Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-09-20
THROUGH
A BRIDGE
Probably a Score Of
Lives Lost in
Oklahoma
High Structure Falls
With asst Passen-
ger Train
Cars WhirIed AWayIn
Swollen Cimaron
River

Guthrie, Okla. Sept. 19.-Eight peo'
pie are dead, 20 more or less injured
and M many more are missing as the
result of the wrecking Of "A Rock Is.
land passenger train three miles from
Dover okla, yesterday.
The engine, tender baggage car and
mail car, smoker and day coach of
passenger train No. II, northbound,
left the high bridge that spans the
Cimarron river and plunged into n
current nanlSed by treacherous quick
sands The locomotive disappeared
from sight Immediately. The mail
and baggage clerks escaped and swan
shore.
The accident was due TO the de,
fective condition OF the bridge, which
was severed out Of line by the pres.
sure OF drlftwood carried down by the
swollen stream.
Late and Running Fast
The train was an hour late and run
ming at high speed to make up time.
The engineer did not see the cOndl.
ton Of the bridge until he was within
fow yards when 1t was too late to
stop, He shouted TO his fireman, threw
landed on the river bank and escaped
unhurt, The fireman was severely In.
iured.
When the engine struck the bridge
the whole structure suddenly col.
lasped precipIatIng the engine, smok.
or and day coach into the river. Two
Pullmans remained on the track.
The scene was one Of indeBcrlbabie
confusion, Shrloks OF those lmprl.
soned In the partly submerged coaches
were added to the shouts Of those on
the bank.
Swept Away by Driftwood
The current whlrlad the day coach
down stream and lodged It against a
sand bank, The ossupants were helped
out through the doors and windows
The smoking car nloated down stream,
submerged all but the top 1t struck
on sand bar In the middle of the
river -Four men VINO clambered
through the windows to the top of the
car were swept away by n large mass
of driftwood.
Three other men Jumped through
the rear door of the smoker. before it
sank and reached shore.
fIhn
the number of passengers in the smok.
or at between 25 and 30, with few ex.
ceptions they are not yet accounted
for The only hopeful news Is con.
tanned In messages from rural dis.
tricts Men on bits of drletwood have
been seen going down the stream at
various points, but attempts at rescue
nave In most instances proved futile
Rescued Twenty Miles Away,
One man whose name is unknown
was fshed out of the Cirammon at
Cashi1n 20 miles from the scene of
the disaster, almost dead. Otheru
have been reported floating down tho
river.
The Injured have been taken to
Kingtisher where the people have
thrown open their homes for their
succor.
1t will be impossible to ascertain
the exact number of dead for several
days Many reported missing may
show up safe at some point down the
Cirammon.
The deralIed cars are lyicg near the
bank of the river. A party of search.
ers is working with torches and Ian.
terms In the wrecked cars. 1t is the
opinion of the people at the scene that
few bodies viii be found inside the
smoker.
Bodies Seen Floating.
Sheriff Love OF Kingfsher, who was
in the smoker said that when ne es,
capped from the water 1t was ut least
six feet deep in the car and that there
were at least 80 others in the car. He
saw only two hCSidsS himself csCnnn