The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-05-31
Heroes of the Rail Die utile Effort to Stay Grim Reaper
Rushing Over the Rails At Terrific
Speed Frisco Passenger Trains Crash
Head-On Into Embrace OF Death During
Early Morning Hours; Engineers Cling
To ThrottleS And Die AT Duty's Post


Tulsa. Okla. May 31.-At least five
were killed and more than score in
iured, several fatally, when two pas
senger trains on the Frisco railroad
met in q head-on collision at 12:4s
this morning two and one-half miles
east Of White Oak. a village west
Of Vinita. Okla.
Fireman Shelton, of the east bound
passenger, jumped and sustained q
broken leg. TIE fireman on the
ether train is believed to De fatally
injured
The crash came on a short curve
one and one-half miles east of White
Oak, a village near Vinita. Both
trains were running at about 40
miles an hour. the conductors said.
The wcst-bound train was several
hours late 1t is said, and was max.
ing up time.
No official statement fixing the
cause of the wreck has been issued
by the railroad. The operator at
Chelsea told reporters that, although
orders had been issued for the trains
to pass in Vinita, the west-bound
train had been sent out Of there by
mistake.
The east.bound train left Tulsa At
1925 o'clock. 1t was practically a
solid train Of steel cars. These cars
withstood the shock of the collision
and not one left the track.
The two engines welded together
with the impact. The mail car, the
baggage car ard the combination
smoking car of the west bound train
were splintered. 1t was In one OF
these that the news agent on the
train. an Oklahoma City man. WAS
instantly killed.
Hurried rescue parties were formed
under direction Of passengers. One
Of these crews succeeded In extricat.
ing man who was being carried on
stretcher in the baggage car OF
the west bound train. He was taken
from beneath several tons Of baggage
and Strawberries. His leg was crush.
ed and he is expected to die.
All the physicians in Chelsea and
Vinita. were rushed to the scene Of
the wreck within an hour.
A special train was made up and
the dead and injured sent to hospitals
in Vinita.
A number Of nurses from Sapulpa,
Okla. were on the train and render
ed first aid.
Following is corrected list of the
dead and injured
The Dead
James ]. Randall, Monett, Mo-, en-
gineer west bound train, found under
heap of coal five hours after wreck.
Abe Dunham. Fort Scott. Kansas.
engineer on east-bound train. Crushed
between cab and mail car.
A Teuchfarber. Kansas City, Mo-,
mail clerk east-bound train.
News agent west-bcund train, name
unknown, home Oklahoma City.
Negro named Fowler. Sapulpa, pas.
senger west-bound train.
Fatally Injured
a. w. bTV~ W. StNShNh ~,
Kansas City, Mo.
Algir F. Burns, Kansas City, Mo.
Unidentified negro porter.
Unidentified negro passenger.
Seriously Injured
Ernest Sparks, Kansas City, No.
mail clerk.
R. NJ Walsh, 11o6 f. McCloud St..
sapulpa, Okla. fireman west-bound
train.
Dave Rarolin, Monet, Mo-, express
messenger, wcstbound train
jimmie Shelton, Sapulpa, fireman
eastbound train.
There We're fifteen slightly hurt.
William n Randolph, political re.
porter for the Tulsa Tribune, was
a passenger on the west.bound train.
He escaped injury and worked al.
night at the head OF one Of the rescue
crews.
Both engineers died at their posts
Of duty. The fireman on each train
declared from their beds in the hos
pital at Vinita, this morning that
they were ordered to jump for their
lives while the engineers remained
at the throttles.