Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-07
Was Imprisoned in An Over
turned Pullman Car, With
Her Young Daughter
More Than -Four Hours
LITTLE GIRL PRAYS
FOR DELlVERANCE
Those Who Escaped From.
Trains Attempt to Find
Their Baggage Only a.
Few Are Successful

Pueblo, Colo, June (by The
Associated Press) "A graphic de-
scription of the plight of passen-
gers caught by the flood in the
Missouri Pacific and Denver and
Rio Grande trains during the flood
here Friday night, was given to-
day by Mrs. Ruby Ellis, of Wich-
ita, Kansas, who was imprisoned
in an overturned Pullman coach
on the Denver and Rio Grande
with her 9-year-old daughter for
more than four hours.
1--WE were in the car next to the
engine and the train was pulled
out OF the station yard to a point
near the river" Mrs. Ellis said,
1T seemed as though we wereI
only 20 feet from the river bank.
The car turned over gradually as
the water rushed under the bot
tom. 1t seemed that the others
turned over one by one shortly
afterwards.
Car Turned on Right Side.
''The car turned on the right
side and my little daughter, Mill
dred Mary, and were thrown toI
the bottom of the car into theI
water. struggled to the sur
face and found mattresses and
bedding over me. Then / found
my little girl and pulled her toI
the top of the car, which was not
yet filled with water We stood
on the rods of the upper berth
and held on to the top on the rQds
on the top of the car.
1.-THE water rose rapidly
until it had reached my chin.
My little girl was clinging to
! my neck. Fortunately the
ventilator windows were open
and we were able to breathe
freely.
Il had given up hope of
life when the water came to-
my chin. Mildred Mary had
not cried or complained up to
this time and she asked:
What shall 4 do, mother?'
and l told her TO pray.
Then she repeated over
and over: Jesus, / trust you
1T seemed only a few minutes
then until the water began to re-
| cede. We made our way to the
end of the car where some women
in the train had broken out win
dow, and were helped to the side
of the coach by the rescue party.
They carried us to the Nuckolls
| packing plant"
Two Passengers Missing.
Mrs. Ellis had no idea of the
number drowned in the two trains
Two of the passengers in her
coach, whose names she did not
know, were not seen by her in
the group of rescued, she said.
Mrs. Ellis had been employed in
the office of the Missouri Pacific
at Wichita, and was en- route to
visit a sister, Mrs. i. G. Siddall,
who lives near New Castle, Colo.
No additional bodies We're taken
from the overturned trains of the
Denver and Rio Grande and Mis-.
souri, Pacific today Rescue par
ties were able to reach the trans
today and searched through all
cars, it was announced. The bed
ding in the bottom of the cars
had not been removed yet, and it
NNAo DiGbNo IAluL LAltlt rs u DObHi-
bility that some bodies may yet
be found, but this was believed
impossible.
Piles of Luggage Guarded.
Only in case passengers were
thrown from their berths so vio-
lently as to be stunned and
drowned in the first rush of the
water, would this be likely, it was
explained.
Passengers who escaped from
the trains were In the yards today
in efforts to find their baggage.
Some were successful, but most
searched in vain. About the
wrecked trains piles of luggage
taken from the coaches were piled
and guarded by deputy sheriffs.
A hundred feet from the wreck
ed trains in the Nuckolls packing
plant building and against the
building is a huge pile of drift
wood and debris. 1t was believed
by the rescue parties working in
that section of the railroda yards
that some bodies may be recovered
there when the accumulation is
cleared away AS yet no effort has
been made to do this.
Il