West Union, IL Youths Die in Bus Fire, Dec 1941

10 Perish on Flaming Bus

Machine Carrying NYA Youths Catches Fire After Overturning on Illinois Highway

Robinson, Ill., Dec. 18.-(AP)-Ten youths perished last night in the burning wreckage of a national youth administration bus that overturned near West Union.

At first only seven were believed trapped in the charred bus, but, today the bodies of 10 were found. All were burned beyond casual identification.

The bodies were moved to a vacant store building at Marshall, Ill., and behind curtained windows grief-stricken relatives today viewed them in an attempt to establish their identities.

Victims Listed

Clark County Coroner Howard E. Swinford said the dead were Richard McClure, Bernard Shonk, Earl Melton, Leland Johnson, Tom Ollinger, James Hoback and Henry Walters all of Marshall, and Winfred Andrews and Victor Turner, of Casey.

The bus was driven by Ferris Williams, of Casey, 35, who is in a critical condition from burns at a Robinson hospital.

The youths were returning to Marshall from Oblong where they had engaged in NYA project work.

Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA 18 Dec 1941
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!