The New York herald., 1922-08-07
ENGINEER Is BLAMED
FOR 38 TRAIN DEATHS
Failed to Heed Signal and
Died in Leap as Express
Telescoped a Local.
GHOULS ROB VICTIMS
Bible Found on Man Was
Taken From Body ora
Pastor.
ONE DOCTOR IN VILLAGE
He Alone Treated Injured for
Hours Till Relief Reached
the Scene.
ONE DOCTOR IN VILLAGE

Special Dispatch to THE New YoRK HERALD
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 6.-Thirty- eight
dead and 1877 injured, about twenty
Ave critically, was the toll taken by
the rear end collision Of two Missouri
Pacific trains at Sulphur Springs last
night. check up revealed to-day.
Most Of the dead and injured were
brought to ST. Louis.
Failure Of Matt Glenn. engineer of
No. 80. the fast passenger steel train
which crashed into No. 4. the local,
to heed a block signal was the cause
Of the disaster, according to Joe
Cannon, assistant general manager of
the road.
The block signal, warning that the
track was not clear ahead. was un-
noticed by Glenn, according to Can
non. Glenn. 81 years old and engineer
for thirty-five years without a black
mark against his record. Jumped from
his cab just before the crash and was
killed. Edward Tinsley, fireman Of
No. 80. remained at his post and was
seriously injured.
Engineer Glenn. shortly before arriv-
ing in Sulphur Springs, received orders
to pull over on a siding at Cliff Cave,
ten miles north OF Sulphur Springs. to
allow the Sunshine Special. en- route
from st. Louis to Texas cities. to pass.
Cannon explained that Glenn failed to
heed the block signal because he was
apparently reading the orders when he
passed the block. The orders were
found near his body.
Carr Hurled on Trestle.
The fast passenger train. composed Of
steel vestibule cars. plowed its way
into the local train No. 4. composed OF
six wooden day coaches and three bag
gage and express cars. Four cars OF
the local train were hurled from the
fifty foot high trestle spanning Glaize
Creek and rolled down to the narrow
strip Of low ground that separates the
tracks from the Mississippi.
Anxious crowds waited for hours at
Union Station here for the arrival of
the trains or news Of persons known TO
be on the two which collided, The fast
passenger train, from Fort Worth. car
ried 1S0 passengers, and the local 100.
A searching investigation of the cause
OF the wreck was begun to-day by the
Missouri Pacific. and another investiga-
ton by Coroner Elders OF jefferson
county, will be started tomorrow morn
ing at De Soto, the county seat. Crews
OF the two trains have been summoned
to the Coroner's inquiry.
Whose blunder was responsible for
the situation that made II possible for
the trains to crash is q question that
relatives OF the dead will insist on
having answered. Should No. 90, the
division local. which had stopped on the
main track to take water. have been
shunted on the siding to clear the track ?
Should No. 4. the flyer racing to St.
Louis have been under control when
approaching the water tower? These
and other questions were asked by the
rescuers cropping in the dark last night
and this morning.
Heck Signals working
Officials OF the road have declared
that the block signals were working
properly and were set against the ap-
preaching No. 4. The inference, there
fore, is that Engineer Engel. OF the linn
tied, should have brought his train to a
halt.
Two o'clock this morning saw the
last body recovered. With bobbing Ian
terms, a compact group OF men came
down tho track to the little station
bearing on a litter the blanketed. inert
figure OF the last victim to be found in
the splintered wreckage.
Ghouls robbed the dead and injured.
In the pockets Of one man arrested was
found a Bible belonging TO the Rev. ".
o. Pensiey. pastor Of church at De
Soto
DIR. w. w. Hull. the only physician in
Sulphur Springs, treated the injured un-
I'll relief trains arrived. At one time ne
was trying to caro- for twenty-five per-
sons, The doctor believes that If as
sistance had come sooner he would have
been able to save several who died.
Ten thousand persons visited the
scene Of the wreck. Their automobiles
blocked the roads LEADING to Sulphur
Springs. The curious swarmed over
the station area. examined the wrecked
cars and trooped through the muddy
bed OF the creek to miss nothing.
All of the dead and injured were
residents of this section OF Missouri.
With tho exception OF two passengers,
one from Illinois and the other from
Texas. >N
LIGHTS WITH BELLS