Merida R. Edwards rescued Julius W. Stephens, and Daniel Kerr from burning, Schulter, Oklahoma, June 15, 1944. At night Edwards, 60, locomotive engineer, drove a locomotive to which tank-cars of oil products and a box-car containing drums of naphtha were coupled. Kerr, 48, brakeman, rode on the footboard of the tender. When the locomotive reached an area where oil from a leaking pipe-line flowed beneath the rails, an explosion occurred, setting fire to the locomotive and the cars nearest it. Stephens, 38, locomotive fireman, and Kerr were knocked 10 feet to the side of the track and Edwards was thrown to the deck of the locomotive. A brakeman in the caboose applied air-brakes, the train stopping within 75 feet; and he and the conductor left. Quickly getting to his feet, Edwards jerked off his burning shirt and got out. Seeing nothing of Stephens and Kerr, he thought they might have been severely burned or injured and that the locomotive would afford the only means of getting them to a hospital. Flames, which enveloped several cars immediately behind the locomotive, rose 100 feet. Then seeing Kerr near the end of the locomotive, Edwards called to him to uncouple it; but Kerr replied that his hands were severely burned. Edwards ran to the pilot-beam, tried without success to raise the coupling-pin by means of the coupling-rod, and then shielding his face with one arm from flames that were between the locomotive and the adjacent tank-car, he tried to pull up the coupling-pin but could not move it. After driving the locomotive several inches toward the car, he uncoupled it with the coupling-rod, and drove the locomotive 70 feet beyond the fire area. Then seeing Stephens near the locomotive, Edwards jerked off his burning shirt, pinched out other fire on his clothing, and helped him into the cab. He then put out smoldering fire on Kerr’s clothing and helped him onto the foot-board of the tender. Edwards drove the locomotive to a road-crossing, and Stephens and Kerr were taken to a hospital in an automobile. Edwards then realized he had suffered burns. He drove the locomotive more than two miles farther and was met by men, one of whom took charge of the locomotive. Edwards was removed to a hospital. In the accident he sustained burns of the face, head, neck, shoulders, and arm. He and Stephens soon recovered, but Kerr’s burns were serious and required numerous skin grafts. 40247-3409
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