Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-22
TRA|N-AUTO CRASH
INQUEST TO PROBE
TWO MEMS DEATHS
Engineers Die in Leap From
Blazing Cab-Firemen
Badly Burned.
COLUMBIAN is STOPPED
BY SUFFERING WORKER
Woman Jumps From Car at Berwyn
Crossing Just Before
Wreck.

An inquest will be held at o'clock
tonight in the grade crossing crash at
Berwyn, yesterday afternoon, that cost
the lives of two Baltimore g. Ohio en-
ptnemen in the cab of the Columbian,
from New York for the West, when 1t
struck a stalled automobile. The auto
gas tank exploded and strewed flaming
gasoline over the engine. The occu-
pant of the automobile, a woman, es-
capped without injury, while j. w.
Lundy, the firemen, although badly
burned, brought the train under con-
troll He is in Emergency Hospital.
Two Leap From Cab.
Their clothes afire, ]. A. Ward, en-
eineer, of Baltimore, and L. r. Walter
of Reisterstown, who had just been
promoted to engineer, leaped from the
cab and were dead when picked up.
Ward had struck whistling post and
walter. a telephone pole. The bodies
of both were crushed in the impact
and both had been terribly burned.
The woman in the machine was Miss
Ethel Thomas of st. AIMS Orphanage,
Berwyn Heights, who was assisted 70
safety just before the flyer reached the
crossing. The train picked up her car,
hurting it down the track for quar-
ter of a mile before tossing the fam
ing cargo aside.
Lundy Unable to Talk.
Iundy is in no condition to talk at
Emergency Hospital, and exactly what
happened is a matter OF conjecture,
but those at the scene expressed the be-
lief that the gasoline tank was wrenched
loose as the automobile was struck and
that it must have lodged against the
cab. from where it poured flames back
on the men.
The accident happened at 205 pm,
10 minutes before the Columbian was
due in Washington.
Edwin YoSt of Berwyn, witness, SAID
that Miss Thomas approached the cross
ing at a speed of about IS miles an
hour bound toward the Washington
Baltimore boulevard, but slowed down
as she reached the crossing. The cross
ing bell already was sounding for the
Columbian, then about a quarter of a
mile away. and the gate on the side
farthest away was down. while that on
the side from which the machine was
went under it, then as she reached the
barrier on the other side of the tracks,
stopped, and her engine stalled.
Woman Leaps to Safety.
Yost ran to her assistance, as did
Andrew Mothershead. BY that time the
train was laundering along within 200
yards of the crossing. and without wait
ing further, the door of Miss Thomas'
machine was jerked open and she
jumped.
AS the trio got clear of the track,
the train, brakes screeching, as Ward
applied the air, slammed into the car.
Then there was a blast, and a sheet
of flame covered the side of the engine.
Mortified, spectators saw one figure
leap from the engine about rs yards
down the track and a moment later
another followed him.
A short distance farther the train
stopped.
Wards body first was found, than that
Of his companion.
Walter was making student trip"
on account of his recent promotion
from fireman.
Passenger Brings in Train.
An engineer who was riding as a
passenger on the columbian DrOugnC
1t the rest of the way in and Lundy
was taken to Emergency.
The bodies of the two enginemen
were taken to a Laurel undertaking
establishment, and Francis A. Shipley,
justice of the peace, acting coroner at
Berwyn, announced he would hold an
inquest tonight.
Miss Thomas was placed under the
care of a physician after the accident
She was so shaken that she could make
no statement.
Burning gasoline that had dropped
from the engine started blaze along
the right of way that was extinguished
by the Berwyn Fire Department, di-
rected by Chief j. w. Yost, which was
assisted by the Branchville department.
The Berwyn crossing is guarded by
gates, which are operated by air from
the depot, about 100 feet away.
AS the gates go down a bell rings.
On the main line of the B. & o. the
highway is heavily travelled.
Ward, who was So years old, was one
of the best known enginemen in this
section His picture is used in the ad-
vertisements for railroad watch. His
widow, four brothers and five sisters