The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-31
SKATERS
IN PERIL.
Three Narrowly Escape Drowning IN the
Freezing Water.
THE SCENE A THRILLING ONE !
Two Broke Through the Ice and a Third
Saved Himself on the Brink-A
Fourth Skater Fell in When
Trying to Rescue the
others.
THE SCENE A THRILLING ONE

An accident that will probably result in
putting a damper on skating as local pas
time, and which almost resulted in at least
two fatalities, occurred at the No. 2 dam of
the Shenandoah Water COmpany's plant yes
terday afternoon. But for the presence of
mind and heroism Of several young men who
witnes sed the accident three victims would
in all probability have been claimed by the
icy waters.
Skaters were on the ice in large numbers
and several pleasant hours had been spent
when Max Levitt, John Hennessy and Martin
Monaghan took hold of hands and started
for spin around the dam Mr.. Levitt is the
proprietor of the gents furnishing goods store
at the corner of Main and Centre streets. Mr..
Heunessy, is the proprietor of the Shenan-
doah Steam Laundry and Mr.. Monaghan is a
student at Philadelphia spending his holiday
vacation in town with his relatives.
The trio sped swiftly and Oyously around
to the opposite side of the dam when the ice
suddenly cracked, split and broke Mon
Afghan was the first to drop over the brink
and into the water. Hennessy slid in after
him. Levitt who had trailed third, had a
chance to save himself. His hand hold
broke, he dug the toe points of his skates
into the ice, and succeeded in considerably
slackening his speed but not before one of
his legs went into the pool and he was forced
down upon one knee at the brink. Throw
ing himself backward, he was in safety.
James McHale, formerly of the Shenandoah
drug store, was among the first to hear the
cries of the victims and take in the situation.
The rescue of his friends had more force with
him than the thought of self-preservation.
He hurried to the scene and got too close to
the treacherous ice. In moment he, too,
was fioundering in the freezing water. The
depth at the place where the ice broke is
supposed to be about twenty feet. The three
victims succeeded in preventing themselves
from slipping under the ice, but they were
rapidly chilled and their efforts to keep afoat
were growing weaker every instant, when
Albert Shortall appeared ON the scene
Spectators says that Hennessy was about to
sink the third time when Shortal pulled of
his overcoat and threw one end of it to the
sinking man. With clutch of almost a
dying man Hennessy seized the garment and
Shortall, who retained a hold, pulled the
victim out.
Meanwhile Benjamin Jones' a clerk in
Wasley's pharmacy, and Daniel Shortell a
young man of POttsville, had secured stout
branches of trees and held them out to Mon
Afghan and McHale, who seized hold of the
branches and were pulled out of the water to
place of safety. 1t is said that the escape
of Monaghan, and Hennessy from drowning
was exceedingly close. The opening made by
the breaking of the ice was large one and
it is not little surprising that the three
young men were saved. 1t was the most
thrilling event that has taken place at the
dams during skating season, and those who
figured in it will not forget their experience
for some time.