Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-22
ENGINEER BURCH DIES
AS RESULT Of ACCIDENT
Verdict of Coroner's Jury Fol-
lowing Investigation of
Locomotive Wreck.

verG OF accidental death was
rendered by coroner's jury today in
the case OF Charles Burch, an engineer
on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. who
was killed Saturday night when his en-
CINE jumped the track a short distance
north of Florida avenue northeast
An autopsy was performed on the body
OF the dead engineer at the morgue yes
terday. and II was found that his heart
had been crushed. There was no tes-
timony to show what caused the &C
cident, and all the jurors could say was
that the death of Engineer Burch re-
suited from an accident.
One railroad man expressed the belief
that Burch had been accidentally thrown
from his cab. sending the engine along
without any one in charge. Fireman
Cramblitt who was aboard the engine,
did not know when or how Burch got out
OF his cab.
Testimony Before Jury.
DR.. Edgar NJ. Parlett, medical examiner
for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, told the jury that he was passen-
ger on the train Saturday night. He
noticed that the brakes had been ap-
piled rather suddenly. and when the train
stopped he went forward and found the
engineer was dead.
Clarence B. Vondrehle. assistant train
director in the yard OF the Washington
Terminal Company, was on duty in the
tower near where the accident occurred.
He said he went to the partly overturned
engine after the cylinder head had blown
out and found the body of the engineer.
He was told that the body had been
taken from the truck of the mail car.
alongside no oxxy
II, having been removed there by train
men.
Was the train on timer" the witness
was asked.
NO. sir he responded 1T left the
station fourteen minutes late"
The track. he stated was in perfect
condition. and there was no switch open
All the necessary signals were given be-
fore the train reached the point where
the accident happened. In response to a
question asked by juror. witness said
the train was moving a very moderate
speed.
DO you know what caused the engine
to jump the track?' asked the coroner.
II do not"
The train was on a cross-over track at
the time OF the accident
Fireman's Statement
Howard Cramblitt. fireman on engine
2121, testified that the accident occurred
near X bridge. Inc switches, he
thought, were all right and the train was
going at the rate of between eight and
twelve miles an hour. The top speed
permitted at the bridge is twenty-five
miles an hour.
Witness said there was nothing to warn
them of any danger. There was no time
for any conversation between the en-
gineer and himself, he said, and he
jumped from the engine to save himself.
Did the engineer jump" asked the
coroner.
Il don't know how he got of"
WAS there anything queer about the
actions of the engineer"
Nothing" he answered. He was a
good sound man. The car had been in
spected at Cumberland and in this city
and was all right"
Finds Throttle Open.
Conductor Sanford Montgomery told
of the sudden stopping Of the train,
and said he went forward to ascertain
the cause OF the trouble. The throttle
was still open when he reached the
engine. although the air had been APP
piled. He said the wheels of the en-
CINE were still revolving. The body of
Burch was beneath the forward trucks
Of the mail car.
Yesterday the body of Burch was
taken to his late home at Martins
burg, w. Va, for interment