Evening star., 1952-08-05
Exact Number Of Dead
In Texas Bus Crash
Remains Mystery
BY shs As.oeietsd Pres.

BY thR Assoeioted Press Fl
WACO, Tex, Aug. 5.-Just how
many persons died in the flaming
wreckage that resulted when two
Greyhound buses crashed south
of here early yesterday remained
q mystery today.
At least % bodies had been re-
covered from the charred sham
bles Of the big 37-paSsenger high
way liners. Twenty-Five persons
were injured and today all were
declared no longer in critical con-
dition.
Heat from the flames was so
intense that molten metal and
glass poured in little streams
across the cracked highway. Off
GERS believed some bodies were
completely cremated.
Cause Undetermined.
Meanwhile, officials of the
Greyhound Lines, local police and
the Texas Department Of Public
Safety tried to find out what hap
pened. and why.
Civilians working for the mill
tary barred newsmen and others
from the morgue where the bodies
are held.
Shortly thereafter. Sam Wood,
executive editor of the Waco
Times-Herald, angered at what he
called Censorship" telephoned
Washington authorities and got
the ban lifted.
The two speeding buses rammed
together and burst into flames
about 4 am. Two young drivers
Milburn Berry Herring. "a, and
B. E. (Billy) Malone, 23-were
plotting their buses through the
predawn blacknesS of Central
Texas. Mr.. Herring was complet-
ing his fifth day as driver; Mr..
Malone had been driving about
four months. Both were among
the dead.
There was wild panic. horrible
misery and death aboard the
buses. Outside there was death in
the blazing gasoline that spilled
over u. s. Highway 81.
Where Mr.. Malone, driver Of the
southbound bus, sat searchersI
found only three pieces of metal
a ticket punch, cap emblem and
q drivers badge.
Bodies Thrown Out.
Bodies were thrown burning
from the buses by the force Of the
impact. Men, women and children
tried vainly to get out small win
dows. The safety exit on one of
the buses was jammed by the
body of the other vehicle which
had swung around alongside it.
Passengers miraculously thrown
clear of the shambles pulled
screaming injured from the
flames. But the fire enveloped1
the wreckage quickly. Bodies
burned on the pavement and
alongside the highway right-of-
way.
Identification Of the dead. which
resumed this morning was be-
ing made oy personal belongings
more thsn any other way. Little
Uff Tic Tie charred bodies remained
for relatives to identify.
Identification attempts were
called OF late last night after
experts had been able to identify
only six of the dead. Relatives
gathered in Waco from far and
near.
A seventh victim was identified
this morning.
Dental Work Checked.
Bracelets, necklaces. Army and
Air Force identification plates and
remains Of purses and charred
billfolds were checked by identifi-
cation men. Department of Safety
experts and Air Force identifica-
ton men from Wright Field, Day
ton, Ohio. worked over the re-
mains.
Checking of dental work on the
victims provided the best means of
identifying the dead, the experts
said, but it takes time.
A scorched red purse identified
four of the victims. They were
Mrs. Charles Tucker of George
town, Tex. and her three young
children.
A pickup trucks driver took the
first injured to Waco. Corpl. Cor
don Tasker, Mountain Lakes, N. j.,
told Of helping load them into the
small truck.
II stopped beside a man lying
on the pavement. his leg mangled|
and twisted across his body"
LOST.
HEAGLE PUP tan, mos. old; lost Vic