The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-07

moned today before coroner's jury as
De Soto to recount the details of the
rear-end collision of two Missouri
Pacific trains here Saturday night
when 81 persons We're known to be
killed and 1873 injured. Coroner Ell
ders promised a thorough investigs-
tion Of the circumstances causing the
disaster.
Sulphur Springs, Mo-, Aug. 6 (By
the Associated Press Failure of an
engineer to heed block signal caused
the rear-end collision on the Missouri
Pacific here last night, in which 80
persons were killed and 1877 injured,
20 seriously, according to John Can
non, assistant general manager of the
road.
Train No. a, o fast passenger vesti-
bule steel train, running at full speed.
crashed into No. 80, Il local, composed
Of five wooden DAY coaches, baggage
and an express car, rs the engine was
taking on water with the coaches
stretching back on a trestle over
Glaze creek.
The impact hurled two of the loca.
coaches down a 50-foot embankment
edging the Mississippi and telescoped
four other coaches, crushing number
of passengers to death in their seats.
Both trains were behind time, the
fast passenger, running from Fort
Worth, Texas, to st. Louis, carrying
1S0 passengers, and the local 100 per-
sons.
According to Mr.. Cannon, Matt
("Ginger") Glenn of st. Louis, engl-
neer of the fast passenger, failed to
heed block signal warning him the
track was not clear ahead. Glenn, 81
years old, an engineer for 35 years,
without black mark against his rec
crd, was killed when he jumped from
his cab just before the crash. Edward
Lindley, also of st. Louis, fireman of
No. 4, remained at his post and was
injured seriously.
Engineer Glenn, shortly before ar
} irving in Sulphur Springs, received
orders "on the run" to pull over on
siding at Cliff Cave, ten miles north
of here, to allow "Sunshine Special
Ma T." en- route from st. Louis to
b poins, TO pass, and Mr.. Canon
lined, the engineer failed TO heed
the signaI.because he apparently was
reading these orders when he passed
the block. The orders were found near
his body.
Ghouls appeared on the scene short
ly after the crash and robbed the
dead and dying. Only one was arrest
ed and he said he was William Hall Of
st. Louis. Several pieces of wearing
apparel taken from the unfortunates
were found on his person and Bible
was in his waist The Bible, it was
said, had been the property of the
Rev. V. O. Pensley of De Soto, one of
those killed.
The dead and injured were spread
over an area Of several citv blocks.
This little village of 15O inhabitants
was unable to care for the injured and
they along with the dead were taken
to st. Louis and De Soto. DR.. w. W.
Hull was the only physician admin
istering to the injured for several
hours until relief trains arrived.
"Had I had some assistance we
might have saved SOME of the dying"
DR.. Hull told representative Of the
Associated Press. "At one time was
trying to treat 25 persons simultan-
eously."
The cries of the injured had to go
unheeded in many cases. Mothers
begged for news of their babies and
children cried for their parents One
ID months old child, unable to tell her
name, was found mile from the
scene of the disaster asking for
Mama" a woman from st. Louis
took her in charge.
One of the saddest scenes reported
was that Of the Degania family Of
st. Louis. Four of the family Of SIX
were killed ard the father is reported
dying in a st. Louis hospital. Three
of the Degania children, Ralph, d.
Melvin, 5, and Robert Ia months, lay
dead to the right Of their father be-
fore he could be removed, and Mrs.
Degania lay deed to his left.
Mr.. Degania in his delirium clasped
his infant son to his breast, repeat
ing between groans Of pain, "Thanil
God, Bobby, we're all alive" not
knowing the hearts Of his wife and
children were stilled,
In the confusion several bodies were
hustled on the "elief trains before be.
ing checked, leaving the number Of
dead uncertain. Many of the bodies
could rot be identified because their
effects had been scattered over such
a wide area.
The railroad track parallel the
Mississippi river and the trestle or
which the disaster occurred spans
Glaze creek where il enters the river
AS result report was current that
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