The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-23
FELL UNDER A TRAIN
JOHN NJ. LEACY FATALLY INJURED
AT TYBEE.
TRIED TO BOARD MOVING CAR.
NfISCALCULATED ITS SPEED AND
FELL ON THE TRACK.

His Leg Caught Between the Plat
form and Plank Walk and
Broken and His Foot Crushed by
the WheeIs-Was Brought to the
City and His Leg Amputated-Died
Eleven Hours After the Accident
without Being Able to Tell How
1t Happened-Fireman the Only
Man Who Saw Him Fall.
In attempting to board a train back
ing at a moderate rate of speed. Mr..
John NJ. Leacy. was fatally injured at
Tybee yesterday afternoon at o'clock.
He died at St. Josephs Hospital at
11:45 o'clock last night. He was a
member of the Irish-American Friend
ly Society, had paraded in the morn
ing and went to the island with the
society. He had lost his hat and was
going to get another when the train
came along and he attempted to board
it. He miscalculated the speed and fell,
breaking one leg and badly cutting the
other foot. He was sent to the city in
charge of an army surgeon. The police
ambulance met him at the depot and
he was taken to st. Joseph's Hospital.
While on his way to Tybee Mr..
Leacy lost his hat from a car VIM
dow. Upon arriving at the pavilion he
borrowed another from Patrick Gro
gan, who lives at the south end of the
island several hundred yards from the
pavilion, and started to walk to Gro
IxraG king
the board walk which runs close to the
railroad, and was about half way be-
tween the pavilion and Grogan's.
Attempted TO Boar d the Train.
The regular train, which was drill
ing backward to the south end to
make it's start to the city, was APP
preaching him and he attempted to
board the rear platform, according to
the fireman, who is the only one who
saw the accident. He miscalculated
the speed of the train and not being
sufficiently active lost his hold upon
the rail and was thrown between the
platform and the car. His right leg
was TANNED between the track of the
car and the board walk and broken
above the knee, the bones being snap
ned off and protruding through the
flesh. His left foot was caught under
the fiange of a wheel and the top OF
it cut off. The fireman saw the man
fall and signalled the engineer, who
stopped the train within a quarter of
a cars length, thus saving the injured
man instant death, he having fallen
over on the track.
1T. Screven Surgeon Summoned.
Aid was summoned, a cot and mat
tress were secured and the injured man
was placed in the baggage car. The
surgeon at Fort Screven was telephon-
ed to meet the train. The pain OF the
wounded man was excrucrating until
the surgeon was reached, no opiate or
other relief being at hand. At Fort
Screven Acting Post Surgeon w. w.
FARRELL. who is relieving Dr. Stoney
for a short time, with assistants from
the Hospital Corps, boarded the train
and rendered all possible assistance.
The train, consisting only OF bag
gage car and one coach, made quick
run to the city, everything possible be- 4
ing done in the meantime by Mr.. J. J.
Stafford, Judge Samuel Reynolds, of
whom Mr.. Leacy was nephew, and
Mr. Frank Gaffney, under the direction
of the surgeon, to prevent the man
bleeding to death.
His Leg Amputated.
At the depot the police ambulance
was in waiting and Mr.. Leacy was
taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. DR..
Dunn and consulting surgeons were
summoned, and after examination, the
right leg was amputated above the
knee Though it would have been nee
essary to amputate the left foot had
he lived, il could not be done at once,
because of the weakness of the wound
ed man. from loss of blood, and that
operation was postponed.
MIR. Leacy never rallied from the
shock long enough to say how the ac-
cident happened or anything concern
ing it,
The funeral Will take place to-mor-
row. The Irish American Friendly So
ciety will attend in a body, and per-
form other duties in the meantime,
which, as provided by the societys con-
stitution. are valuable in such emer-
gencies. Mr.. Leacy was a member of
the Catholic Knights of America. and
that organization will also attend the