The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-10-04
Burlington Train Goes Into the Swollen Waters Of
Coal Creek Near Casper, Wyoming
Late Thursday Night
MANY ARE DROWNED LIKE RATS IN A TRAP
Darkness TOren Rains Prevent Rescue of Passengers Only
Meagre Details of Loss of Life Are Secured Shown
Women and Children Go to Death.

fourteen miles east of Casper, about
the ordinarily dry creek.
The scene of the wreck is about
two miles -west> of the Big Muddy oil
fields and about seven miles west of
Glen Rock. The next flag stop for
the train across the culvert through
which it plunged into Coal Greek,
was Lockett.
Goes Into Raging Torrent.
The Burlington passenger train No.
80, bound for Denver, which plunged
into Coal Creek early last night, went
into a raging torrent. The roar Of
water over the cars, could be heard
for miles. What ordinarily is dry
creek during the summer, was, sud
denly swollen into torrent by the
heavy rains of yesterday.
A track walker had inspected The
gilbert over Coal Greek less than an
hour before the Burlington passen-
ger train was due. He reported
everything all right, though the
stream was rising.
About 9:10 p. m. the Denver train
swept around curve and plunged
into the stream. Apparently the To-
cpmotive got clear across the culvert
before it gave way under the weight
of the heavy train. Then it slipped
back into the water and both engineer
and fireman were killed. One pas
senger car buried in the stream was
swept 100 yards out in the Platte
river, Wyoming's largest stream.
Platte river is more than a mile wide
at a point near the creek.
Occupants of Berths Escape.
Probably only four sleeping car
passengers lost their lives by drown
ing. From 20 to "a passengers were
rescued from the top of a sleeper
which was partially submerged in
the stream.
Neither the Cheyenne nor Casper
sleepers went into The stream. A
rescue train from Casper arrived at
the scene of the wreck at 1900 p. m.
and Immediately, it was seen that the
best chance of rescue was by means
of rope arrangement strung from
the east bank. There were from 20
to "a persons on top of the sleeper,
all begging to be rescued. Nao.I
The most thrilling portion of the
rescue scene then ensued. A big
cable rope obtained at the Big Muddy
oil field was thrown over to the
marooned sleeper:
With the headlight of the locomo-
tive of the relief train playing on the
scene, the slow progress of rescue in
this manner proceeded. Men, women
and children went hand over hand from
the sleeper to the east bank, dis
tapnn &nf thor Il
times women lost one hand hold of
the rope, only to regain their balance
and save themselves from dropping
into the water.
Women Faint AS Saved.
After their perilous trip, several
women fell into dead faint <and had
to be carried to waiting cars A man
carried baby in his arms from the
marooned car to the bank and almost
miraculously effected rescue.
Of the injured brought to Casper
early this morning, few are injured
seriously.
1t was still raining at the scene of
the wreck early this morning. One
sleeper was left on the track where
it had been derailed at the brink
of the stream.
Aside from two dim railroad arc
lights, there was not a light visible
at the scene of the wreck and it was
difficult to distinguish the location of
the different cars in the stream or
damned up against the east bank
The police in Glen Rock have been
notified and will cooperate in pre-
venting any robbing of the bodies.
Cities down the Platte river have been
notified to be on the lookout for float
ing bodies or bodies washed ashore.
1t is believed that it will be "a hours
or more before many bodies can be
taken from the submerged cars be-
cause of the high water. Most of
those drowned may have been wash
ed out of the cars because of the
terrific current
Ticket Sale Light.
One of the lighhest ticket sales in
years was reported here by the Burl-
ington and it is believed that the final
list of persons aboard the train will
show not more than 70 missing.
Z Lloyd A. Jackson, an engineer, con-
siders himself lucky man today.
Yesterday afternoon he refused to
answer the call boy, stating that he
did not want to. take his regular run
out of Casper because of the heavy
rainfall and dangerous condition of
the road bed. AS result, Eugene
Spangler, not the regular engineer for
this run, took out the Denver train.
He is reported among the missing and
it is believed that he was killed in
the wreck when his locomotive plunged
backwards into the stream.
The scene of the disaster is an
isolated spot Oh the Burlington,
the nearest communication being three
miles away.
No Bodies Recovered.
by Associated Press Leased Wire)
Denver, Colo.-No bodies caE be re-
covered from the Burlington wreck
near Casper, Wyom., @until derrick
can lift the wrecked car from the