The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-09-20
BRIDGE SPRUNG
BY THE FLOOD
Gave Way as Soon as Locomotive
Reached Its Pier.
SMOKING CAR SUBMERGED

Nine Persons In the Smoker When II
Plunged Into the River, of Whom
Three Are Missing - Freight Train
Has a Similar Disaster Railway
Accidents.
Guthrie, Okla, Sept. LIT seems
almost a miracle that the whole train
did not plunge into the Cimarron
river when the bridge that was sprung
by the drift accumulated by flood gave
way as soon as the locomotive
reached its pier. The accident oc-
CURED on the Rock Island system,
three miles from Dover.
When the engine struck the bridge
the whole structure suddenly col
lapsed, precipitating the engine, smo-
ker and day Soach into the water. Two
heavy Pullman coaches were not
pulled in, but remained on the track.
The tender of the engine, the bag
gage and mail cars, smoker and day
coach of passenger train No. H. north
bound left the high bridge which
spans the Cimarron river and plunged
into the current, fianked by treacher-
Gus quicksands. The locomotive dis
appeared from sight almost immediate
ly. The mail and baggage clerks es-
capped from their coaches and swan
TO the shore.
The train was an hour late and was
running at high speed TO make up
time The engineer did not see the
condition OF the bridge until he was
within few yards, when it was too
late to stop. He shouted to his fire.
man, threw on the brakes and jumi.,d.
He landed on the very verge Of the
river bank and escaped unhurt The
fireman was less fortunate and sus-
tanned severe injuries.
The current whirled the day coach
down stream and lodged it against
sand bank. The occupants were
helped out through the doors and win
dows The smoking car fioated down
stream, submerged all but the very
top II stuck on sandbar in the
middle of the river and four men were
seen to Chamber through the windows
and pull themselves on top of the car,
calling loudly for help, but those on
shore were unable to reach them on
account of the high water While they
were begging assistance a large mass
of driftwood swept down and carried
them from their fragile footing.
Three other men jumped through
the rear door of the smoker before 1t
sank and stuck out for the shore.
They were carried down the current a
quarter of mile, when they were
pulled out almost exhausted.
There we've nine passengers In the
smoker at the time OF the wreck. or
these all but three have been account.
ed for. William Douglass, the negro
porter. is still missing.
Trains sdeswlped.
Bedford, Ind, Sept ia fast train
westbound on the Baltimore & Ohio
Southwestern crashed into the side Of
an accommodation train while latter
was attempting to back its train into
a siding at Huron, eight miles south
west OF this place. The engineer and
fireman OF the flyer were killed. One
passenger and three mail clerks re-
ceiyed slight injuries. The dead are
Theodore I.ehan, engineer OF the flyer,
and j. Williams, fireman, both of Sey-
mour, Ind The engineer and fireman
OF the accommodation train jumped
and saved their lives.
Walked on Trestle.
Lacrosse, Wis, Sept, l9,-Mrs. Set
phen Yohe fell from a trestle while
trying to escape from passenger
train and was drowned in the La
crosse river Mrs. Carl Klawitter also
fell and received fatal injuries. Mrs
Jacob Vending raced to safety ahead
OF the train The women, thinking
the train had passed. went walking on
the trestle, but II caught them when
they were half way across
Went Through Bridge.
Guthrie, o. r., Sept 10. A north
bound ST. Louis & San Francisco
freight train went through bridge
on the South Canadian river, near
Carleton, Okla. The engineer, Paul
Palmer Is dead, and a brakeman
named Priest is missing The body OF
the fireman, John Kunz OF Blackwell.
Okla, was pinned under the engine
With four cars ln the stream