MONDAY. CECDI2IB. 5, 1938.
PLATTSMOTTTH SEMI - WEEKLY J0T7RNAL
PAGE THREE
Girl Tells
Story of Bus
Train Tragedy
House to House Canvass Shows 39
Children in Bus 24 Killed, 3
Probably Fatally Injured.
By NEWTON A STEARNS
SALT LAKE CITY. Dec. 2 (UP)
A house to house canvass establish
ed today that 39 children and one
adult had been in a school bus
when a freight train roaring through
a blizzard at high speed, smashed in
to it. Of those 4 0. 24 were killed,
three were injured so severely that
they may die, and the remaining 13
suffered hurts of varying degrees.
Not until volunteers had gone
from door to door of the school dis
trict near here from which the chil
dren came, asking, "Did your chil
dren return from school?" was the
exact number of dead f.nd the exact
number of children who had been in
the bus established. Most of the
dead were killed outright and some
of the bodies had been so mangled,
torn, and dissected that it had been
impossible to establish how many
bodies the different parts represent
ed. Trains in thi3 sparsely settled
country where the runs are long and
the roadbeds smooth, ordinarily
travel at terrific speeds and the
freight train which roared out of
the swirling snow blanket yesterday
morning, apparently had been going
around' 60 miles an hour. The nose
cf the huge locomotive struck the
bus broadside, and, though the engi
neer had applied the brakes even be
fore the crash, the caboose of the
S2 car freight had reached the cross
ing before it stopped. The bus,
caught squarely across the cow
catcher, had been dragged along,
scattering children's bodies and
parts of their bodies, school books,
sandwiches, apples, and their toys
along the right-of-way.
Preliminary investigation or au
thorities indicated that no human
element entered into the cause of
the tragedy. The bus driver, Far
rold Rilc-ox, was dead and could not
tell his story, but his surviving pas
sengers said he had stopped at the
crossing as is required by state law,
tried to look up and down the right-of-way
through the swirling snow,
then continued on.
Everyone in the section is familiar
with train schedules, particularly
bus and automobile drivers, and,
probably, he had felt that there was
no chance of a train passing then
because the fast freight of the Den
ver and Rio Grande railroad had been
due to pass two hours before. It had
been delayed by the blizzard and was
running fast to make up its sched
ule. The bus loomed to those in the
swaying cab of the speeding loco
motive, when it was bearing down
on the crossing. The engineer had
whistled for the crossing. The bus
came up on the rails from
the fireman's side cf the cab, and
the fireman screamed: "Big hole
her!" The engineer closed the
throttle and slammed on the air
brakes, and a split second later the
engine was jarred by its impact with
the bus.
("Big hole her" in the language
of railroad men, means to apply the
emergency brakes.)
Engineer E. L. .Rehmer said he
still was pulling the whistle cord
when Fireman Alfred Elton shouted
this command to him. He had to
drop the cord to obey.
"The next thing I knew part of
the bus was in front of the engine,"
he said. "Elton yelled as soon as he
saw we were going to hit the bus
which had stopped, then started
again. We did everything we could
to prevent it, but after it was over,
there wasn't much any" of us could
do."
The 40 boys and girls in the bus
were between 12 and IS years old.
The bus driver had picked them up
at their homes scattered over the
rural district and was taking them
to the Jordan high school at Mid
vale, 13 miles south of here.
Marjorie Groves, one of the chil
dren, told this story:
"The bus stopped as usual and then
started up again. Two of the kids
were shouting, we were sky-larking
and having a good time. Then sud
denly somebody yelled, 'train.' There
was a blur in front of the window, I
guess it was the train. There was a
terrific crash and I don't remember
anything else until I was lying in
the snow beside the tracks. An
other girl helped me into the caboose
of the train. Then they brought us
to the hospital."
Three hundred yards away stood
June Wynn, 16, waiting for the bus.
"I was standing In front of my
house," she said. "It was about 9
o'clock and wondered why the bus
was late. It was snowing so I figured
it might have got stuck.
"Then I saw the bus coming on
the other side of the tracks. The
freight train was quite a distance
away. The bus stopped a short dis
tance from the crossing. Suddenly it
started again as the train came
nearer.
"I thought sure the driver in
tended just to come closer to the
tracks and then stop again. But he
didn't. The train whistle must have
sounded but I didn't hear it.
"I heard a crash and covered my
eyes. When I looked again, the en
gine was right across the road from
me with part of the bus still in
front of it.
"I called my father and we ran
through the snow to the tracks
where the train had stopped. Train,
men told us to hurry back home and
call doctors and ambulances. We did.
"I knew most of the kids on the
bus. Gee, it was awful."
David Witter, a transient riding
the freight, thought it "had plowed
into a herd of cattle."
"It was frightful," he said. "I
saw a girl that had been spilled
from the broken bus. She was
mangled but still alive. She was
screaming and screaming. She died
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BIDS FOR STAR
DOM Mary (Pun
kins) Parker, current
featured role player,
who is looked upon by
film executives as one
of the "finds' of the
vear.
A,
MEN FROM MARS? No, just two of the
World Champion Jai Ala! players checking In at
the Hotel President in New York City. Frederick
McBride. Manager, and members of the hotel's
guest relations staff, welcome Fredrico of .the United States team andRamon
of the Basqte team. Those aren't overgrown fingernails causing amusement,
but "cestas, the basketlike racquet used in this fastest game in the world.
Eleanor Dana, holding the cesta, also a guest at the President, is a former
Ziegfeld
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KING S r.
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A: J I
HISTORIC PLACE FOR
PARTY Washington The bed once
used by President Abraham Lincoln
and by Ramsey MacDonald, which will be used by one of the members of the
party of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (inset), when they visit the
White House next Summer.- '
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FIGURES I N
THE NEWS (1)
Lawrence VI. Law
son, who with Gus
t a v o P. Serrano,
Mexican represen
tative, will value the agricultural lands expropriated since 1927, under recent
agreement between the U. S. and Mexico. (2) Miss Erlene Hale, who was
chosen "Perfect Man of the University' of Kansas, at the annual Puff Pant
Prom. (3) General Ismet Inonu, elected by the National Assembly to succeed
the late Karnal Ataturk as President of Turkey. .
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PARIS FASHIONS ( 1 ) A tiny skull cap 4n jade
green felt and a large bow of black felt combined with
a nne net veil covering tne lace make tnis smart after
noon hat. (2) A charming evening gown in black velvet
trimmed with bands of black stitched net set over crim
son taffeta. The mittens and headdress match.
1
I' 4 XT & . , Tl . ' I - .1 t d - ( i i r7 a I I
i ich.i: i imi i wni mc uuys ai mew naven nouered wnen three
members of the Yale team of 1889 (shown above) were named in Collier's
on Walter Camp's first AH-America team. Gill, holding the ball; Stagg,-sec
ond from tight standing, and Heffelbnger, fourth from
right standing, were Yale's first All-Americans. The 1938
team, a perpetuation of Camp's original All-America
which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, will be
announced on December 9.
A3
MODERN
BEAUTY AND
OLD TROPHY
Pasadena, Cal
if. Pretty Ruth
Gifford displays
the Grand Sweep
stakes Trophy of
1915, won by the
Los Angeles
Chamber of Com
merce in the fa
mous New Year'a
Day Tournament
o f Roses. T r o
phies of previous years are now on
display.
NO PRIVACY
Palm Springs, Cal
if. M ar jorie Ce
ntring, left, ltd
Dutch Smith. nivm.
pic diving champions, steal a submarine kiss, bat the snoopy old
trom a specially constructed underwater glass
'camera spies them
iport in the pool.
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ODD FELLOWSHIP Springfield, Mass. Intended as a
meal for the timber rattlesnake, this white rat became a
bosom pal instead. Now, the rattler sulks when the rat is
missing.
THE ANATOMY OF A TOASTER-Lever (A) is pressed
down, winding SDring (H). setting in rnr
urn. (C). Control D governs speed of "C producing degree
of toasting re-quired. Hi-metal thermostat (F) contracts ac
cording to temperature in toasting chamber, engaging timer
escapement pin (not visible) thus giving additional automatic
control Of timing and Producing Consistently uniform tnactlnd
Toast popping up and current shutting off complete a seem
ingly simple out ectuany intricate process, and the old 8:15
train is caught on time.
ACTION AND RE
ACTION New York
Gry (Inset) Tewja
Soshnick- (center), vic
tim of anti-Semitic ac
tion in Poland, with his
son Yachem (right), is
welcomed by his broth
er Isidore Soshnick,
wealthy New York res
taurateur, upon his ar
rival in the land of the
free. (Above) Demon
stration in front of the
German Consulate b y
the Progressive Wom
en's Council, in reaction to recent Jewish persecution by Nazis
in Germany. 77
before I could get to her."
The train crew declined to make
a statement until railway officials
made an investigation. W. E. Speak
man. chief clerk, said that Engineer
E. L. Rehmer was approaching the
crossing at 52 miles an hour.
said the crossing view was unob
structed and said hewas confident
that the train crew-was not respon
sible.
GOOD FOOTBALL PROSPECTS
The under classmsn show prom
ises of having a good team in 19-39.
Graduation depleted the ranks, al
though each position seems to have
plenty of reserve material. The back-
field will be the hardest to fill with
good hard running backs, who are
capable of triple threat ability. The
end reserves are York, Minor, Davis,
Petet, Knorr and Phillips. Each man
seems very capable on defense al
though weak on offense. The tackle
position have less material than the
ends. Much experience is needed for
these new men at this position, al
though Stava and Powell are the only
letter men to return, Rhodes and
Naeve will help to fill these posi
tions. At guard, Devoe, Gradoville,
Jones, and Dall will return to help
fill these position. Much speed will
be necessary to develop the guards
to lead the backfield interference. An
abundance of material at center will
return with Allbee, Bashus, Smith,
Cloidt and Lushinsky. all capable of
backing up the line on defense.
In the backfield, Steinkamp, White,
Shiffer, Cottingham, Noble, Favors,
Martin- and Rlchter form the ma
terial which will carry the pigskin
goalward in 1939. Capable passers
and punters will have to be found
and drilled to match the kicking and
passing of this year's team.
BRITISH TO VISIT ROME
LONDON, Dec. 3 (UP) Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain and
Viscount Halifax, foreign secretary
will arrive on December 11 it was
anounced officially tonight.
The announcement served to em
phasize Chamberlain's anxiety for
European 'apeasement, sharpened by
the current tenseness between France
and Italy over the latter's implied
colonial demands.
The visit had been scheduled for
after the first of the year and' ap J
parently was moved up to get qukslH
action on an understanding between
France and Italy.
EARCELONA AGAIN BOMBED
BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 1 (UP)
Five insurgent planes dropped 80
bombs on Barcelona today. Many
fell into the sea but two landed in a
populous district. Casualties were
few.
THEY DO WANT THE NEWS!
Nebr. City News-Press
Elmer Webb of the Plattamouth
Journal, speaking to a group of
Boy Scout executives the other
night, said something which bears
repeating. Discussing the desira
bility of a good press for any civic
organization, the Plattsmouth
newsman pointed out that news
papers are ever eager to print the
news, but they want NEWS not
propaganda designed to sharpen
somebody's commercial axe.
This is absolutely correct. News
papers, provided they are worthy
cf the designation, are indeed
eager for the news and the only
way they can get it is for you
and you and you to tell them
about it. They are no more en
dowed with the grace and mystery
Df second sight than you are;
they can no more guess what is
going to happen or HAS happened
than your grandma. They get
what they prinf because somebody
tells them what it is.
Newspapers do not want propa
ganda, although, goodness knows
they unwittingly print enough of
it. They want facts, uncolored
and uninflated. If there is com-'
ment to give, they will make it.
And they will not print that form
of "news" which is only a boost
for somebody's profit-making ven
ture; simply because if it is wor
thy of publicity, it is worthy of
paid advertising, which is the
only commodity the newspaper
ias to sell aside from the subscrip
tion price of the journal.
Kidnapers Re
lease Maryland
Convent Student
Mary Brown, Oxon Hill, Md., Girl
Arrives Home Unharmed After
Startling Experience.
OXON HILL, Md.. Dec. 2 (UP)
William B. Brown told reporters to
day that his daughter, Mary, 18-year-old
convent student, was kid
naped for ransom but won her re
lease when she convinced the ab
ductors that her father had no
money. Brown, talking with re
porters on the muddy Oxon Hill road
that runs outside his farm near
Washington declared that the girl
had not been harmed in any way.
Physicians examination showed that
except for a few minor bruises and
scratches the girl was not injured.
The examination disclosed that the
girl had not been attacked.
Her only injuries were caused by
brambles and briers suffered during
a half mile walk across country from
the spot where she said her abduc
otrs released her last night at 10
p. m. after holding her for about
30 hours.
While the girl's father talked with
newspaper men Maryland state po
lice started a careful investigation
of the story in an effort to uncover
some clue to the identity of the three
men said by the girl' to have kid
naped her.
Hundreds of policemen and posse
men had continued a constant watch
of the roads leading in this suburb
of the national capital, but the girl.
Mary Brown, daughter of a govern
ment employe, said that the three
men who kidnaped her had driven
through this cordon to release her
a mile and a half from the Brown's
farm home.
Police of Maryland and neighbor
ing states searched for the small,
black-paneled delivery truck in
which the girl said she was kidnaped
and in which she said she was re
turned. Mary, whose kidnaping was re
ported by her sister, Lucy, 15, late
Wednesday afternoon, walked
through a back field to her father'
rambling, old fashioned farmhouse
shortly before 11 p. m. last night.
; fih said the three men had drag
ged her into their truck a quarter
mile from the house the previous
afternoon, had pushed her out of the
truck on'a road back of the Brown
farm and sped away.
She was hysterical and her story
was incoherent. All she could tell of
the men was that they had a "for
eign accent" and that one had a
moustache. She said that she had
not been raped.
TAKES RIDE ON DEER
EMPORIUM, Pa., Dec. 3 (UP)
Some strange stories have come out
of Pennsylvania's woods this year of
deer hunting-. Some are true, thers
are fabricated.
The story of Rodney Lewis' wild
ride astride an injured deer, however,
has many vouchers and must be taken
as the truth.
Lewis shot the doe while hunting
with a group of men from several
camps. Two of the witnesses were
j Archie Andrews and his son Bud.
After shooting the animal Lewis
rushed at it to .finish it w ith his knife.
The animal, one leg dangling, lunged
at Lewis and he found himself atop
the animal. -
He was taken on a wild ride of
(some 200 feet -before the doe suc
cumbed to kn.fe wounds inflicted by
Lewis. He escaped with several
brush wounds on the face and neck.
FASCISTS ACTIVE IN FINLAND
HELSINGFORS. Finland. Dec. 1
I (UP) The Fascist party resumed ac
j tivltles today as the result of a court
' decision disapproving a ministry of
! interior order dissolving the party
and suspending Its 18 newspapers.
LAND, FARM land !
RANCH BARGAINS
WE dean Seed for nominal charge,
j and are buyers of seeds of all kinds.
J Edward Bartling Seed Co., Ne
j braska City. Nebr. n21, 28. d5 aw
FARMER NEEDS LIVESTOCK .
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I -WXi-D.rital Plta for ma and w
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a. m v, rroBB I biii 1 lima tmka m yutv Ihhm.
DAIS -..ThoOMBriB of plaaaed pstrom.MOMKV
TBI1I BACK UARAHTII YOU'LL BB
1 '8AT1SFIU). MsotUy mjmm poacibta.
rm ml ith-fanr. mmty diraetioaa and rtming.
WU.1TB Via TODAT1 C. T. Jhnn. Prw. of
UNITED STATES DENTAL COMPANY (
Bwk UAF a mm mm a . acam .
The farmer who has bows and
milk cows is the farmer who is mak
ing money. Ask our satisfied cus
tomers in all of S.E. Nebraska and
S.W. Iowa. Our easy, terms help
you buy. We have on hand 20 fine
piggy trows (farrowing soon) and 50
head finest milk cows: Reds, Roans.
Holsteins and Jerseys (soma fresh,
others freshening soon). NOVAK
AUTO COMPANY, Nebraska City.