The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-23
BY RONALD G. VAN TINE United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Hopewell, Va. Dec. 23-Faulty brakes were blamed tentatively to- day for an Appomattox river bus tragedy that took IA lives. A huge blue bus that dived through an open draw ridge was lifted from the river last night and all bodies were taken to local rnorgues, where three still were unidentified and seven had been but partly identified.
 Among the dead was L. G. AL ford, Raleigh, N. C., x the driver and authorities believed he was the only person who knew what caused the machine to plunge over the op- en draw into the river yesterday morning.
 Lacy McNair, the draw bridge tender, heard the Greyhound bus brakes scream. He heard it crash through the guard rail and turned in time to see it plunge into the river. The bridge pavement was marked for 20 feet with burnt rub Der from it's tires, indicating, au- thorities said, that Afford has slam r,med on the emergency brake after the foot brake failed to slow the machine.
 Identifying Victims
 The identified dead were:
 c. l.. Afford, driver, Raleigh, N. c. Mrs. Wilber Massey, 36, Hope well. John Belch, Hopewell, river boat captain. Mrs. Ruby Matthews, 38, Richmond. Mrs. Ann Williams Duncan, 55, Pottsboro, N. C., ten- tatively identified by baggage: Miss Ruth Goodwin. New York. Elma Parkom, New York. Mrs. L. H. Fair fax, Superior, Mis-. Flora Edna Mo- Cooch, Superior. Mrs. J. J. Cizler, Clarendon, Va. A negro woman, named Fisher, New York.
 Unidentified were the bodies of a negro woman, a white woman, and a young man.
 The bus was pulled out of the river and placed on a barge beneath the bridge by cranes last night.
 Divers Work Rapidly
 All day and into the evening div CTS had worked on the muddy river bottom, 25 feet below the surface, trying in vain to free bodies with out bringing up the machine. The machine had turned over in it's plunge and was resting on its top. They found one man still clutching an English walnut he had been about to crack when the bus plung- ed through the gate into the river. They found woman with her death -stiffened arm still clutched tightly around mans neck, indi- eating a hysterical demand for se- curity and assurance in the instant the bus was in the air between the bridge and the water.
 Capt. BeIch Had Fought
 Before the bus was brought to the surface, the body of Captain Belch hardy riverman, was found afloat. It was gashed and bloody, as tf ugh he had broken window and tried to free himself, only to drown. One other body avs recov- cred before the bus was lifted from the water. Klass Evart, diver, found the windshield and all windows but one intact and closed. He broke the windshield with hammer and out fioated the body of Mrs. Massey. Hearses had waited all day at the bridgehead. They took the bodies to the morgues, followed by a mile- long line of automobiles. The public will be permitted to view the bodies of the partly identified and the, un- identified today. Coroner J. c. Be- dow of Prince George county will order an inquest for today or to- morrow.
 Offlcials of the Greyhound bus line were silent. The bus was bound from Richmond to Raleeigh, N. c. It left Richmond at 8 a. m. The draw bridge had been up several minutes when the machine plunged through.
 "The gate was up at the edge of the draw to warn cars and trucks buses," McNair, the bridge tender, said. T heard a crash, I turned around just in time to see the bus come through the gate and slide to-