Evening star., 1950-09-12
Army Still Struggles
To Identity 10 Of 33
Killed in Train Wreck
BY the Assoeioisd Press

COS7OCTON, Ohio, Sept. H.
The Army today counted its dead
In the troop train wreck at nearby
West Lafayette at 33, but still
struggled to complete identified
tion of 10 victims-24 hours af-
ter the crash.
Upward of so persons, mostly
soldiers, were injured.
Three separate agencies began
Investigations. Also, a United
States. Senator demanded ma
tion-wide inquiry into railroad
safety practices.
Investigations were started by
the Pennsylvania Railroad, whose
Streamlined spirit of st. Louis
crashed into the troop train at
nearby West Lafayette; the Ohio
Military District and the National
Guard. ..-
The Investigators want to know
why the streamliner passed flares
and crashed into the stalled troop
train. s..-
Two National Guard officers
from Washington-Col. c. F. Saw
yer and 1t. Col. H. j. Bersace-
arrived last night to conduct the
Guards investigation. The dead
soldiers were Guardsmen.
The counter intelligence divi-
sion of the Ohio Military District
began its investigation earlier, as
did the railroad.
The train, carrying 500 Guards
men to Camp Atterbury, Ind.
stalled with broken airhose on
foggy stretch of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad near this Eastern
Ohio town early yesterday.
Five minutes later the Spirit OF
st. Louis crashed into the rear OF
the disabled train.
Today, II of the seriously in
jured had been flown to Wright
Patterson Air Force base hospital
near Dayton. Ten others were at
Coshocton Memorial Hospital.
Senator Myers Demands Probe.
The dead were to be removed
in one group probably tomorrow
to the armory at Wilkes Barre,
Pa, accompanied by an honor
guard for each victim. Most
lived in that vicinity or near
Carbondale, Pa.
The uninjured guardsmen were
taken on to Camp Atterbury last
night to begin training for active
service with the Army. They are
members of Pennsylvania's 28th
Infantry Guard Division.
Senator Francis Myers, Demo-
crat, of Pennsylvania, yesterday
proposed a Nation wide investiga-
tion Of railroad safety practices
as an outgrowth of the wreck.
And two Pennsylvania Represen-
tatives in Congress few to the
scene for a personal inspection
and visit to the injured. They
are Dan Flood and Harry P.
O'Neill.
Also on hand was 1t. Gov. Daniel
Strickler of Pennsylvania, who as
major general heads the 28th Di-
vision Brig. Gen. Francis G..
Brink, commander of the Ohio
Military District, with headquar-
terS in Columbus, assumed COM
mand of the rescue operations.
Identification Slow.
Identification of the mangled
bodies was a slow process. Dental
and fingerprint records were used
in many cases.
In Wilkes-Barre, Mayor Luther.
w. Kniffen proclaimed a week of
mourning for casualties of the
wartime tragedy who died without
firing a shot.
The National Guard in Pennsyl-
vania said. meanwhile, that only
one of the dead had National
Service Life Insurance, the Gov
ernment policy for members of the
armed forces. Most had planned
to apply for the policies when they
reached Camp Atterbury.
While the separate investiga-
tions Of the disaster continued,
the Pennsylvania Railroad de-
cl1ned comment on the cause.
Several officials, who declined to
be quoted, theorized that the en-
gineer Of the Spirit of st. Louis
could not see the troop trains
signal flares in the early morning
fog.
w. e. Eller. engineer of the
"Spirit Of st. Louis" who was re-
ported injured in the crash,
could not pe located by newsmen.
D. c. Hasbrouck, Coshocton,
Junior engineer on the troop train,
said the streamliner was travelling
at normal rate of speed" when