Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-03-05
MIRACULOUS
ESCAPE

One Of the most miraculous escapes
on record occurred in the Second Ward
yesterday afternoon, when three small
bows, none of them yet six years of
age, broke through the ice and for
twenty minutes, all unseen, struggled
for their lives in five feet OF water.
The accident occurred at the rear Of
Samuel Mills coal yard in the Penn
sylvania canal where it is nearly bank
full owing to dam which was CON
structed for the purpose of supplying
the Shovel Works with water. The
canal there is covered with Il coat of
rotten ice upon which the boys ven-
tured and broke through. The story
of the exciting event as relpted by
Samuel Mills is as follows:
About half past 3 o'clock Mr.. Mills
while seated in his Office heard somo
children crying desperately. He
thought the little ones were in back
yard Of one of the neighbors and
paid little attention to the matter.
The crying, however, continued and
there was something so plaintive and
appealing about it that Mr.. Mills fin
ally could stand it no longer and start
ed out to investigate.
Upon opening the door of his office
where his eye took in the canal which
= De IL laE In hpr-
rified to behold three little heads pro
truding from the water. One Of the
boys was struggling directly opposite
Mr.. Mills Office door, while two 9TH
ers were in the water some twenty
yards further up the canal. The lit
tie fellows had risen to the surface at
the same spot where they had sunk
and had succeeded in getting hold of
the ledge of ice which they held to
for dear life.
Mr.. Mills was utterly at a loss to
know what to do. The boys were
struggling in the middle of the canal
and the ice was not fit for man to
venture upon. Besides Mr.. Mills had
Just recovered from siege of illness
and exposure of any sort was some
thing to be avoided. The little boys
had already been struggling in the
water for at least fifteen minutes.
They were half frozen and benumbed
and unable to keep their hold on the
ice. Several times they lost their grip
and sinking to the bottom rose again,
renewing their struggles and cries tor
help.
By this time Oscar Bailey arrived,
who a minute or so later was joined
by Wilson Ryan. These men proved
veritable heroes. Encouraging the lit
tie fellows to hold on to the ice, as
sisted by Mr. Mills they worked hero
ically and did not give up until the
last boy was lifted from the water
During the rescue Oscar Bailey un-
tremendously plunged into the canal
armed with a board which he used to
good advantage.
The boys nearly drowned were Le-
Roy Ritter, son of Edward Ritter, Earl
Mitchell, son of T. J. Mitchell and
Irwin Boyer, son of Frank Boyer, Jr.
The boys all reside near the spot where
the accident occurred. The Mitchell
boy seemed little the worse for the aG-
cident, but Leroy Ritter and Irwin
Boyer were in a very bad way. Had
the rescue been delayed a minute long
er they would have been lost. They
were both under the care of DR.. Wint-
ersteen last evening. Irwin Boyer's
condition was especially serious, ow-
ing to an accumulation of water on
the lungs "a feeble heart action.
Leroy Ritter in addition was suffer
ing from bad cut inflicted upon the
forehead by fall yesterday morning,
which had necessitated the insertion
of two stitches.
DR.. Wintersteen last evening stated
that there was little doubt but that
the boys will come around all right in
a day or so.