, 1923-10-03
train DROPS INTO river NEAR
CASPER WHEN BRIDGE BREAKS
Trapped in Coaches, Passengers Strange with no
Out-Cry-Dry River Turns to Yellow Torrent
Sand Buries Engine and Cars-Few
Bodies Recovered

What is regarded as the worst wreck the Burlington railroad has ever
had occurred near Casper on the night of Septembe 9th, between eight and
through a weakened bridge Cole creek, IA mills caste of Casper.
The dead are estimated at rs, although the number may be as high as
40. Many of the dead we're swept away by the swollen waterso of the creek,
which is ordinarily dry or but a ticke, and their bodies have no been re-
covered.
The bridge gave away according ito the best reports, before the engine
va far nut o the structure. The baggage coach followed apparently sliding
into the torrent on top of the locomotive and breaking wide opens a it lunged
to the far side of the creek. The smoking car, in which the greatest loss of
life is believed to have occurred, W a completely submerged and swung around
parallel tic the stream. This coach helped to sav the lives of son in the
chair car n end of which a lifted out of the water by resting IN the
smoker. Only one Pullman went into the food and four travelling men in the
smoking compartment, along with the porter, are reported to have been sealed
one end in the water. This constituted the only loss of life Elm the PuImans,
\ 81 is believed the two "a pnllmans ren].ining o the track
George Evenson, a railroader, who as a passenger rim the ear Pullman.
describes the wreck IS n of quiet horror in which the cres of victims, if
here were any, were shhed and smothred by the food waters that closed over
them.
The first intimatonI had that all was not right was when the train gave
instead one lurch followed another, evidently caused as the several coaches
followed the engine into tn ditch. At tn third lurch the lights in the Pulmans
went off.
Il unscrambled myself along with the others in the Pullman when the
TRAN I'M o a stop and a I stepped off the ar heard two cries from the
water.T These scream we're all l heard"
AS I. al up the bank lin the darkness there vas 10 sound but the water
rushing wei the cars that had piled in the stream. No light ws available
and it was difficult to find on. exactly what had happened"
A second rise as hours after brought down heaps of sand which piled
around the four ars 81 that now only the top of the Pullman is visible. with
TIT smoking cal lying underneath m end of the day coach, all clogged with
sand and debris.
The engine is completely submerged and the wrecking rev have been
Fifty mn worked desperately day and night to recover the bodies but
slow progress ws made and officials state that it will be several davs before
they can be reached, owing to the excavatng necessary. A wrecking car
IRON Alliance, Nebraska, "a snt out but a stalled IA miles way where
a bridge had gone out.
Greyburl, wyo. The residents of this city rested Sunday night after an
NJ sIhour battle with the raging waters If the Big Horn liver which threatened
Vodestroy the city during Saturday night and up to nearly noon Sunday, when
The peak was reached, say a dispatch in the Billings Gazette. Six streets of
the city including Greybuu avenue, the main bushes street were covered
u"ks built barriers in from of the doors and along the curbings to break
the rushing waters, but even with this protection nearly a half million dollars
WORTH of property damage a caused in Greybul alone.
AT ten o'clock Sunday night the river waters had receded nearly a foot.
Int enys Sreets are full of debris but a sci of mud covers the sections where
where the food watersr ragged.