Near Miami, FL Bus Crashes Into Canal, Jan 1937

START PROBE OF BUS DISASTER, 17 LOSE LIVES.

SEEK CAUSE OF ACCIDENT WHICH THREW BUS INTO FLORIDA DRAINAGE CANAL.

Miami, Fla., Jan. 26. -- U.P. -- A three-way investigation was pressed today into the bus disaster that took the lives of 17 persons when they were trapped inside a wildly careening Tamiami Trail Tours coach that hurtled into a drainage canal 30 miles from here.
The state and county agencies quickly set up machinery to determine the cause of yesterday's tragedy, the worst in the history of Florida transportation.
To Hold Inquest.
Peace Justice O. B. SUTTON holding the findings of a jury impanelled at the isolated scene of the accident, set an inquest for Thursday. Chariman JERRY W. CARTER of the state railroad commission appointed EVERETT CLEMMONS of Miami to make an immediate investigation. An inquiry was ordered by Sheriff D. C. COLEMAN of Dade county.
As the three agencies delved into circumstances of the crash to place responsibility for the tragedy, the bodies of three elderly women still were unidentified. Fourteen of the victims have been identified.
Identified victims were:
MRS. EMILY BEST, 48, Wyncote, Pa.
W. P. HEINRICHS, 65, Chicago.
MRS. W. P. HEINRICHS, 63, Chicago.
MRS. CLARA YOUNG, 63, St. Petersburg, Fla.
MRS. J. F. HEIDT, 67, High Springs, Fla.
MRS. HELEN B. WATTERS, 29, Port Chester, N. Y.
THOMAS J. WATTERS, 3, Port Chester, N. Y.
ROBERT M. HALPEN or HALPENNY, 38, Penn-Wynne, Pa.
EDGAR H. WHITNEY, 75, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Winthrop Beach, Mass.
LOUIS F. SARGEANT, 41, Miami.
MRS. ELIZABETH ROGERS, 54, Walla Walla, Wash.
SARAH HOUSE, 53, Detroit.
C. O. TOWLES, 60, St. Louis, Mo.
MRS. SARAH L. LISK, 56, Matawan, N. J.
EDWARD L. LISK of Matawan, N. J., husband of one of the victims, who received a fractured neck, was the only one of 15 survivors reported in serious condition.
Headed For Tampa.
The tragedy happened an hour after the big bus left its Miami terminal for Tampa. According to the latest check made by Tamiami Trail Tours officials, there were 32 persons aboard, including BILL HAMMOND, 23, the driver, and BOB SINGLETON, negro porter.
The bus careened out of control, swerving from one side of the road to the other, overturned and plunged right side up into the murky waters of the canal.
In only a few minutes the bus was completely filled with water.
Authorities said the left front tire showed an 18-inch long blowout, mute evidence of the possible cause of the tragedy.

Stevens Point Daily Journal Wisconsin 1937-01-26

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!