Guthrie, OK Train Wreck, May 1936

CRYSTALLIZED RAIL BLAMED IN WRECK FATAL TO 2 CLERKS

Ties, Roadbed in Good Condition, Says Official After Visit to Scene

GUTHRIE, Okla., May 31 (AP) - A crystallized rail was blamed by railroad officials Sunday for derailment of part of a Santa Fe train at a bridge over the Cimarron River near here Saturday which killed two railway clerks. None of the passengers was injured seriously.

Bodies of the clerks, Raymond McNultry, 39, of Guthrie, and Leonard F. Guiff of Independence, Mo., were recovered from a baggage car which plunged from the thirty-five-foot-high bridge into thirteen feet of water and was half submerged.

Train Stopped Quickly.

The engine and tender and one baggage car were derailed on the 200-foot-long trestle but did not overturn. A club car, just behind the second baggage car which toppled into the river, was pulled part way over the embankment but did not overturn. Six other passenger cars on the train did not leave the tracks.

One official at the scene of the wreck said his investigation indicated a crystallized rail at a sharp curve just north of the bridge was responsible for the derailment. Ties and roadbed apparently were in good condition, he said.

One hundred and twenty-five passengers were on the train, which was brought to a quick stop by the engineer as he felt the first jar. Passengers in a car which was balanced precariously over the river bank made their way to safety without difficulty. Several passengers in the front part of the train suffered bruises and cuts.

Burial in Texas for Clerk.

H. T. Anderson, Santa Fe agent here, said fifteen injury claims had been filed, none for serious injuries.

The accident occurred as the Texas Ranger traveled south on the main line.

Guiff's body will be sent to Teague, Texas, Monday for burial. Guiff's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Guiff live in Teague. Funeral services will be held here Tuesday for McNulty.

Late Sunday much of the baggage remained in the submerged car.

The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 1 Jun 1936
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Transcribed by Tim Taugher. Thanks, Tim!