Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-28
ACCIDENT ON RAILROAD
Dynamite Goes Off Prematurely as
Charge Is Rammed.
WORKMAN IS HURLED rs FEET
Delay in Notifying Police Explained
by Ability Of Contractors to Deal
With Case-To Hold Inquest.

To determine the cause OF fatal ex'
plosion that occurred yesterday afternoon
on the line of the Western Maryland rail-
road, in which A. Burns, a colored work
man. was killed. and John Moody. fore
man; Michael Siphic, Frank Petrusk and
Alexander Hiskoose, laborers. were In
jured. an inquest will be held by the
coroner tomorrow morning at the morgue
Samuel Shields. another coiored laborer
had narrow escape. Blown a distance
of at least seventy-five feet from the
opening, he was fortunate enough to es-
cape injury, though badly frightened. He
recovered and was able to assist in
searching for Burns.
Foreman Moody was hurled twenty feet
away. Tie other injured men had SINH
lar experiences
Delay in Notifying Police.
The accident happened about 800 yards
north of the Chain Bridge road, between
Georgetown and the Chain bridge, where
dynamite was used for blasting rock. at
about $50 o'clock. 1t was not until
nearly 1 o'clock that the railroad con-
tractors representatives notified the
police.
Capt. Schneider of the seventh precinct
sent several mounted men to the scene,
following with number of foot police
on an electric car. BY the time the police
reached the place there was little left to
be done.
Workmen had removed tons of earth
and stone from the body of the colored
man and had his remains ready to be re-
moved to the morgue. DIR. W. c. Gwynne
of 1886 o street, the company's surgeon,
and DIR. Burns of Georgetown University
Hospital had taken charge of the injured
men.
Capt. Schneider made investigation and
saw that the names of all the witnesses
were procured for thf coroner. James
F. Brogan, general superintendent of the
work of making excavations and laying
tracks, asked by Capt Schneider why
he had not made an earlier appeal to
the police for assistance, said that rail-
road contractors are so often compelled
to attend to such matters he did not
give the police a thought until the eX-
CT enlent was over.
He had his men hurry the work Of re-
moving the debris from the colored la
borer. hoping he had not been killed. But
there was so much earth and stone piled
upon him that the hope was futile.
Explosion Was Premature.
Witnesses questioned by the police
told substantially the same story. None
was able to tell exactly what had caused
the premature explosion.
A hole had been bored through the earth
and stone to a depth Of about eighteen
feet, Ii was stated. Burns was there in
serting the charge Of dynamite when the
explosion occurred.
What caused the charge to go off no
one employed on the work was able to
explain. Some thought the opening made
by the steel drill had not been cooled
and that the heat caused the explosion.
Others thought Burns might have used
an iron bar instead of a wooden one In
ramming the charge.
Fifteen or twenty men were working
near where the hole had been drilled.
When the explosion occurred they sour
was fortunate that there was nothing
like a full charge of explosive in the
opening. Had there been several men
would have been killed.
AS soon as the smoke and dust had
cleared workmen returned to give aid.
dent. had disappeared.
1t was thought the force of the ex-
plosion had blown him from the bank.
but he was not in sight and search for
his body was instituted.
Burns body was soon located. The pile
OF stone and dirt that covered him was
removed and the body recovered.
There was not much visible. mutilation
plosion. Practically every bone in the
workman's body was broken. however.
Four Men Injured.
When Drs. Gwynne and Burns arrived
they took charge of the injured men and
gave them first aid.
John Moody, fifty-f1ve years of age,
foreman of the workmen employed there,
was near the opening when the explosion
occurred. He was struck by the flying
dirt and stone and knocked down, sus-
tanning severe injuries. He was blown a
distance of more than twenty feet.
Moody has been In the employ of the
firm of Charles A. Sims Company. con-
tractors, Philadelphia. for about twenty
years. DR.. Gwynne took him to High
View Hotel, near the south end of the
Chain bridge. where he is being cared for
in his room.
Frank Petrusk. an Italian nineteen
Years of age. sustained burns to his hand.
He was also cut and bruised and was
suffering so much from shock that the
surgeons deemed II advisable to remove
him to Georgetown University Hospital
for treatment
Michael Siphic. a Hungarian. sustained
injuries to his back and hands He is
twenty-eight years of age, and was taken
to the laborerS' camp near the scene of
the accident.
Alexander Hiskoose, an Italian, twenty
five years of age, Is also one of the men
who live In the camp of laborers. He
was near the explosion that his eyes
were scorched and he was otherwise in
jured by being hurled a short distance.
Work on the line of the Western Mary
land railroad in the vicinity OF this city
is being done by the Charles A. Sims
Company of Philadelphia James F..
Brogan of 3515 Prospect avenue Is the
general foreman, while Moody is superin-
tendent.
The place where the explosion occurred
is some distance from the river and more
than 200 yards from the electric car
line
Relatives of the dead man were noti-
fed. 1t is probable his body will be taken
to Baltimore for interment. Men en-
ployed upon such work are given instruc-
tions to be careful when handling dyna-
mite.
There were several sticks of the ex-
plosive on the ground near the opening
that had been made by the drill. but they
were not affected by the blast.
JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES STIRS.
Noted Georgian Among Orators at