| Thirty four were killed and 150 or more injured in a rear end
collision last Saturday afternoon at Sulphur Springs, MO, when fast train No. 4 from Texas
to St. Louis crashed into the rear end of local train No. 32 from Hoxie, Ark., to St.
Louis. No. 32 was taking water at Sulphur Springs and was standing on the main line. They had no orders against the fast train except
they were to let it pass them at the same place they let No. 1, a fast southbound train
pass. No. 4 had no orders against No.
32 except that they were to take siding at Cliff Cave for No. 1 It is supposed that engineer Matthew Glenn
on No. 4 failed to see the block signals set against his train and did not see the halted
train until too late to stop to prevent the terrible crash.
The rear end of the local train was standing on the bridge over Glaize Creek when the
accident happened and the cars were telescoped and hurled into the deep creek bed where
many bodies were later taken from. Huge
wreckers set to work about 3 o’clock to clear the tracks after all the dead and
injured had been rescued. It is said that
striking shopmen from Poplar Bluff and DeSoto manned the wreckers and helped to rescue the
dead and injured.
How anyone riding in any of the rear coaches ever escaped death is a miracle. Residents of the community declared the crash
could be heard for three miles.
(2 sentences unreadable)
A coroner’s inquest was held in Hillsboro on Tuesday and placed the responsibility
of the wreck on engineer (unreadable) for failure to see the block manual danger sign.
THOSE KILLED:
Ralph Degonia, 6, of St. Louis
Melvin Degonia, 5, St. Louis
Robert Degonia, 3 months, St. Louis
(The three children are those of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Degonia who were on the train from
Desloge to St. Louis where the husband had obtained a job and where they were going to
make their home)
Matthew Glen, 55, St. Louis
(Engineer of No. 4)
Susan Boyer 17, St. Louis
A.E. Dynan, Bethlehem, Pa.
John Crafton, 19, Oran
James McKeevers, Winchester, Ill.
Mrs. Delia Campbell, 36, McCamon, Ind.
Mildred Campbell, 9, McCamon, Ind.
Samuel Campbell, 6, McCamon, Ind.
Irene Moon, Festus
Alice Cooper, Festus |
Mrs. Amanda Wilkinson, 60, Belgrade
George D. Wilkinson 23, Belgrade
Irene Hise, 23, Desloge
Mrs. Isabelle How, 54, St. Louis
Mrs. Florence Hitt, 60, Chaonia
Thelma Eaves, 10, St. Louis
(formerly of Desloge)
Mathilda Koby, 44 St. Louis
Mildred Koby 10, St. Louis
Dr. Charles A. McClelland, St. Louis
Rudolph Eickenberger, 45, Hopewell
Mrs. Nellie Mulhall, 45, Chaonia
Beulah Goff, 13, Cadet
Darius Masten, 56, Coatsville, Ind.
Bryant Horn, 43, East St. Louis
George Litton, Sr. 55, Potosi
George Litton, Jr. 25 Potosi
Ishma Cook, 17, Granite City
Rev. V.O. Penley, DeSoto
William Goff, Cadet
Essie Potter, Herculaneum |
THOSE
SERIOUSLY INJURED
The following from this section of Southeast
Missouri are listed among the seriously injured:
Mildred Degonia, Desloge
Thos. Degonia, Desloge
Mattie Degonia, Desloge
(The last two named are the parents of the Degonia children named in the list of
dead while the first named is another child.) |
Mrs. Edna Klimp, Fredericktown
Miss Ruth Isenberger, Hopewell
Miss Esther McDonald, Crystal City
Mrs. Mary Hahn, Fredericktown
C.J. Hamilton, Des Arc
Robert Thomas, Des Arc |
SLIGHTLY
INJURED
Those from this section of the country who are listed as slightly injured are:
Mrs. Mary Agnew, Flat River
Mrs. C.S. Bryan, Shelt, Mary, and Bobby Bryan, all of Desloge
R. C. Martin, Farmington
Mrs. John Pumo, Lillie James, and Robert Pumo of Crystal City |
Chas. Anderson, Bonne Terre
Marie Bendel, Hopewell
Mrs. W.E. London, Elvins
Mrs. John Moore, Farmington
Pete Politte, Old Mines
A.E. Drissel, Crystal City |
MOTHER AND SON KILLED IN WRECK
GEORGE DEWEY WILKERSON, aged 23 years, 3 months and 16 days,
and Mrs. AMANDA WILKERSON, aged 69 years, were killed in the wreck at Sulphur Springs on
Saturday evening. A double funeral service
was held at Belgrade on Tuesday morning at 9:30 o’clock and interment was made in
Belgrade cemetery. The Flat River Masonic
Lodge had charge of the funeral.
Mrs. Wilkerson was in poor health and was going to St. Louis, accompanied by
her son, to enter a hospital. She leaves
three sons and three daughters.
Dewey was employed in the Doe Run Lead Co. office at Rivermines.
HAPPINESS OF REUNION SHATTERED IN WRECK
Mrs. and Mrs. THOMAS DEGONIA lost three of their children in the Sulphur
Springs wreck, and a fourth child and both of the parents were seriously injured in the
collision.
The father had come to St. Louis from Desloge, Mo., four weeks ago in search of
work. He had been idle for two years, with
only a few odd jobs. He got work here almost
immediately, arranged for the rental of a home at 408 Marceau Street, just around the
corner from the home of his friend, DANIEL DEGUIRE, 8410
Reilly avenue, where he had been staying.
His family was to join him Saturday night.
Instead of waiting at St. Louis for them, he planned a little surprise. He went to Riverside and joined them.
The crash killed three of the children, RALPH, 6 years old; MELVIN 5; and
ROBERT, 3 months old. They fell into the
ravine in the crash. MILDRED, 7 years old, fell near them, as did their parents.
When placed on a cot, MILDRED, suffering from lacerations of the scalp, was
slowly repeating the Lord’s prayer.
The father and daughter are at the Missouri Pacific Hospital and the
mother is at the Jewish Hospital.
They lived in St. Louis two years ago at 426 Marceau Street.
--Post
Dispatch (Reprinted from St. Louis Post Dispatch)--
BRYAN FAMILY LUCKY IN ESCAPING INJURY
Mrs. C.S. BRYAN, SHELTON,
MARY, and BOBBY BRYAN were extremely lucky last Saturday evening in experiencing the wreck
at Sulphur Springs and escaping without injury except for a few minor scratches. The coach in which SHELT was riding, overturned
and tumbled down an embankment and there were several persons injured and killed in the
coach. The coach in which Mrs. BRYAN and the
other two children were riding, did not leave the rails, but was badly smashed up on one
end. Mrs. BRYAN and the two small children
were on their way to Bowling Green, Ky., to visit, and after resting over Sunday in St.
Louis, they resumed their journey.
Above article transcribed and contributed by Wanda
Cole.
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