Evening star., 1932-10-02
Engine and Six Cars Plunge
Into Torrent in California
Mountains.
HALF DOZEN VILLAGES HIT
BY CLOUDBURST IN NIGHT
Northern Mexico Counts IA Fatali-
ties and Thousands Homeless
in Continuous Rains.
BY the Associated Press.

BAKERSFIELD, Calf, October l.
Twelve bodies had been recovered to-
night in the mountainous Tehachapi
pass region where upward of 40 persons
are believed to have perished in last
nights cloudburst.
The deluge flooded canyons and
streams, wrecked two freight trains at
Woodford, hurled a 45-foot wall of
water down the pass washed out nine
bridges and flooded at least half dozen
villages
The bodies were taken from the
wreckage Of Southern Pacific freight
train. six cars and the locomotive of
which fell through trestle at Wood
ford. Searchers believed the victims to
have been itinerant men and boys rid
ing the train. AS many as go were
reported to have been on it.
No effort was made at Identification
tonight. searchers returning here said.
Other Bodies Visible.
Other bodies were visible in the water
and highway patrol officials estimated
that possibly 80 plunged to their deaths.
At least l3 other persons are reported
dead. These include A. H. Ross of
Bakersfield. engineer, and Harry Moore,
brakeman, Of the wrecked train.
The others are Peter Kaad family of
four at Woodford Mrs. Nell Cooper,
telegraph operator at Caliente, and
-year-old niece; three patients at
the Kern County Tubercular Hospital
at Keene. and two unidentified men.
- rrhn tnr,l
refuge at the Kaad service station at
Woodford were still unaccounted for,
but it was believed possible tonight that
most of them escaped.
The body of one Of the two Kaad
sons, Peter, jr., was recovered today.
1t was the oEly one identified.
Area Is Cut Of.
The stricken area was completely cut
of from wire and rail communication
and washouts made hazardous the 40
mile highway journey between this city
and the scene.
Efforts were continued tonight to re-
cover additional bodies from the train
wreckage, but highway officials said
hosting apparatus may have to be used.
Two freight trains bore the brunt of
the foods first onslaught at Woodford.
had passed only three minutes before
the torrent hit the bridge.
A Santa Fe freight was on the newly
constructed siding Beside it on the
main line was Sunset freight train No.
829 of the Southern Pacific. Water
from the cloudburst had banked up to
depth of so feet against concrete
abutment or trestle on which the
trains were standing. Suddenly this
gave way directly in the center with q
roar that could be heard above the
deafening noise of the storm.
Locomotive PIunges Down.
A "helper" locomotive in the center
of the Southern Pacific train to aid il
across the mountain pass, plunged into
the torrent, pulling six cars with it.
The Santa Fe locomotive also plunged
in, but the train remained on the track
Reports available here indicated that
possibly seven villages were flooded
Woodford, Arvin. Moiave Caliente,
Monolith. Keene and Tehachapi-with
loss Of life being confined. as far as
known. to Woodford, Keene and Cali
ente
Harry w. MCGEE. United Air Lines
pilot, arriving at United Airport, Bur-
bank, reported that Tehachapi seemed
to have been inundated. He flew over
the village en- route from San Fran
cisco with 10 passengers flying out of
his way to avoid recurrent storms. Mud
and debris was visible in the Tehachapi
streets, he said.
Two Torrents Created.
There was an unconfirmed report that
several buildings had been demolished
in the little community Of Oak Creek,
north of Mojave, but that all the resi-
dents escaped.
When the cloudburst struck it sent
torrents down opposite sides of the
steep Tehachapi watershed, one rush
ing down Tehachapi Canyon toward
the desert and the other down Caliente
Canyon, in the direction of the San
Joaquin Valley.
Tehachapi, famous old mining town
near the summit of the watershed. soon
was covered by from three to five feet
of water.
As the waters coursed down the
southeastern slopes, however, they
spread out fanwise. putting only foot
or so of water on the streets of Mojave,
on the desert edge.