Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Rex Blakely, 1928
30 Aug 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) 

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BLAKELY, REX
(1 Nov 1928, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
CLINTON, Okla. Sat. Oct 20 - E. M. Wilson, of Hydro, was killed instantly,
his grandson, Rex Blakely, was burned so badly he died shortly after the
accident and another grandson, Max Blakely, and Reuben Gish and J. D.
Powell, of the train crew, were badly burned when the west bound Rock
Island passenger train struck a gasoline truck driven by Wilson at the
Crossing east of Hydro about 9:30 this morning.  Little hope is
entertained for the recovery of Max Blakely and Powell.
Wilson, according to Roy Eicher, the only witness of the accident,
evidently stalled his truck on the track in front of the train.  The
engine hit the truck and the gasoline exploded almost instantly.  The body
of Wilson was picked up several hundred feet from the wreck.  Eicher,
brakeman on the freight train standing on the siding, rushed to the two
small boys, one four and the other six years old, and made a heroic effort
to extinguish the mass of flames which engulfed them.
The explosion of the gasoline threw the burning fluid into the cab of the
engine and Gish, the engineer and Powell the fireman were badly burned,
Powell is not expected to live.
According to Eicher, the entire engine was a seething mass of flames.  The
engine was still burning at 2 o'clock today.
The two boys were rushed to Dr. S. E. William's emergency hospital at
Hydro.  Rex died at 12:30 today and Max is not expected to live.
Gish and Powell were placed aboard a fast train and rushed to the Rock
Island hospital at El Reno.  Little hope was held for the recovery of
Powell.
E. A. Blakely, father of the two boys, operates the picture show at Hydro.
 He was in Amarillo at the time of the accident.  When notified at 12
o'clock, he left immediately for Hydro by airplane.
Wilson, the driver of the truck, operates a filling station at Hydro.
Traffic on the Rock Island was blockaded by the burning train, which was
still burning at 2:00 o'clock today. Clinton Daily News.
(Research: Census, 1910, Oklahoma, Caddo County, Hydro  (town), ED 65, pg
11A, #89 (T624-1245):
C. E. M. Wilson, age 47, b Ks; fb In; mb Ia; General Mdse Store/owns;
married 20 years;
Nancy Wilson, age 41, b Mo; f/m b Mo; Clerk - Store; married 20 years; 3
children born, 2 living;
Hester Wilson, age 16, b Ks;
Helen Wilson, age 14, b Ok.
Census, 1920, Oklahoma, Caddo Co, Hydro, ED 60, pg 4A, #99/101 (T625-1453):
Elias M. Wilson, age 56, b Ks; f/m b In; farmer; owns property free of
mortgage;
Nancy J. Wilson, age 50, b Mo; f/m b Mo;
Hester M. Wilson, age 26, single, b Ks; Teacher.
#93/95: Elbert A. Blakely, age 25, b Mo; fb Ky; mb Mo; School
Superintendent; owns home;
Helen W. Blakely, age 24, b Ok; fb Ks; mb Mo;
Arda E. Frans, female, boarder, age 21, b Mo; fb Mo; mb In; Teacher.
Ancestry.com Family Trees:
Elias Myrick Wilson, born 22 Feb 1863; died 20 Oct 1928; married Nancy
Jane Snow, 17 Nov 1889, Caldwell, Ks.
Daughter Helen Wilson married Elbert Arnold Blakely, 1 Jun 1919; divorced
1929;
Sons:  Rex Elbert Blakely, born 13 July 1922 and Max Wayland Blakely, born
22 July 1925.)