Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-17
EIGHTEEN DIE AS
TEACHERS TRAIN
FALLS IN FLOOD
Union Pacific Motor Passenger
Plunges Through Bridge Into
Swollen Stream Near
Randolph, Kan.
ALL PERISH FROM DROWNING
vixty-Five in Car Plunging Down
and Only Four Escape With
out Injury.
RAIN wEAKENs SPAN ABUTMENT

RANDOLPH, Kan, Oct. 16.-With
eight bodies recovered from the half
submerged passenger car Union
Pacific motor train which went
through a bridge near here today,
and estimates of the total casualties
were placed tonight at eighteen dead
and two-score injured. Sixty-five
persons were in the car and only
four escaped uninjured when it
plunged into Fancy creek, and was
buried deep in mud and water.
Most of the dead, it was believed,
were drowned, although evidence
showed that several of the recovered
bodies had been killed outright when
the train struck the bridge abutment
weakened by a three-inch rain last
night and crashed through it.
Ae revised list Of the recovered dead
List of Dead.
d. LOUIS ATWOOD, Topeka, Kan.
MARY GILES. Manhattan, Kan.
MISS ALMA JELLIN. Garrison, Gan.
MRS. STELLA CHAPMAN, Manhattan,
Kan.
MISS ETHEL RUPPER, stockdule,
Kan.
A. o. SHAW, Tecumseh, Neb.
THEODORE SMITH. Tecumseh, Neb.
AN UNIDENTIFIED woman.
The train was crowded with teachers
to a county convention and many Of the
injured were young women. They said
the confusion was terrifying when the
train, composed Of passenger and bag
gage car struck the bridge and plunged
downward into the swollen creek.
Those who did not hold or were not
caught, were shot down the tipping ear
into the inflowing water.
Rescue Task Difficult.
The task of rescuing the clinging pas
sangers was extremely difficulty even
after they had broken the windows and
!, cEawled into them.
The rear of the car was high in the
air and the front end buried in the mud.
1t was necessary for the survivors to
crawl up the sides of the car clinging to
the window ledges and seats and onto
the end of the shattered abutment. Many
of blood, or the shock by the time this
perilous route was covered. Relief trains
from Manhattan and Marysville gave the
injured medical attention.
What occurred in the forward end of
the passenger car, which was used as a
smoking compartment, probably never
will be known, as no one who was in
that section has yet been discovered
among the survivors. The smoking COM
partment was submerged almost immedi-
ately after the abutment gave way, and
those In 1t had little or no chance to
escape. The impact of the wreck shat
tered the windows in the forward part of
the car and the flood waters D0ured in
over the confined passengers there when
The car fell.
Death Due to Drowning.
Three bodies have been taken from this
section, and though they were badly in
jured, death occurred from drowning.
All the bodies yet remaining in the car
are in this section.
Heroic acts were many on the part of
passengers who were themselves injured.
J. II. Sawtel, principal of the Manhattan
High school. although badly cut and
bruised, refused to leave the car until
every person who showed signs of life
had been removed. When he recovered
from the first shock. which precipitated
him half way Through a window he
seized an iron bar and, clambering over
the tilted seats. broke out the glass of
windows and helped many women to
cvrawl through.
Car stands on End.
The front end of the car Demolished th'
abutment and one end of the bridge ant
was tottering on the edge OF ths stream
Before many OF the struggling passenger
could extricate themselves and reach th'
doors or windows the car broke loos'
from the trailing baggage car anC
plunged downward. standing almost Up
right upon the front end.
Many chung to seats and window ledge
until they were rescued Those who haS
been thrown against the front Of the ca
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