grave import

Obituary

Obituary:

John Bosch was a member of the Hawkeye Natives society. He belonged to the W. O. W. lodge. He survived by his widow, Mrs. Ida Bosch
and three children, Mrs. Walter Hoffman of West Burlington. Mrs. Melba Best of Kansas City and Edwin Bosch of Philadelphia. A third brother, Carl surviving.

Both brothers were members of St. Paul's Evangelical church.

John Bosch was born in this county on October 23. 1863. He worked in Sioux City for a year before he and his brother opened the meat market.

While the brothers retired in 1917, both have been active in community affairs.

Article from Hawkeye about accident & death:
Dr. E. E. Kirkendall, 102 Swan street. John G. Bosch, 421 East Mt. Pleasant street. and August A. Bosch, 211 Swan
street. all from West Burlington, were killed and E. O. Park, 121 Winter street, West Burlington, received critical injuries
when the automobile in they were riding was struck by a Burlington Route stock train at Lucas Avenue crossing shortly after 9 o'clock this morning. Dr. Kirkendall and John Bosch died instantly while A. Bosch vice-president of the West Burlington savings bank was rushed Burlington hospital where his injuries resulted in his death at 12:50 o'clock this afternoon.

Dr. Kirkendall. president of the West Burlington Savings bank, and John Bosch, a director of that institution,
were burned beyond recognition and identification was made by effects found on the bodies after they had been removed to Prugh's chapel.
E. O, Park. cashier of the bank, was removed to Burlington hospital. August Bosch was badly burned and died early this afternoon, while Park, in addition to
being burned, suffered a fractured arm and a fractured leg. and it is believed probable that amputation will be necessary.

At mid-afternoon it was announced that the condition of Mr. Park was critical. He is the father of seven children and has lived in West Burlington many years where he was first employed as station agent and later as bank cashier.

The men were en route to Burlington to secure cash with which to meet the payroll checks of the shop men at the West Burlington shops. August and John Bosch and E. O. Park started originally in the automobile and they picked up Dr. Kirkendall en rotute. A. A. Bosch was driving the machine and it is
reported that Park was in the front seat with him. As the Chandler car approached the crossing. it is reported. the crossing flagman made a start toward closing the gate but did not bring the gate clear down. The automobile went onto the track, halted momentarily either from stalled motor or because of
indecision on the part of the driver as to which direction to go, and was struck by the engine of stock train No. 78-—a fast train just coming off the West Burlington hill.

The car exploded and immediately burst into flames. The occupants were in the midst of flames and Dr. Kirkendall and John Bosch were burned beyond recognition. The other two men were terribly injured and burned.

The automobile, a mass of wreckage. was strewn for nearly 800 feet down the tracks. The shop of the Miller Construction company which is right along the side of the track caught on fire and as the train came to a stop flames and excessive heat penetrated to two carloads of cattle trapped inside the cars. The animals were horribly burned and under the direction of Humane Officer Koopman, ten of the steers were kilted to prevent further suffering.
Police and fire departments were notified und ambulances summoned to the scene. There was confusion. Two men known to be dead, and the injured were the first to be removed, being taken to Burlington Hospital. The first ambulance arrived in about fifteen minutes but prior to that time a crowd gathered round
scene of the accident, the fire- men lighting flames and the freight train blocked the crossing. Thus police, firemen, the coroner, and others were laboring under handicaps and there was considerable confusion. It was nearly three-quarters of an hour before the train could be pulled clear of the crossing.

One of the freight cars "buckled" near the engine when an emergency stop was made and moving of the train was delayed. In the meantime firemen began pouring water onto the flames. All four of the victims were literally "on fire" when firemen arrived.

"What happened?" Those were the only words of A. A. Bosch, fatally injured, as he was lifted into the ambulance. E. O. Park talked to for a few moments at Burlington hospital after his removal there stated that as the car approached the crossing from the west they saw the gates coming down "It was too late that by the time we stopped, our front wheels were on the track. Before could either go frontwards or backwards we were hit."
J. W. Renner, 100 Arch street, flagman at the Lucas avenue crossing, stated that automobiles were coming from both directions. He said he had started to down the crossing gate when the automobile containing the four men carne through; that the gate was not all the way down, their being space enough in middle for the machine to pass. It looked like the car stopped on the track." continued Renner. "Then the engine hit it."

A. C. Durr, 1136 Bartlett street. an employe of the Miller Construction company declares he was an eye- witness to the tragedy and told something of a similar story. He states that the gate was not all the way down and that the car seemed to come to a stop on the track. "I heard the train whistle. It was close. A few seconds later the crash. The locomotive hit the auto just back of the hood. The car blew up. It all happened quickly." An- other employe of the Miller company
stated that the accident occurred at 9:20 o'clock. F. McColloch of Galesburg, Ill., was conductor on the train and E. A. White. also of Galesburg was the engineer.

The dead and injured were among the most prominent men in the business and social life of West Burlington and known to hundreds of residents of their own home town and Burlington. The tragedy comes as a tragic blow to the entire community. Two investigations are underway. Coroner B. A. Prugh announced that an inquest will be held in connection with the death of the three men and the railroad company is also probing the affair.