Evening star., 1944-07-07
Train Wreck
(Continued From First Page.)

Ll1k CASud1Ilcb Go Il16u 90 90 oooN
and $50 hurt.
The train was a special carrying
only soldiers and the train crew.
An emergency train, made up from
the II cars which did not leave the
track. left this morning, taking so
of the injured to Lake City, Tenn,
en- route to the Government hospital
At Oak Ridge, Tenn. At least 80
other injured servicemen were sent
to Oak Ridge Hospital In ambu-
lances
State Guard at Scene.
STATE Guard Company c from
Knoxville joined military poIck in
patrolling the wreck scene this morn
ing as acetelyne torches were used
to cut away portions of the cars and
slings and pulleys were used to move
the injured up the bank.
The kitchen and baggage cars of
the southbound train, reported
carrying more than 1000 soldiers
just out Of basic training, were
burned
GApl cos ASCllt ~. L. fallCy Va cCl-
hco said first rescues were made by
nearby mountainfolk, who tediously
hoisted the injured by block-and-
tackle slings up the shrubbery- lined
gorge. Waiting ambulances rushed
the injured to hospitals in Lake
City, La Toilette and Jellico, and
Corbin and Williamsburg, KY.
Rescuers Work Doggedly.
Rescuers worked doggedly early
today to free two soldiers trapped
In one of the smashed coaches.
Doctors gave blood plasma trans
fusions to one Of them, pinned down
In the gorge wreckage. Two others
who had been trapped were extn-
Gated, one Of them dead.
The fireman, identified at Jel-
leo hospital as J. w. Tummins Of
Etowah. died in the institution sew
eral hours after he was hurled free
Of the wreckage
Capt. Kilburn Brown, Army public
relations officer. said Identification
Of the dead was proceeding slowly.
He explained most of the soldiers
either had been in their berths at
the time of the crash, or were in the
washrooms, preparing for bed The
crash tossed personal belongings to-
gether, and in some cases caused
loss of identification tags.
A soldier, treated at Jellico Hos
pital, said the crash occurred lust
after we finished chow" and said he
thought the fire started in the train
kitchen.
Red Cross Rushes Aid.
II was IN an upper BERTH" he said,
"and was almost thrown out when
we went around a curve. Just a
moment later she banged of the
track"
Jelnco and La Toilette (Tenn.)
Red Cross Chapters sent canteens
to the wreck area to serve injured
and rescue workers.
Reporter willard Yarbrough Of
the Knoxville Journal telephoned
his paper that he counted seven
dead when he climber into the
engine room and looked out. He said
two more dead were lying In the
stream, running 2 to 1 feet at the
wreck scene.
"One soldier pinned in the wreck.
age cried get me out Of here or lei
me die right here" Mr.. Yarbrougt
said. Another soldier being carried
across the stream on a stretchel
asked his rescuers to let him die
right there"
Engineer Pinned in Wreckage.
The engineer. identified by the
railroad as John G. Rollins Of
Etowah. was somewhere beneath
his engine" Mr.. Yarbrough said
and the fireman was picked up from
the spot to which he was hurled and
brought to Jellico Hospital.
In this Cumberland Mountain sec.
ton on the Kentucky Tennessee
line, L. and N. tracks traverse
numerous trestles over deep gorge.
ind loop around hairpin turns.
Ten Army doctors and IL Army
ambulances were rushed to the scene
from Clinton. They carried ample
eappliss OF blood plasma.