The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-28

science is DR.. Albert Pitts of the staff
of Muhlenberg hospital. DR.. Pitts had
made of Frederick's case a labor of
love and the wounded man was indeed
/ fortunate that he fell into the care of
this devoted surgeon. 1t was he who
saved him from the steam and flames
of dreadful train wreck and who has
now saved him from deaths second as
sault, the slow, stealthy invasion of the
sick room.
On the tragic evening of Jan. q, 1903,
when the express from New York for
Philadelphia on the Central Railroad of
New Jersey plunged into the rear of
the "Easton local. near GraceIand
twenty-one persons met death and
over fifty-one persons were injured.
some of whom died later.
Roasted by the Steam.
Frederick was one of the most unfor-
tunate of all those who escaped imme-
date doom. He was pinned down in
the wreckage and slowly roasting un-
der the Kissing clouds of steam.
One of the first of the rescuing band
at the wreck was DR.. Pitts. He was
busily at work when Frederick saw him
and cried to him as he passed. Fred
erick was friend of the physician and
fellow Free Mason, and when he saw
his plight DIR. Pitts fought desperately
to get him out before the end. Beyond
that he had little hope, for it was evil
dent that Frederick was a terribly in
jured man.
AS soon as he was freed of the wreck
age DR.. Pitts had the sufferer removed
to the hospital. He was given a pri-
Vate room, placed on an air bed and in
Charge of two trained. nurses and tthen
began the long battle forsllfe. 1t seem
0H h1A E.~faA - q -
extensive, the parts affected being the
left side of the face, both ears and both
legs from the groins to the shoe tops.
The shoes saved the feet from injury
When the sloughs from the scalded
surfaces ceased. Frederick was entirely
raw and denuded of skin on the arm,
one side of the face and both legs.
| Under the circumstances skin graft
ing, the forlorn hope, seemed audaciods.
But DIR. Pitts is a militant surgeon.
! While the patient was carried through
the first and often fatal period of shock
| by the administration of whisky and
champagne in large quantities the doc
tor cast about busily for the needed
! cuticle. He consulted first with Louis
j. Van Alstyne. master of Anchor Lodge
of Masons of Plainheld, to which both
he and Frederick belonged. DR.. Pitts
/ told his fellow Mason that there was no
! focus left for new skin to form on
| Frederick's burns and that their COM
rade'S only chance for life lay in Sc
curing skin in large quantities from
| outside sources.
Mr.. Van Alstyne, who is a prominent
business man of New York and Plain
| field, proved an instant friend. He was
| not dismayed by the magnitude of the
| need and he told DR.. Pitts he would at
once call the case to the attention of
the lodge MearA!Vss he accompanied
the physician to Frederick's bedside,
| where he was the first man to give
| strips from his own skin to replace
that lost by his friend.
! When Van Alstyne in his capacity as
master laid the matter before Anchor
| lodge there was exhibited a touching
and altogether noble spirit of unselfish
! fraternity. AS one man. the members
! pledged themselves to submit to DR..
/ Pitts. They offered to undergo one
! operation or several
/ No less generous a spirit was shown
: by all the members of the sister Plain
I field lodge-JuruSalem- the rivalry
for sacrifice grew daily brisker.
The master of each lodge submitted
! to the doctor a list and he made Sc
lections with due reference to the phys
| ical quality of the applicant. But few
! of those selected were over SO years
OF age and they had to be both sound
and strong.
Day after day. the Masons wendell
/ their way to DR.. Pitts with cheerful
ness and pride. From each OF those
! accepted the doctor took twenty or
/ thirty pieces of skin and the grating
began.
The two Plainfled lodges are COM
posed of men in the highest walks of
| life. There are bankers and business
men and professional workers on the
rolls and they were quite as eager to
! aid as though the sufferer were a blood
relative of each
! When at last the list of lodgmen
had been exhausted aid came from
a new quarter and one that promised
a rich harvest of the needed skin
layers.
Mr.. Frederick. whose home is in
Dunnellen, N. j., near Plainfield Is the
I chief clerk in New York of the United
States Express Company. In his ca
| pacity he has under him something
like 1 500 offices. He is widely known
in the service OF the company and pop
ular with his fellow employees One of
these latter is Daniel d. Bastian. the
local cashier OF the company at Plain
field. He had worked hard for his
stricken chief and been a great help
to DR.. Pitts, being among the first to
volunteer skin.
ofrers of skin Pour In,
When the list OF Masons was used up
Mr.. Dastian turned for help to the
army of men In the employ of the COM
pany. His appeal was royalty answer
ed. The expressmen everywhere strove
to match in disinterested friendship
the kindness of the Masons and the Of
fers of skin poured in from every quar-
ter Of the compass. Thereafter and UP
to to-day it has only been with DR..
Dftfic Of cofa1ffnv, ~
The men, came forward in droves. trav-
cling at their own expense and adjust
Jig their time to the convenience of
the sufferer.
Some idea of the extent of this sac