The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-19
Eight Persons Dead and
Twenty Missing.
MAKING UP LOST TINE
/. Engineer Saw Condition Of the
Trestle Too Late.
Structure weakened by the Weight Of
Driftwood in the Swollen Stream
-Persons Swept From Float
ing Coaches.

guthrie, Ok., sept. lS.-Elght peO-
pie are dead. twenty are more or less
injured and as many more are miss
ing as the result of the wrecking
OF Rock Island passenger train
three miles from Dover, Oklahoma, at
$3.50 o'clock this morning. The en-
CINE, tender. baggage and mall cars.
train No. IL, northbound, left the high
bridge that spans the Cimarron river
and plunged into the current f1anked
by treacherous quicksands. The loco
motive disappeared from sight imme-
diately. The mail and baggage clerks
escaped from their cars and swan
to the shore.
The accident was due to the defec-
tive condition of the bridge which ives
swerved out OF line by the pressure
of driftwood carried down by the
swollen stream.
The train was an hour late and was
running at high speed to make up
time. The engine driver did not see
1.-THE condition of the bridge until he
was within a few yards of It. and 1t
was too late to stop. He shouted to
his fireman. threw on the air brakes
and jumped. He landed on the very
verge OF the river bank and escaped
unhurt. The fireman was less fortu-
nate and sustained severe injuries.
When the engine struck the bridge
lapsed. precipitating the engine, smo-
ker and day coach into the water. The
two heavy Pullman cars were not
pulled In but remained on the track.
Smoking Car Floats.
The current whirled the day coach
down stream and lodged 1t against
sand bank. The occupants were help
ed out through the doors ard windows
The smoking car fioated down stream
submerged all but the very top. 1t
struck on a sand bar In the middle or
the river and four men were seen to
chamber through the windows and pull
themselves on top OF the car. Gaining
Loudly for help but those on shore We're
unable to reach them, on account OF
the high water. While they We're
Begging assistance large mass OF
ariftwood swept down and carried
thenn from their fragile footing.
Tnree other men jumped through the
rear door of the smoker before ~ sank
and struck out for, shore. They were
carried down by the current Tor per-
haps a quarter of a mile, when they
were pulled out They were almost
exhausted from stranguiation and ex-
posture.
The most authentic accounts place
the number of passengers In the smok-
err at between twenty-five ana thirty
with but few exceptions they have not
been accounted for. The only hopeful
news Is received from rural districts
nearby Men on driftwood have been
seen going down stream at various
points but efforts at rescue have In
most instances proved futile one man
whose name is not known, was fished
out at Cashion. twenty miles from the
scene of the disaster. He was almost
dead. Others have been reported float
ing down the river.
succoring the Injured.
Those who were injured and taken
from the river at the bridge were hur-
RED to Kingfisher. The people OF
Kingfsher have thrown open their
homes for the succor of the injured.
IT will be impossible to ascertain the
exact number of dead for several days.
Many OF those reported missing may
show up safe at some point down the
river.
Tonight the derailed cars are lying
near the bank of the river A party or
searchers is working with torches and
lanterns to lend aid to any who may
be within the coaches or recover the
bodies. 1t Is expected that few bod
les will be found inside the smoker.
Sheriff j. P. Love of Kingfisher. who
was in the smoker of the wrecked
train, experienced a marvellous escape.
He said:
L
forced my body through the door. The
water then was over my head. When
I came to the surface l was swept
down stream by the heavy current.
Just as ! had given up all hope and
was in the last stages of exhaustion. I
touched bottom and drew myself upon
the bank. There were. at least thirty
Others in the smoker. I saw two be-
side myself escape"
Governor Frantz this afternoon or
dered out the engineer corps of the
Oklahoma National Guard, in encamp-
ment here, to Big Bridge over the CHM
aron River, three miles north of Guth-
RE.
REPORTS reached here that several !
bodies have been seen floating down |
the river.
story of a Survivor.
Clyde Giest of Dover, Ok, escaped
from the cars that went into the river.
He says:
I'VE were running very slowly and |
carefully when we could feel the track
giving away and hear the engineer |
whistle for emergency brakes. start
ed for the door with theS porter and .
lust as we got outside the door of the |
car / felt the track give entirely away |
and we fell into the river. The por-
fer and 1 managed to stay on topp of |
the smoking car and foated down the
stream several hundred yards when the |
waves and driftwood dislodged us and
we were cast out into the main current.
In the meantime / had taken of my
clothes and that aided me much in get
ting ashore. The porter went down
few minutes after being dislodged I
Immediately started for the railroad
station where i notified the agent"
w L. More. the Rock Island sta
ton agent at Dover, was the first per-
son to reach the wreck. He says
"The only thing / could see of tho
cars In the water was one coach with
just the top a foot or two above the
surface I could see four persons on
top of the car. was helpless to as
sist. Suddenly a large piece of drift
wood brushed them Off the coach and
the next instant they had gone dowa ="
NO BODIES RECOVERED.
only One Person Known Absolutely to
BE Dead.
Kingfsher. Ok. Sept. 1s.--While it is
believed that several lives were lost
today when several cars OF the Rock