western train, 49, he was three
or four hundred yards north of the dis
lance signal, some distance south OF
Riddle. The distance signal is 1900 feet
from office or house signal Commenced
gaiving 1t down from platform, at same
time knowing It was useless, for I knew
N would stop before he got to The home
YSienal. There were three signals against
him, besides black signal at office. !
mean that main line distance and main
line home signal were against him. and
also branch line home signal: that
switch was setting for branch line.
Don't think he could have cleared by
pulling north on branch line. The can
non-ball was on time. No one was in
the Office with me. Cannon ball was
going thirty miles an hour when he
passed office. Don't see that 1t was
duty of any one to send flag up road
An, not yard master and could not make
engineer get off OF switch, Conductor
has charge of train here, lie was NOV
Ing back gradually. and intention was
That he would clear in time for cannon
ball TO pass. Engineer would not handle
them, He knew he would have to get
Ears before he got here. His Intention
MAS to get these cars and leave for Rid,
ale, but didn't have time and hackec
OH branch line, II is rule OF railroad tc
nave track clear ten minutes before pas
tenger train, Passenger has no righ
With signals against IT, II was WRONG
20 have switch open to main line,
Engineer Bradshaw. who has beer
Win the road for twelve years. was en-
yineer on the freight train. His inten
lion was TO get TO Riddle He had trou
Sic with the coupling and could not sc
away after making the coupling. Di'
not have time TO, so had TO back up Z
yet off the switch. He was doing every
Nhing he could TO get back out OF tn
Nay of as when he heard the catti
alarm, and looked and saw As coming II
On belt line Jumped and got out o
way Did not know how fast the can
non ball was coming,
Had been off main line sixteen minute
making coupling and trying TO push, back
hut had heavy train on heavy grade AM
could not Signals were protecting M
and am not required TO flag under signals
Was still trying to get back when hear,
cattle whistle. Engineer on cannon bal
could have stopped between distance Sig
nal and switch. Did not know ! had {
get cars TIL ] reached Dunlop Was Try
Ing an could TO give 4b a clear track.
". c.. Cousins. fagmsn on the cannon
hall said both arms We're against then
when they came in sight OF the distanc
signal, Engineer applied brakes liehtl