The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-12-04

A WoMAN's llERoIsM The Cleveland
Herald relates the following incident OF
the recent railroad accident near Eric, Pa.
Besides giving picture ol terrible suffer-
ing it shows what hcroism can be exhib-
tied 10y woman when occasion demands:
Mrs. West Of Milwaukee was thrown
on her face, with her babe undo. her;
Miss West Tell on her back, but received
no other injury til IN the crushing OF her
left hand. Miss Emma's first question
was, "Aunty can you breathe & She
replied, "a little. a man managed 10
reach her and cut the fastenings OF her
dres, which gave some reiet. Miss
West was released IT. about ten minutes,
but efforts to get Mis-. West out from the
wreck were nnsucccssiully made loi three
quarters of an hour, she, IN the meantime,
remaining very calm, quiet and entirely
conscious, II gentleman supporting her
head. She knew her child was dead.
The pressure was 50 crushing that her
cyCballs were forced from their sockets
and hung down on the checks, and the
face swollen, by the congestion or rupture
OF blood vessels, to more than twice its
proper size. The body of her babe be-
meath her, being soft and yelling, was
perhaps the only thing that save! her
life.
Every effort TO relieve her by chopping
off the conner OF the car with an axe,
was futile. She was incapable OF So
much cxcrtlon rs TO speak and tell them
to stop, although every blow of the axe
caused her the most cXcruciaiing agony.
Hearing some one say, "Rcmove that
dead man and it will release her. she
summoned her strength for the effort, and
moving her left arm, which was free.
toward her right shoulder said, Il am
fastened herc;' saw was procured and
she was sawed out. Then the earth was
dug away an she was dragged from ui,-
der the car and placed on the grass. The
first question she asked was, who's
killed :"
After being told, she then said she
could not see, but not knowing why, and
dictated telegram to her husband at
Milwaukee: "lour babe is dead, your
wife severely injured, Uncle Wheeler
killed and Emma slightly hurt" She
then said to those about her, "Don't
leave me here 10 die; there i, life here
yet" They proposed to take her to
Erie; 'No," she said, sis there no house
near r To those who said they would
place her in wagon, she objected, ask
Ing. "Cannot men carry me in their
arms I" and she WAS 50 carried, some six
iy rods, to the house OF Mr.. Chambers
The surgeons arrived about an hour after
the disaster occurred, an attended to
her, replacing the eyes in their sockets.
This she does not yet know, although she
often speaks OF having been blind for some
time after the accident. Nor did she
ever see her babe again, since it was
layfllIy kissing its mamma at the mo
II ent when the whistle sounded. Its lit
tie crushed body was forwarded ON Thurs.
day 10 Milwaukee for burial
Alter her removal to the house a rcac.
ton look place, and she cody gave the
most judiciOus directions to the ladies in
Attendance for heating her chilled exlrcm
tiles and relieving her pains She still
remains at the house of Mr. Chambers.
the ulUcmlltlng attentions of whose family
are most gratefully acknowledged. She
Is improving rapidly and can soon be re.
moved TO her home.