Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-10-25
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

a Girls Awful Peril - Awaited Rescue
While the Waves Swept Over Her
Rock Piuned Her Down-Brayery of n
Soldier who Was Thought Coward.
One of the most thrilling scenes ever
witnessed on the Greenville shore of
New York Bay occurred q few morn
ings ago near the Greenville Yacht
Club house, at the foot Of Linden Ave
nue., Jersey City, n. j.
Charles Roeder and his sister Lii
ian left their home in Jersey City, to
go grabbing. Arriving at the bay shore
they went to the ''cove," retired
nook i'll an old-fashioned stone pier,
about two hundred yards south OF the
Greenville Yacht Clubs house.
The top of the pier was about six
feet above the surface of the water,
which at that point is eight feet deep
at high tide. The tide was making
flood. Miss Lillian slipped and fell
in. Her brother grabbed for her and
lost his balance. Both found them
selves struggling in the water.
They saw nothing to fear. Both were
expert swimmers. Young Roeder, as
a member of the crews of the yachts
Ensign and Frank, is at home in the
water. His sister, the best skater in
her set, a wheel-woman, thoroughly
athletic girl, is nearly his equal.
Standing on the rock jutting from the
pier they found themselves in only
four feet of water.
Stand here, Lille, said her brother,
''while L climb up, and then TIL give
you hand and pull you up"
He grabbed hold of big bowlder in
the side of the wall to draw himself
up. Under his weight it pulled loose,
and to his horror crashed down directly
on top of his sister. She fell back
ward, the rock, which weighed fully
four hundred pounds, tumbling on her
right leg.
She screamed and her brother
dropped back, expecting to see her
come up again, but she did not come
to the surface. He went under the
water after her There he found that
the heavy bowlder had pinned her
down and he was powerless to extri-
cate her.
Putting his arms under her neck he
raised her face above the level of the
water. AS her head was lifted above
the water she gave faint gasp and
cried:
Don't raise me too high or you'll
snap my leg off.
Her brother was at his wits end.
He could not get her lips more than
bare two inches above the water.
Every now and then wave, higher
than usual, would cover her mouth.
The only way she avoided strangula-
tlon was to cease breathing until the
wave had receded. His arms were
steadily growing weaker. There were
some small boys ON the pier and to
them he shouted:
"Call for help, boys, for Gods sake
l can't stand this much longer"
At the first cry for help Charles
johnson, of the Greenville Yacht
Club, accompanied by his son John,
and Albert Lightbody, jumped into
boat and two pairs of oars soon brought
them to the scene, not moment too
soon.
Don't waste any time, called Roe
der, ''for my sister is pinned fast
and the tide will cover her in few
minutes"
johnson dived and tried to remove
the stone with his hands, but could
not. Every movement of the rock
caused the girl excruciating pain, but
she bore it with fortitude. and said:
Don't stop for the pain, but let me
get one good breath"
Lightbody was helping Roeder hold
up his sister. John johnson hurried
ashore for hickory shad pole to use
as a lever. Even with this the men
found their task still difficult.
They were afraid that sudden shift
of the rock would throw it over on the
other leg or cause the young woman to
faint with pain.
The water rose steadily. Mr.. John
son had to remain almost constantly
below the surface to get the pole into
the proper position. Other men ar
rived and lent their aid. The rock was
removed and Miss Roeder rose to the
surface.
She was put into the boat and rowed
to the club house, near by, where
stimulants were administered until the
arrival of DR.. Limeburger. He found
the right leg broken and so painfully
mangled that she had to be removed
to the hospital.
Seth, the Mule Driver.