Comanche High School Gymnasium Gas Explosion Burns Three Girls. Daily Oklahoman.

Description

Photograph taken for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Joy Stateham, one of the three girls burned in the Comanche high school gymnasium blast Thursday, is shown being wheeled into the emergency room of University hospital here by Charles E. Crowder, highway patrolman, J. T. Pulin, Comanche ambulance driver." The blast was due to a damaged pipe in one of the women’s restrooms in the gymnasium. The burn victims were Miss Stateham, Miss Biffle, and Miss Salmon. The blast “burned the clothing off all three girls and burned them on their arms, legs and hands. Hospital attendants said … continued below

Physical Description

1 photograph

Creation Information

Meek, Richard B. January 15, 1948.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection and was provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society to The Gateway to Oklahoma History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 86 times. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Oklahoma Historical Society

The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. The OHS was founded on May 27, 1893, by members of the Territorial Press Association.

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  • Main Title: Comanche High School Gymnasium Gas Explosion Burns Three Girls. Daily Oklahoman.
  • Added Title: Daily Oklahoman, Gas Explodes in Comanche School Gym, Three injured, January, 16, 1948, pg 1 (photo is front page center, story is under the photo)

Description

Photograph taken for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Joy Stateham, one of the three girls burned in the Comanche high school gymnasium blast Thursday, is shown being wheeled into the emergency room of University hospital here by Charles E. Crowder, highway patrolman, J. T. Pulin, Comanche ambulance driver." The blast was due to a damaged pipe in one of the women’s restrooms in the gymnasium. The burn victims were Miss Stateham, Miss Biffle, and Miss Salmon. The blast “burned the clothing off all three girls and burned them on their arms, legs and hands. Hospital attendants said Miss Stateham and Miss Biffle received third-degree burns, and Miss Salmon lesser or first-degree burns.

Picture shows Joy Stateham on a gurney being wheeled by a highway patrolman and an ambulance driver dressed in a button-down shirt and sport jacket.

Physical Description

1 photograph

Notes

PublishDate: O-1-16-48

Credit: Daily Oklahoman

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Source

  • Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 01-16-48

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This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.

Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection

The Oklahoma Publishing Company, the parent company of many prominent Oklahoma newspapers, amassed a significant collection of photographs that span more than a century. The wide variety of photographs accompanied stories in the newspapers.

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  • January 15, 1948

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Added to The Gateway to Oklahoma History

  • Oct. 11, 2013, 8:30 p.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Jan. 16, 2026, 1:56 p.m.

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Meek, Richard B. Comanche High School Gymnasium Gas Explosion Burns Three Girls. Daily Oklahoman., photograph, January 15, 1948; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc226255/: accessed July 16, 2026), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

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