The Washington times., 1923-09-29
WRECK VICTIMS
BODIES HELD
IN TORRENT
Number Of Dead in Wyoming
Disaster Difficult to Estimate
Till Flood Subsidies.

BY international News Service.
CASPER, Wyo., Sept. 29.-
With the number Of dead std I'M
determined in Wyoming's most
appalling railroad disaster III
years, dawn today brought hope
that rescue workers would Be able
to reach the submerged cars Of
the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy PASSENGER train No. 50.
which plunged into the raging
torrent Of Cole creek when i
bridge across that stream near
Lockett, fifteen miles east Of
here, collapsed late Thursday
night.
Dead May Be Fffty-Ffvc.
Railroad officials sttll cling to
their belief that not more than
twenty-five victims are il The
Watery grave OF Cole creek. but
statements Of rescued passengers
indicate that between forty and
fifty.five met their death when the
flood waters Of the surging stream
sealed them In the toppled over
passenger cars.
With rain stil falling and the
swift current tapping the portions
q the cars still prQtruding from
the water all efforts nc removing
the BODIES were abandoned late last
nighf. and because Of the fear that
the coacleg might break and the
- - 49, -
ricks and hosting equipment we're
attached to them Il was decfded to
wait until the waters On the n0rgnai-
" dry creek had subaided before
further attempts to take oct the
victims were made.
Rain ceased falling early this
morning and ct dawn Indications
were that the flood waters would
subside during the day "a q poinf
that win permit entrance "a the
submerged coaches Qf the Inflated
train.
Smoker Submerged.
The locomotive ana smoker lie
completely submerged. ana It il
feared the latter holds rnany
drowned.
The day coach, with but one end
sticking out OF the water, Ii also
believed to contain many bodies.
1t e feared that all chances OF
Identification win have passed ur.
less the bodies ara recovered today
as they have now been In the
water more than thirty hours.
DR.. =. r.. O'DOnneIl, Burlington
surgeon, stated this morning that
the speed Of the stream which has
been like g veritabIe Niagara, win
50 mar the faces Of those in the
water and result In such decornpo-
sition that even embalming viii be
difficult.
Two bodies from the wrclxage,
Express Messenger ID. =. Schultz,
Of Denver, and III. M. Schmidt. Of
Glen Rock. had ben washed ashore
Ct Glen Rock, and reports. uncOn-
firmed, we're received from the vi
cinity Of the wreck that several
bodies had been seen floating down
the Platte river, OF which Cole
creek IL 9 tributary, ut daybreak
today.
Persons In Train.
According to Burlington railroad
OFFICIALS, q check-up Of their rec
ords showed that there were ap.
proximately seveuty-six persons on
ks@S - eAAA WAISn ~ lS1k Casper.
Thirty-four have been accounted
for. leaving forty-two believed dead.
This report was confirmed by some
or the surviving passengers, who
declared that the train carried les
hghtest load in months when II
started on its final Journey.
It was said, however, tina. several
passengers were on the train who
had not purchased tickets at Casper,
and It is feared that the final list
OF dead may 30 over the fifty mark.
A list Of those missing and be-
lieved dead follows: r. L. Gier.
hart, Denver; O. H. Gains, Denver:
M. D. Montgomery, Denver; Train
Conductor @. w. Golf, Engineer Ed
Spangler. Fireman Orrie MaIlon;
Albert Hill. colored, Dodge city,
Kan; II. Watkins, colored porter,
Denver; c. A. Gunther, Douglas,
Wyo.: g. r. Neill. Denver; Mrs.
Minnie Owens, Casper, Wyo.; r.. p.
Johnson, Denver: w. e. Hendricks.
railway mail clerk. Casper, Wye;
e. j. Klove, brakeman; John Girls
tie, Glen Rock; w. r. Douglas,
Denver; ]. A. Criswold, Casper,
Wyo.; Nicholas Schmetz. Casper.
Wyo
The known dead are: d. e.
Shuttle, express messenger, Dem
yer; H. M. Schmidt, Glen Rock.
Packard waited through the night
m