The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-08-21
Pinned in a Wreck.

Addison, Pa. VI.
Pinned in Wreck.
A Western railroad man who was
visiting Washington recently told a
Star reporter the following story:
was riding on the Seattle, North
Shore and Western Railroad four years
ago when the engine went through IA
trestle into a shallow stream. The en-
gineer, Jim Boyle, was under the loco
motive, and two other train hands were
holding his head up out of the water
when reached the spot.
From just above the knees his body
was minjured, bat the lower parts OF
his legs were crushed flat and held in a
vice which knew no loOsening.
Several miles above, some Chinese
miners were working, and they DAMN
ed up the water every night before quit
ting, letting it loose again when they
began to wash dirt next day.
The engineer lay in water ofsufiicient
depth to prevent a doctor, even if he
had been present, from amputa,ing his
legs, and there was the added danger
that at any time the Chinese might set
the water loose and thus drown the in
jured man.
Boyle lay there in what must have
been agony certainly, and with the wa
ter barely below his mouth and icy
cold at that, and never whimpered.
He inquired calmly if a Golfer dam
couldn't be built around him, and
when this was found to be impossible
he asked that his wife be sent for-he
lived a few stations back-to come up
on the wrecking train. Then he asked
for smoke and pulled away at pipe
as contentedly, to all APPEARANCES, as if
he had been in his engine cab.
The trainmen relieved each other,
and the passengers also took turns in
holding Boyle's head above the water,
and as the hours wore away everybody
seemed to feel the awful strain but
Boyle.
Shortly before noon a welcome toot
was heard to the south of us, and Boyle
heard it.
"Tll bet the cigars that Clara aboard
that train" was all he said.
1t was the wrecking train, and the
first person off it was a white-laeed
little woman with tightly compressed
lips. She knew the state of affairs, and
went stfdigrt ~ tire Uurt .lIIti ,I,---- s.-s~
its awful bottom with unhesitating
steps. She took her husbands head in
her arms and kissed him.
"My legs are gone sure, Clara, said
the man, with a smile.
"Well, your hearts all right" she re-
sponded cheerfully.
There was no hopelessness in her ap-
pearanee, no matter how full her heart
might have been.
Someone came rushing down with
the startled cry, '.'rhe Cinnamon have
begun washing ~ Neither the man
nor the woman showed bit Of fear.
LET me have the gun, dear" he
pleaded.
you'd die with sin on your soul, "
she replied. "I'll do it, darling, and
live to square myself"
That woman had come prepared to
kill the man she loved in preference To
letting him die most horrible death
in food of dirt and sand and gravel.
An Englishman, who had been a
passenger on the train, appeared at
this juncture with an implement shap-
ell something like a mattock. No one
knew where he got il.
Maybe we can scrape the bottom
away under Boyle's legs and drag him
out. or what's left of him, anyhow
/ he suggested.
He went to work. Every now and
then he would strike the crushed legs
of the engineer, and calculate, 81 beg
Your pardon" and Boyle would invari-
ably reply, "No harm done, general :"
In ten minutes he asked Boyle 10
brace himself and motioned to the men
at his side.
Boyle's arms and shoulders were
quickly grasped by muscular train
men there was strong jerk and Boyle
! was released.
Even in that supreme moment Of
II
agony, when he was laid on the side of
the cut, with masses ofbl"eding, crush
ed, quivering flesh and bone, where his
feet and knees had been, he looked up
to the Englishman and said:
General, thanks; you are brick, ="
and then tainted in his wife's arms.
Ten minutes later the cut was ten
feet deep, with bubbling, Kissing,
rapid stream of yellow water.-Wash-
/ inUtan Star