Railroads in Oklahoma Page: 85
This book is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Historical Society Monographs and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
by Frantz along with public outrage was partially responsible for a Rock
Island expediture of $i,8oo,ooo for improving its operations in the area.22
On October 1, 1906, CRI&P officials had announced that the submerged
train would be dynamited, but newspaper accounts reported that it was
possible that there were bodies still in the smoker. Railroad officials there-
upon decided not to blow up the wreck. For thirty years, engine 628 laid
unnoticed and buried beneath the sand of the Cimarron. But during the
summer of 1936, persons swimming in the river located the ill-fated loco-
motive. It was in fourteen feet of water, but the cab was only four feet below
the surface. Some local citizens attempted to recover the whistle, but they
could not free the device. Rock Island officials contemplated salvage opera-
tions, but no action was initiated. Today locomotive 628 lies in its watery
grave, a grim reminder of that fateful morning in 1906.23
The precise number of persons killed in the Dover wreck will never be
known. Accurate accounts were difficult to obtain in the emotion-charged
atmosphere surrounding the disaster, but the number was substantial.
Newspaper accounts of the human drama which unfolded in consequence
of the catastrophe captured the imagination and attention of the citizens
of Oklahoma Territory. Governor Frantz was able to capitalize on public
reaction when he initiated a suit against the Rock Island Railroad. Although
the wreck of Number 12 on September 18, 1906, was responsible for the
loss of many lives, the disaster generated such a public outcry that corrective
measures resulted. In that sense those who perished at Dover did not do
so in vain.
22 Ibid., January 6, 1907; Ken Anderson, "Frank Frantz, Governor of Oklahoma Territory,
1906-1907," in LeRoy H. Fischer, Ed. Territorial Governors of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Historical Society, 1975), P. 145.
23 The Daily Oklahoman, October 2, 1906; The Daily O'Collegian, September 16, 1936;
Martin L. Cassell to Robert M. Smith, November i1, 1975.85
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
Railroads in Oklahoma (Book)
Book discussing the history of the railroads in Oklahoma, including stories of individual railroads and their effects on the Indian population in the state. Index begins on page 164.
Relationship to this item: (Has Format)
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Hofsommer, Donovan L. Railroads in Oklahoma, book, 1977; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc862892/m1/95/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; .