Evening capital., 1905-02-09
SHE SAVED A MAN'S LIFE.
LITTLE ROSE BURTIS PRE-
VENTS A DROWNING.
George Johnson Would Have Sunk
Beneath Water In Harbor
Had 1t Not Been
For Her.

little child, PLAYING with her
sleigh and dolls, innocent of thos7,
dangers Co which man is heir. saved
the life of man this morning. Had
it not been for her timely discovery of
the situation of one who was drowning
he would have passed away beneath
the ice and no one been the wiser.
The little one is Rose Burtis. the
small daughter of Mr.. Daniel Burtjs
who lives at the foot of Prince George
street. BY giving the alarm TO her
father the life of George Johnson. a
sailor on the state oyster boat Nav
Brown, was saved. The accident oc.
Cured early this morning, at a time
when few persons were about and no
aid, excepting that summoned by the
little girl was available Had il not
been for her timely discovery Johnson
would, undoubtedly. have lost his life
The accident happened by reason of
the heavy coating of sleet which fell
last night. He had prepared to leave
the boat and go up town. No one was
on the deck of the May Brown or the
other oyster boats tied up at that point
when he left the cabin of the schoon-
er. He stepped on the rail and at.
tempted to spring across the narrow
space between the boat and the dock.
His foot slipped and he was precipi-
tated into the ice. Owing to the fact
that the ice had been disturbed at that
point several days ago and then rotted
by the snow and sleet, il was not of
sufficient strength to support his
weight, particularly accompanied b.,
the force of his fall. 1t gave way be.
meath him and he plunged into the
water. In coming to the surface he
NUT have struck his head on the edge
of cake OF ice, for he was badly
stunned.
Johnosn foundered about in an
effort to gain a hold on the ice, but
Ia bis frantic struggles the ice was
broken around him to greater extent
and he was being continually forced
beneath the water. He was so badI V
frightened that after giving one
startled scream for help he remained
without making any further outcry.
his strength was rapidly leaving him
and he was about TO sink beneath the
water for the last time when little
Rose Burtis, who had been playing
about the boat dock, discovered his
| condition. She heard the noise made
| by his. fall and running to the edge of
the dock witnessed his struggles to
| save his life.
Her childish mind realized that the
man was in danger and that unless
something was done to succor him he
would drown. Running quickly into
the house she notified her father OF
the terrible danger of the man. Mr..
Burtis, prompted by those long wears
OF training on the water, realized the
seriousness OF the situation. Seizing
nearby rope he rushed from the
house and out on the dock. BY that
time Johnson was SO exhausted that
| all he could do was to hang on the
nearest cake of ice which, even then,
was sett ing beneath his weight.
Burtis urged him to hang on and
then threw the rope to the nearly ex
hausted sailor. The line was made
| secure to Johnson and he was pulled
in toward shore a sufficient distance
to permit of him being lifted onto the
dock. he was then in very much
exhausted condition and stimulants
were required to revive him. In a
| short time, however, he had recovered
from his experience and seemed to
| suffer no evil effects. Little Rose
is the heroine of the neigh borhood
and was warmly praised for the part
she took in the rescue.