The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-10-18
CRUSHED
ON TRACK.
A Distressing Accident at VIM. Penn
Saturday Night
YOUNG MAN WAS ALMOST KILLED
Was Asleep on the Track When Struck
The Prompt Action Of the Motor Man
Saved the victim From
Horrible Death.

A sudden jolt, followed successfully by
moans and cries of pain from a human voice,
startled the passengers of car on the
SChuylkill Traction line at VIM. Penn shortly
before eleven o'clock Saturday night. The
passengers who hurried to the side from
whence the agoniziDg cries came and looking
through the windows saw a man lying upon
his back with the lower half Of his body
under the car. The car was stopped almost
Immediately after the jolting was felt.
Robert Benny, the motorman, and Conductor
Kehoe, followed by several Of the passengers,
went to the assistance Of the victim, who
proved to be Isaac Davis, young man about
20 years of age. The victims right leg, at
the thigh and but few inches from the hip,
was firmly wedged between the front wheel
of the car and the rail. Efforts were made
to lift the car in order TO release the sufferer,
but at the time there was not sufficient help
at hand. 1t was then found that the car
could be run back without further endanger-
ing the victim, and this was done. Davis
was conscious and seemed to suffer as much
from fright as from his injuries. He
moaned piteously and in spite of assur-
ances to the contrary declared that his
legs were cut Off He was carefully
removed from beneath the ear and given in
charge of relatives who had hurried to the
scene meanwhile. A lounge borrowed from
a resident Of the neighborhOod was used to
convey the young man to his home, which
was q short distance from the place where
the accident occurred DR.. G. M. Hamilton,
of town, was summoned and after an eX-
animation of Davis found that the right
thigh had been fractured in two places.
There was also a laceration at the lower part
of the abdomen that required twelve stitches.
Yesterday the young man was removed to
the Miners hospital.
The cause and manner of the accident is
best told in the language of Robert Benny,
the motOrman who was in charge Of the car.
He states that when nearing the place known
as Dunlaps on his trip TO Shenandoah, he
cut off the power and applied the brakes as
usual. Seeing the track clear and there being
no occasion for full stop he released the
brakes and put on the current, but mad hardly
done so when he noticed the doubled up form
of man on the track, several yards ahead.
Benny quickly shut off the power second
time and re-applied the brakes, but the
car bad attained such speed that
the wheels slid along the rails. Davis
was evidently asleep. He was sitting on the
north rail and his head was bent forward and
resting upon his arms, which were held up
by his knees. The front part of the car
struck him with only sufficient force to knock
the upper part of his body back from the
track The front sliding wheel then caught
the victims leg and forced the body along
the rail for three or four yards. Had the
car wheels been in motion both legs of the
young man would have been cut off close to
the hips.
Davis is about 20 years of age and lived in
this town until the past summer, when he
got married and moved to VIM. Penn. His
condition is very serious