The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-08-07
START PROBE Of
TRAIN WRECK At
SULPHUR SPRINGS
Coroner Calls Witnesses 10 Tell oi
Sulphur sprinus, Mo-, Crash
That Claimed 81 Lives;
Crews 10 Teatlfy.
ROAD OFFICIAL BLAMES
ENGINEER OF NUMBER 4
Girl Tells Of Sensations When Trains
Go Together; Passengers Horrl-
fled as Express Plows Into
Local Train.

81 LOUIS. Aux t-fhiilai pinN'
into the fatal Sulphur Springs. Mo.
wreck ON the Missouri Pacific.
which claimed 81 lives, began today.
Investigation of the cause OF the
disaster was started at DeSota. when
Coroner George W. Elders called
witnesses inclnding members OF the
crews OF both trains for question.
ing.
Matt Glenn. engineer Of No. 4.
the Texas Express which crashed
into local No. - late Saturday. was
held responsible by John Cannon.
assistant general manager OF the
road.
Officials were certain that the
block signals were properly set.
Glenn. according TO road officials,
ran by block yet against him. The
engineer was ~ years of age and
Tor 81 years had no mark against
his record.
Glenn was killed when he leaped
from the cab just before the crash.
The fast express telescoped four
of the wooden coaches on the local.
hurlng them over a twenty foot
embankment.
Approximately 10 injured were
being cared for in st. Louis hos
pltals. Thousands filed in an un-
ending line past the six bodies still
unidentified at the morgue here.
Three of these are men, one woman
and two are children--a girl and a
boy.
Six bodies were held at De Soto
and the remainder were brought
here.
Miss Mabel Stengrubey, 20, st.
Louis, who with her sister, Florence.
was passenger on No. 4, told of
her experience today.
"We were returning from our va
cation and were riding in the sec
ond coach behind the baggage car.
[ was resting my head on the seat.
NY sister was across the aisle.
Suddenly there came the most
awful crash | ever heard. Something
hit me in the mouth. Everything
was confusion. remember going
to the water cooler and washing the
blood from my face. Then every
thing seemed black. | don't know
how | got out of the car.
at cant describe the scene. 1t
was too horrible"
Following the carsh, means and
shrieks came from the wreckage.
The scene was one of unutterable
horror. Uninjured passengers worked
feverishly to rescue the less fort
unate.
John Grafton, of Oron, Mo, was
Burned out of his prison between
two coaches with acetylene torches.
He died after being rushed to the
hospital. Officials of the road de-
clared that Grafton was "bumming
ride.
Pearl Goff, 10, and her sister Beu.
lah, 10, left their home at Cadet,
= Mo-, to visit relatives in st. Louis
| The body Of Pearl Was identified by
her father. Beulah has not been
found. Her parents have made the
rounds of all the hospitals but could
find no trace of her.
The local pulled into Sulphur
Springs with a Saturday crowd from
southern Missouri and Arkansas
points. The train was two hours
late.
A few passengers got off to stretch
their legs.
Number 4, running on time, witt
passengers from Fort Worth ant
! points north, left Riverside, foul
) miles away, while the local was
f standing at Sulphur Springs.
s A shrieking whistle from the en-
4 CINE of the express was the onl!
n warning.
i Passengers walking up and dow
z beside the local suddenly stopped
7, Mortified Their faces were distorte'
y as they attempted to shout AM
warn the passengers still on tn
l, train.
d One man shrieked a warning.
)" Brakes screamed, as the enginee
on the express saw the danger.
Almost Immediately afterward
came the terrific crash.
Is For a moment there was silence
a. AS if at a signal, means and Shrek
" came from the wreckage.
If Those killed were from Missour
Idaho and Illinois.