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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 1937)
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1927. PIATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY JOURNAL PAGE THREE Urn enter of From Friday's Dany Attend Wedding Mr. and Mrs. Win. Henrichson and daughter, Wilhelmina, are leaving today for Norfolk where they will attend the wedding of their nephew, Walter Aloller of Wayne to Mi.sfe L sta. Utile Hail of Norfolk. TLoy will re turn Saturday. 4? Pile-Bp of n yynard "Se mm wmm .... . j airs mmy y . "- c-. W.. llflin't";'' " ' ' ' ' "' 4 y : i .' 3T Or 1 5 'Li V J4' fir I hi Fhoto thru Courtesy Omaha Bee-News Most Spectacular Wreck in Years, without Loss of Life, Occurs at Mynard Crossing South Bound Missouri Pacific Freight Derailed at 1:40 Friday Morning Due to Broken 'Tire on the Engine Tender GUS PHILLIPS ENGINEER ON THE TRAIN Twenty-one cars, piled uj) three deep just north of the Mis souri Pacific railway crossing at Mynard at i 140 Friday morning when a left front-tire on the "booster" drivers of the engine tender of a south bound freight train broke, about 200 feet north of the north siding entrance to Mynard. letting the front tender trucks droj) down and drag the ties just after the engine and tender had cleared the switch "frog." Gus Phillips, of Falls City, engineer plenipotentiary of King Boris of Bulgaria, said the engine began rocking "something ter rible" as soon as the tender trucks dropped onto the ties, and al though he acted immediately to stop the train he was unable to bring the engine and tender to a halt until they had passed the highway crossing and ran on down the track several hundred feet past the depot. At that time he was unaware more than a score of freight cars were piled up behind him. A gondola car loaded with cinders became uncoupled from the engine and tender, which it followed in the 59-car train, and turned bottom side up just a few , feet north of the crossing. The heavily loaded grain cars at the rear end of the train provided the momentum to drive twenty-one of the cars gondolas and grain, both loaded and empty and empty tank cars into one grand pile of scrambled steel and wood, thirty-five feet in height and extending out beyond the right-of-way into an adjoining pasture to the east. Thus, in a few brief seconds of time, one of the most costly wrecks the Mop has experienced in years was effected. Slept Through Commotion J. II. Wooders, who resides on the north Bide of the highway within a few feet of the scene, slept through the grinding noise of the wreck, as did the family of Charles Barnard, who lives just across the road south. Mrs. Wooders heard the noise, how ever, as did numerous people re siding in Mynard. The engine crew, Mr. Phillips and Fireman W. P. Cooper, of Falls City, and Head Brakeman Andy Johnson, of Omaha, hastened to the Barnard home after getting the engine Btopped, but were unable to arouse anyone there and went across the road to the Wooders home, later returning with Mr. Wooders to awaken Charley from his harvest time Bleep. A little later Herman Meisinger appeared on the scene and opened the elevator office, from whence phone communication was established with Missouri Pa cific officials in Omaha, notifying them of the wreck. All wheels of the big freight en gine remained on the track, but the front "booster" tender trucks were dragged over the ties for several hundred feet, the rear tender trucks also leaving the rails before the engine and tender came to a stop. Wanted to Jumn Engineer Phillips said Fireman Cooper was bent on jumping when the engine cab started swaying, but he restrained him, probably saving his life. Cooper admitted he was "plenty scared." Engineer Phillips estimated the speed of the train at around 40 miles an hour when the tire broke, "as slow or slower than he usually takes that long straight stretch of track." Other members of the crew were Leonard Mann, of Omaha, conductor, and I. Chaffe of Falls City, rear brakeman. Andy Johnson, the front brake man, probably had the most thrill ing ride of all the crew. He was at his station in the rear of the tender, where the rest of the train broke loose, and remained there as the tender was jostled over the ties with even more swaying motion than in the engine cab ahead. Hobo Escapes Death An unidentified colored hobo was riding in an empty freight car just a short distance back of the twenty one that piled up. He was just about white from fright when he crawled out of the much jostled car that helped act as a battering ram for those being telescoped, but later climbed back into the car and re trieved his banjo, badly broken from the impact of the crash. He stood around a little while and started down the road east, headed for Kan sas City, he told motorists who pass ed him headed for the wreck, as he wiped beads of sweat from his brow and said in rather shaky voice the sensation had been "something aw ful." He was later reported as hav ing come into Plattsmouth, but no trace could be found of him to ascer tain his identity. Was in Another Wreck Engineer Phillips came thru an other Mop wreck unscathed about five years ago when he pulled his train onto track covered with over flow water from the Nemaha river near Auburn only to find the track washed away. He abandoned the engine and swam to safety. Dramatic Moment Averted A hot box on one of the wrecked grain cars caused the waste in the journal box to catch fire, threaten ing destruction of the entire train. A phone call to Plattsmouth had brought Ray Misner, telephone man ager and R. H. Gray, telephone wire chief, to the scene. Misner had a fire extinguisher in his car and climbed down among the tangled Wreck Highlights on Page 5 and twisted wreckage of car trucks and telescoped cars to extinguish the fire which had attained headway in the floor of a wooden grain car, re ducing the blaze to a smoulder. He had . no more than climbed back on to the bank where Charles Barnard, J. H. Wooders, Herman Meisinger and Mr. Gray stood, when flaming gas shot from a wrecked empty tank car, directly across the place he has been a moment before. All five men started back toward the road at no snail's pace. "I visioned a car wheel being wrapped around my neck," said Misner afterward. No further explosion came from the tank, how ever. Trains Detonred Missouri Pacific officials ordered trains detoured via the west line through Weeping Water and Louis ville and sent out two wrecking crews, one from the south and one from the north, to pick up the wreckage, while track workers has tened to rebuild the main line track that was twisted out of shape. Most of the wreckage being scat tered where the main line ran, first efforts were to open the siding over which trains can pass until the torn up main line can be relaid. Head car inspector for the road was on the scene by five o'clock in the morning and examined the broken tender tire. At one point it showed evidence of an old crack. He said they would take it into the labora tories for minute inspection and chemical tests. News photographers from both Omaha papers were also on the scene shortly after four o'clock taking flashlight pictures of the wreck. Through courtesy of the Omaha Bee News, the Journal is able to present a number of these pictures in this edition, showing how complete the pile-up was. Miss Maxine Hulse and tier father, O. S. Hulse, and Mrs. Alfred Ander son and children, Kathleen and John, all of Omaha were callers at the E. C. Giles home Wednesday evening. Max ine and Lois were roommates at the University of Nebraska during their freshman year. Mrs. Elmer Sundstrom entertain ed two tables of bridge at her home Wednesday afternoon. High score went to Mrs. Henry Starkjohn. Guests were Mrs. Luke Wiles and Mrs. John Hatt. From Saturday's Daily Washington Guests Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Warga from Washington and Mrs. Mike Duda and children and Henry Kaufman of this ciiy, were visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wavga last week. P.eturn for School Superintendent ana Mrs. L. S. Ec vce and family returned Friday" to make preparations for the opening of the school year. Mr. Devot attend ed summer school at the University of Nebraska during tha early part of the summer. Since that time the fam ily has been visiting- at Lebanon. Hasti.igs laid Lincoln. They report drought in the iseotion of Lebanon. Supt. Itevoe attended the Rotary assembly i:i Hastings during his visit there. Leave for West Mr. and Airs. W. E. Reynolds of Union left thi3 week for a month's vacation to be spent in the west. They will go to Denver, Salt Lake, spend some time in the mountains, visit the national park, then will drive on to southern California where they will visit the Hughes family. A trip will be taken along the coast as well as into Old Mexico. They also plan to visit the exposi tion in Dallas and be guests at the Tom Hargis home in Texas before returning to Nebraska. Project Club Meeting Presidents, music leaders and read ing leaders of the project clubs of Cass county met in Weeping Water Friday in preparation to the opening of clubs this fall. Miss Mary Ellen Brown of Lincoln had charge of the meeting of the presidents of the clubs. Music lead ers met with Mrs. Newton Gaines who gave instruction and suggestions for rural choruses. Reading leaders were under the supervision of repre sentative from the state library com mission, Miss Nellie M. Carey. A covered dish luncheon was held at noon in the Methodist church base ment. The meeting was a prelimin ary to the club rally which will be held in September. Those attending from Plattsmouth were Mrs. D. S. Sumner, Mrs. John Woest and Mrs. Carl Grosshans. KOCCOSCCGCO0COSO3CCOSOSO9GOCOSCCO!00SCCCGCOSCC0SOSOS9 8 , TWICf THI SMAITNISS J J j U U W KZJ it . H, .1 A , ' i mar deductions FOR Mid-Summer Selling Men's and Boys' OI?f HELMETS, now Men's and Boys' f"fff POLO SHIETS, nowDV WHITE0 SUITS $(&9S Men's Seamless H Cf SUMMER SOX, nowJ.ll' WESCOTTS Where Quality Counts Car It will pay you to get our rates before you renew your car insurance. 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Go to first and second prize winners for scoring best mileage on official one-tenth gallon test (in dealer's stock car furnished free for making test) and write best and second best essays on "Why the Willys Fills My Motoring Requirements." DEMONSTRATION PRIZES First, a Willys Sedan to person taking M a five mile demonstration ride in Willys with dealer and writing the Q best 50 word story. Also many smaller prizes in both above groups. b Ask for Full Details of This Big Contest I laiiei flute & Supply o. & 627 Avenue A PLATTSMOUTH Telephone 93 1 l00G00GG0eOGGGOGCGa0S:se099ee-