The Washington times., 1931-07-22
INQUEST Sc 7
FOR TONIGHT
IN BERNYN
Crossing Watchman Unnerved
BY First Serious Accident
In 26 Years of Service


and Ohio railroad had only raisec
the closed gate at the rear of hel
car the accident which claimed
the lives of two men yesterday
afternoon might have beer
avoided, according to Miss Elsie
Thomas, driver of the machine
which stalled on the tracks.
Albert Ward, engineer. and L
r.. Walters, student engineer, were
almost instantly killed when
blinded by sheets of flame from
the exploding gasoline tank of the
automobile, they leaped from the
locomotive cab.
Bodies Are Burned
The heads, hands, caps ano
clothing of the upper parts Of the
bodies of the two men were badly
scared by the flames which en-
veloped the engine as the gas
tank burst, throwing sheets OF
fire high in the air.
Miss Thomas said:
81 haven't had my license
very long but always drive
carefully.
81 was returning to st. Anne'S
Orphan Asylum only a short
distance from the scene of the
accident) from the University
of Maryland at College Park
where / had taken some of the
sisters.
"The car was brand new. 1t
had just been delivered only a
day or SO ago.
"I had slowed down as 1
neared the crossing. The man
was just lowering the gates.
Her Motor Stalls
81 got onto thu tracks and
the engine stalled.
81 tried and tried but I
couldn't start it again.
81 couldn't see the train
when first stalled. 1t must
have been around the bend
then.
'Tt kept coming on down ON
me and 1 couldn't get the car
to start. Some men tried to
push it out of the way. But
they couldn't.
'Both gates were closed then.
eff he had only raised the
gates behind the car think II
could have been got off the
tracks"
Pulled From Car
Miss Thomas, according to wit
nesses, was pulled from the ma.
chine by several men, one OF
whom was believed to be Andrew
w. Mothershead.
Engineer Ward, it is claimed
set the brakes of the locomotive
as the train, the crack new b. ano
o, Washington-New York Express
No. 523, air-cooled, bore down on
the crossing and the stalled ma
chine.
The train was brought to a
complete stop by j. w. Lunoy;
fireman, after the fireman and
engineer had leaped. Lundy was
taken to Emergency Hospital here,
where he was treated for burns
about the face, hands and upper
body. .
Ward and Walters jumped
from the cab about 200 yards
from the crossing.
Wards body crashed into a
signal post as it hurtled from
the still fast-moving train. Wal
ter's body hit the ground and
apparently skidded over the ground
until it was stopped by a tele-
graph pole at the side Of the
right of way.
Body LOOsenS Post
The whistle signal post was
1Osened by the impact. The
rubber heel of one of Wards
shoes. lying at the foot of the
post gave mute evidence of the
! >rrific ( :. with which the
body struck.
The machine, a mangled mass,
had to be lifted from the cow
catcher of the locomotive when
the train came to a stop about
a quarter of a mile down the
track from where it was first hit.
The gasoline tank and the auto
mobiles trunk we're found only
q few yards below the Berwyn
station.
Agent Unnerved
The crossing gates, it is claim
ed, were operated by H. L. Law
renee, of Berwyn. station agent.
Unnerved by the shock of the
first serious accident that has
marred his 26 years of service.
Mr.. Lawrence went to his home
when relieved by officials of the
line.
Francis A. Shipley, justice of
the peace of Berwyn. will hold a
COrOner's inquest at o'clock to-
night.
Although there is Slight grade
leading up to the crossing, few
accidents occur there, according
to Berwyn residents. The last
serious accident at this grade
crossing was more than a year
ago when a machine was cut in
two and several persons killed,
it was said.