Perla, AR Train Collision, Jan 1942

FOUR SOLDIERS, ENGINEER DIE IN COLLISION.

SWITCH ENGINE, TRAIN CRASH HEAD-ON SOUTH OF LITTLE ROCK, ARK.

Little Rock, Ark., Jan. 16 -- (AP) -- Four soldiers and a trainman were killed and 27 others injured when a switch engine and a train collided head-on on the Missouri Pacific main line at Perla, Ark., 40 miles south of here late today.
Maj. Dwight Lawson, executive officer at the army and navy general hospital at Hot Springs, said four of the dead and six of the injured had been brought there.
The dead were listed as:
Names Of Dead.
OTIS THACKER, Patsy, Ky.
JAMES L. STEWART, Newport, Ky.
ALFRED PACKETT, Landville, W.Va.
JAMES S. STEVENSON, Louisville, Ky.
Engineer C. S. EDGERBY, Little Rock.
Major Lawson said six injured soldiers had been brought to the Hot Springs hospital, five were under treatment at a Malvern hospital, and 13 others were being taken to the station hospital at Camp Joseph T. Robinson.
Five other trainmen were injured. All were listed as residents of Little Rock and were being brought to the Missouri Pacific hospital here for treatment.
Major Lawson said next of kin would be notified.
List Injured.
The injured soldiers in the hospital at Malvern were:
CLARENCE ROARK, route one, Summerville, Ohio, lig injury.
HARRY W. RAY, Lancaster, Ky., bady bruises.
GLEN ROARK, Graham, Ky., bruises.
CYRIL ROLF, Newport, Ky., flesh wound in leg.
HOMER SEVASTIAN, route one, Lancaster, Ky., body bruises.
COL. R. H. GOLDTHWAITE, commandant of the army and navy hospital, took charge of removal of dead and injured from the scene. State police, country officers and military police patrolled the area.
None of the crew of the switch engine were injured.
Members of the crew of the other train who were hurt were conductor SID SLACK, brakeman JOHNSON, brakeman "PEEWEE" WILKERSON, brakeman PAT McLINDEN and engineer O. C. HATFIELD.

Daily Capital News Jefferson City Missouri 1942-01-17
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!