The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-07

-eS6 stst AAA WhACh OO persons WGEt riousiy, according to John Cannon,
 Train No. 4, fast passenger steel train ranning at full speed. crashed into No. S2. a local composed of five wooden coaches a baggage and an express car, as the engine was talk ing water with the coaches stretch ing back on a trestle over Glaisa creek.
 Two of the local coaches were hurled down a 50-foot embankment. edging the Mississippi. and four other coaches were telescoped, crushing several passengers to death in their seats. Both trains were behind time and the fast passenger running from Fort Worth, Tex, to St. Louis, car ried 1s0 passengers. and the local 100 persons.
 According to Mr Cannon. Matt Finger Glenn of St. Louis. engineer of the passenger, failed to heed a tlock signal warning that the track was n2t clear. Glenn, 57. an engi- itSSt iOt ot years, dhu HOt d iudIh against his record, was killed when he jumped.
 Fireman Is Killed
 Edward Tinsley, also of St. Louis. fireman of No. 4. remained at his post and was injured seriously.
 Engineer Blenn shortly before ar irving in Sulphur Springs received orders Ion the run" to pull over on siding at Cliff Gave. 12 miles north of here. to allow Sunshine Special No. l." en route to Texas, to pass, and Mir. Cannon expected the engineer to heed the block signal, because he apparently was reading the orders when he passed the blcck. The orders were found near his body.
 Ghouls robbed the dead and dying of whatever they could Only one was arrested however. and he said he was William Haif of st Louis. Wearing apparel taken from the un- fortunates was found on his person and Bible was in his waist. The biDte, II was edtu. Ddu Dtei tue piop- erty of the Rev. V. o. Pensley of DeSoto. one of those killed.
 only One Doctor Present
 The dead and injured were si1read over an area of several city blocks. and chicken crates, automobiles cush- ons. baggage and the railroad trucks constituted their couches. This vil- lage of 150 inhabitants was unable to care for the many injured, and they. along with the dead were taken to St. Louis and Desoto. Dr. w w Hull of this village was the only physician administering to the injured for several hours until re- lief trains arrived.
 Had l had some assistance, we might have saved some of the dy- ing. pr. Hull said. At one time was trying to treat 25 persons sim ultaneously."
 The pjitiful cries of the injured could be heard for blocks. Mothers begged for news of their babies and children cried for their parents.
 One of the saddest scenes reported r-as that of the DeGonia family of St Louis, four of the family of six z, ere Killed and the father is re- ported dying in hospital. Three of the DeGonia children, Ralph, 6; Mel ,in, ,. and Robert. IA months. lay dead to the right of their father and Mrs. DeGonia lay dead to his left.
 Thirty-four dead have been ac- counted for, but the death toll was expected to exceed this number at least dozen as in the confusion sew eral bodies were placed on the re- lief train before being checked.
 Many of the bodies could not be identified because their effects had been scattered over such a wide area.
 Lack Proper Light
 The railroad tracks parallel the Mississippi river and the trestle on which the disaster occurred spans Glaise creek where 1t enters the river. As result a report was cur rent that a number of bodies were hurled into the Mississippi. Th3-e was no way of verifying this rep6rt.
 Rescue work was interfered with by lack of proper light. This vil- lage is without electricity and rescue workers and morbidly curious made their way among the mass of twisted steel and crumbled wooden coaches by the aid of kerosene and wood torches.
 Thousands of persons visited here late last night and today to view the wreck and roads were blocked for a radius of three miles. Dr. Hull, who was among the first at the wreck, said that bodies were found 800 feet from the accident. One body was buried waist deep in bog. pr. George w. Elders. coroner of Jeffar- son county, said a thorough inyesti- gation would be made. Just south of the wreck, there Is . curve, and this cut off, view of the local train on the trestie. Missouri Pacific officials, however, emphasized
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