Evening star., 1946-06-25
7Spokane Ball Players
Killed as Bus P|unges
Down Mountainside
BY the Associo,ed Press

PtbAi6S wv ANS0 aO"ll o. StCCp, IOthy
mountainside brought death to
seven members of Spokane's West
ern International League baseball
club last night and injured nine
others travelling in a cross-State bus
chartered to transport the team to
Bremerton. One of those injured
was the bus driver.
The bus plunged through a guard
rail and caught fire on the Snoqual-
mie Pass highway so miles east of
Seattle at 8 pm. last night, in an
unexplained tragedy that scattered
victims over the rocky slope and
trapped others in the burning bus.
Only a charred skeleton remained
on the bus when rescuers removed
the trapped bodies Several of the
injured were in critical condition.
The grief-stricken club owner,
Sam w. Collins, personally notified
families of the victims, and said
today he expected the depleted club
would complete its season with play
ers provided by league directors.
Will Try to Finish Season.
There is no league rule covering,
such terrible situation" said Rob-
ert Abel, president of the Western
International League.
Mr.. Collins said he expected the
club would finish its season because
he believed the boys themselves
would want the game continued
Mr.. Collins spent the better part
OF last night personally notifying
families of the players who died or
were injured
Games scheduled this week and
next with Bremerton and Yakima
will be Cancelled. Mr.. Collins said,
but he predicted meeting of direc-
tors of the Western International
League will be held within four or
five days to see what arrangements
could be made to provide players
fof the Spokane club
Casualties in Wreck.
The identified dead:
First Baseman Vic Picetti. San
Francisco, who formerly played with
Oakland and was described as the
most promising young player on the
Pacific Coast last season" He died
en- Hute to a Seattle hospital.
George c. Risk, 27, inhelder, Hills
boro, Greg.
Frederick T. Martinez, infelder,
San Diego.
The four remaining bodies were
more or less positively identified
by King County Coroner John P.
Brill as:
Manager Mel Cole. Wenatchee,
Wash.
Bob Kinnaman, former Washing
ton State College Pitcher, Brook
lyn, Wash.
Outhelder Bob James, Tempe.
Ariz.
Outhelder Bob Patterson, San
Francisco.
Three Critically Hurt.
Three of the casualties were re-
ported in poor or critical condition
In hospitals. They are;
Glen Berg, "a. Spokane, the bus
driver, who was burned severely:
Christ Hartje, 80. San Francisco.
one-time Brooklyn catcher, severely
burned, George Lyden. Tensed.
Idaho, pitcher, head injuries and
burns.
The others injured were:
Levi Mccormack, former Seattle
and Portland outfielder, head in
juries; Richard Powers, pitcher.
Oakland, head injuries and possibly
neck fracture; Erwin Konopka.
Moscow, Idaho, former University of
Idaho catcher. head injury; Ben
jamin Garaghty. second baseman.
Livingston, N. j.. formerly with
Sacramento and Indianapolis. head
lacerations: Peter Barisoff, pitcher,
Los Angeles, cuts and bruises RE-
leased from hospital; Darwin tGusl
HaIbourg, Boston. burned on pitch
ing hand and arms.
The accident, unexplained, oc-
Cured at pm on straight stretch
of road as dusk was settling. Hall
bourg, who later caught ride across
the mountains to Ellensburg, said
the bus suddenly veered through the
cable guard railing and caught fire
as it started hurtling down the
precipitous, rocky mountainside.
Estimates of the distance of the
drop ranged from 300 to 500 feet.
The burning bus landed upright.
An hour later it was only a twisted
steel skeleton.
Some of the victims were thrown
clear Of the tumbling bus and in
jured on the jutting rocks.
Il guess I'm pretty lucky" Gar
agility said. L was thrown right
out of window I took the window
frame right with me. I remem-
ber flying out the window, but l
must have been knocked out because
I don't remember landing"
Hallbourg said he was knocked
unconscious, came to- inside the
flaming wreckage and dived out
window.
turned to Bob Kinnaman and
said. This would be a hell of a
place to go over. wouldn't it?' I
turned back and we were going
through the fence" he said.
Three Spokane players escaped
injury or death because, two of them
made other plans, and a third, had
other plans made for him.
Pitchers Milt Cadinha and Joe
Faria decided to drive to Bremerton
with their wives in Faria's auto
mobile, so they did not ride in the
doomed bus
Third Baseman Jack Lohrke, who
has been hitting lusty 1862 while
with Spokane on a 24-hour recall
basis from San Diego of the Pacific
Coast League, was informed of his
recall while on the bus. He left the
bus at Ellensburg, within so miles of
the crash scene and headed back
to Spokane to get his gear together
for the trip to San Diego.
u.. H.a y