The Springdale news., 1914-09-18
27 KILLED IN
 BAD WRECK ON
 FRISCO TUESDAY

Springfield, Mo, Sept. 16.-Twenty- seven known dead, thirteen unident- flied, was the toll taken by water spout which swamped Frisco No. ,, the fast St Louis-Texas passenger train, about 2 o'clock yesterday morning near Lebanon, Mo.
 The engine and five coaches plunged into the water. Two sleep ing cars remained on the track
 Twenty one persons were injured, two of them seriously.
 T don't know how I got out of the wreck, but some one pulled me out, night. Mr Combs was one of the few who returned to Springfield on train No ', many of the survivors remaining in Lebanon over night.
 MT. Combs was riding in the chair car and was asleep. He felt Engin- ger O'rien Bthrow on the emerg- ency brakes and was instantly awak- ened. only to discover that the car was turning over and the water rush ing through it as if it were mill race. He was standing in water up to his neck and groping for the ventilator which he tried to open.
 Failing in that, he tried to break the glass and screen of the window, but finally gave up when he felt the water circling his head and draw ing him under. MT. Combs said the next he knew was when he was in open air, someone having drawn him out of the abyss.
 Atop the car were nineteen surviy- ors. and Mr Combs said the others were lost, as no one could have possibly gotten out after the water was racing over the upturned ear. The coach, he said, was well filled with passengers, but he did not know how many, and the nineteen on top jof the car were the only ones to escape
 They were forced to stand on top with water raging around their feet and legs, and they remained there
 for three hours in a doWnpour of rain
 The chair coach was the only o1fe turned over and submerged, as It WAS directly over the water. The smoker. immediately in front, seemed to balance itself and failed to topple over, and that accounts for the fact there was only one life lost in il. Most of the passengers of the smok- CT climbed through yentilators and windows as the water rushed through The mail and baggage cars were the same way, but all the mail clerks and baggagemen were able to get out
 Fireman Stogsdin tried to jump to save his life, but was drowned Engineer O'Brien caught his foot i'll some way in the engine and had to be extrieated by the mail clerks, who cut his shoe and relieved him from his perilous position. The clerks said this was probably what saved his life, as otherwise he mlght have been thrown from the engine or attempted to jump, as MT. Stogsdiii did.
 A deep washou was caused by the waterspout. which undermined the track, making a natural excavation through which the train, although proceeding cautiously and running slowly, plunged into the swlrilng Water. Momentum carried the coach es in behind the locomotive and tender. Emergency brakes could not avert the catastrophe. Only the breaking of the automatic air line saved the sleepers.
 Sleeping car passengers worked heroically in efforts to save the drowning, despite the excitement at- tending the accident. In that man. her a number were dragged or as sisted from the water.
 Baggage piled in the aisles and between the seats was caught by the thrush of water and whirled to one or the other end of each coach, That blocked means of escape of many whe otherwise might have been saved. were drowned.
 News of the accident was flash ed to Springfield headquarters of the railway shortly after 1t occurred. Soon thereafter the railroad wires failed and communication by tele- phone was rendered impossible from the fact that all wies were pros