Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1945-01-02

Had Stroke
OGDEN, Utah, Jan. 1
(INS)-Fears were expressed
today that the death toll in
the rear-end crash Of two San
Francisco-bound trains on the
Pacific's Great Salt
Lake rockfill west of Ogden
might reach 65. A spokes-
man for the railway officially
listed 81 as known dead.
headquarters of the South
ern Pacific at San Francisco
listed so as dead on the COM
panys official casualty list
there.)
John Bolkins of Grand Rapids
was among those officially listed
as dead. Bolkins was first re-
ported as suffering only leg in
Jury. He was the only casualty
listed from Michigan.
At least so persons were off,
tally reported in serious condition
in hospitals.
INVESTIGATION STARTED
A five pronged investigation
was under way into the tragedy,
one of the worst in the history or
western railroad annals. The in
vestigators sought to determine.
among other things. whether a
reported heart attack of an
engineer was responsible for the
accident.
Investigations were started by
the interstate commerce COM
mission. the Utah. state public
service commission. the Southern
Pacific Railroad, the army and
the navy. Many of the casualties
we're military personnel en- route
10 San Francisco.
The injured were placed in hos
pitfalls at Ogden and Bingham City.
Utah, and at Elko and Reno. New.
Others were carried on to San
Francisco. Those taken to Bing-
ham City were military person
mel.
Al CIVILIANS DEAD
A railroad spokesman said Al
of the dead were civilians and
military personnel and 10 were
rail employees.
The civilian dead was believed
to include six members Of one
family, Mr.. and Mrs. Leroy Por-
ter of Sparks, New, their two
daughters, Peggy, Ii, and Mary
| 8, and Mrs. Porter's brother and
sister-in-law, Mr.. and Mrs. Jack
and Delphas Frances of Carlin,
New.
A large party of railroad Off
Gals. headed by J. S. Corbett, gen.
eral manager of the company, flew
TO the scene of the wreck from
San Francisco. They were joined
by V. M. Peterson, division super
intendent from Ogden.
NEAR HISTORIC SPOT
The accident occurred IL miles
west of Ogden, on the mudfiats
that surround the Great Salt
Lake, and only two miles from
Promontory Point. where the
golden spike was driven to cele-
brate completion of the nations
first transcontinental railroad.
Il Failure of the engineer of the
second section, a fast mail and
express, to stop his train and
prevent the collision led TO the
: belief that possibly he died of a
, heart attack seconds before the
. crash.
In accordance with railroad reg.
ulations, a flagman from the frs,
section. the Pacific Limited, had
laid out flares and placed tor
pedoes on the tracks as warnings
The first section had stopped
when a freight train of the same
line stalled because of a hotbox.
. The fast mail and express was
following close behind.
SCENES OF HORROR
: Eyewitnesses scri b. d tn,
scene as nothing but broker
: heads. legs and arms" One of tn,
: first physician to reach tn,
wreckage, DR.. L. S. Sycamore o
: Ogden, said scores of persons wer,
, treated for shock. not only from
injuries they had suffered but ais
from what they had seen.
The wreck produce man,
heroes. They included army doe
tors and nurses, riding "deadhead
in two army hospital cars attache,
TO the Pacific Limited. and servic,
personnel.
The work of soldiers and sailor
was especially commended by pas
sengers and railroad employees
, who credited them with savinj
several persons from possible
death by prompt rendering of frs
: aid.
Another hero was Victor Kovaril
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