Article from THE DESLOGE SUN, Friday August 11, 1922
(Apparently reproduced by THE LEAD BELT
NEWS, for across the front page, it has
"Reminiscing....” and the name THE LEAD BELT
NEWS up in the right hand corner of front page)
THIRTY FOUR KILLED, 150 INJURED IN BIG WRECK ON MISSOURI PACIFIC
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 hadobtained 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, Bellgrade George D. Wilkinson 23, Bellgrade 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
| 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 Robt. Thomas, Des Arc |
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)-- 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. |
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