Evening star., 1937-11-21
TW0DEAD,3DYING,
Is HURT IN Wreck
as Seriously Injured as 4
Coaches Leave Tracks
in West Virginia.
By the Associated Press.

oy tuG h8bOCAtSQ HIekSs
BLUEFIELD. w. Va, Nov. 10
More than three score men. women
and children were hurled and tumbled
in terrifying confusion today in q
railroad wreck which killed two, sent
46 to hospitals seriously hurt, and
slightly injured 80 others.
Three Of those in hospitals were so
badly hurt they are expected to die.
Four coaches Of the Norfolk and
Western all-steel train No. "a, east
bound from Columbus to Norfolk,
through a binding snowstorm, left
the tracks S miles west of Bluefield,
but only two carried passengers. The
cause Of the accident was not deter
mined.
Screaming women and children were
tossed around in one battered car
which rolled over twice, going down a
bank to the edge OF the shallow Blue
stone River.
The other passenger coach and two
baggage cars were overturned across
the twisted tracks. The locomotive.
however, did not leave the rails and
the engineer and fireman we're among
the scant half dozen who escaped
unhurt.
The dead were Frank Booker, IS,
Negro, Of Williamson, killed instantly
when thrown from a coach, and Miss
Georgia Clyburn, 81, of Bramwell,
who died late in the afternoon.
Expected to Die.
Those so seriously injured they are
not expected to recover are:
Irene Dunham, Is, of Elkhorn.
Dora Lee Cannon, 20, school
teacher at kimball
j. w. Dickinson of Bluestone, a
railroad employe who was pinned by
the legs for two hours beneath one
overturned car.
Most OF the passengers were from
sections in Virginia and West Viz.
glnia, near Bluefield. Some of them
were en- route from Southern hamlets
for the week end shopping in Blue
field, others had started on week end
visit, and many of them were work.
men returning from the night shift
at the Norfolk & Westerns power
plant at Bluestone. 10 miles from here.
Rescuers battled swirling snow and
Icy embankments for two hours to
extricate the injured.
Locking hands. stretcher bearers
toued up icy inclines, carrying their
burdens to ambulances and volunteer
passenger cars on the nearby high
way.
"Never More Scared"
Dickinson. pinned beneath q coach,
suffered one Of the most horrifying
experiences. Three doctors stood bv
and administered opiates while train
men toiled two hours before he vas
freed. At hospital later, doctors
said one leg would have to be ampu.
tated.
Many suffered broken bones. an
were badly bruised and suffered from
shock.
Hundreds Of bloodstains within the
wreckage Of the car that went over
the tracks gave evidence Of how the
occupants were thrown violently
against its sides.
Stephen shupe Of Freeman, w. Va.
travelling with his wife and two chill.
oren to Roanoke. Va, gave q graphic
description.
The first thing I knew" he said.
was feeling the car rumblinr over
the ties. Then 1t started turning
over and I didn't know anything more.
I never was more scared in INV Nfe"
Nor1olk and Western officials start
ed An investigation. but the cause Of
the accident remained undetermined.
The accident occurred at $50 am.
1T was too horrible to talk about -
said 19-year-old Nell Newton, bursting
into tears as she tried to speak Of
the accident. Things and people
kept piling all over us. Every one
seemed to be screaming who wasn't
unconscious"
Ambulances Rush to Scene,
Miss Newton was In the coach
which rolled to the river.
Ambulances from Bluefield, w. Va:
Bluefield, Va; Pocahontas, Va, and
other points rushed to the scene, along
with private cars.
The main line Of the railroad was
badly torn up and crews struggled
throughout the day to get 1t open
again.
The frightened and battered pas.
sengers were unable to give any clues
to the cause,