The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-16
MISS DEATH BY
NARROW MARGIN
Students of Greensboro
Show Nerve.
CAUGHT In SWOLLEN CREEK
Courage Of Woods Saved His Two
Companions.
Boys Were Returning to Their Duties
From Jadson Commencement
when Rise of Stream
Caused Disaster.
CAUGHT In SWOLLEN CREEK

Marion, May 15.-(Special. )-Three
students of the Southern University
at Greensboro, Zach Schuessler. James
Woods and Bernard Byrd. missed
death by the narrowest margin in
Boeochitto Creek at $3.50 o'clock We'd
nesday morning three miles from Ma
rion.
Returning from Marion to Green's
boro at an early morning hour their
carriage was driven into the creek
ford.
The creek, swollen by an eight-hour
rain storm, was raging torrent.
One of the carriage horses was
drowned and the carriage with the
other horse was swept under the
bridge. Young Woods. after grasp
ing the flooring of the bridge pulled
himself up and from his vantage
point saved his two companions.
For more than three hours the boys
shivered on the bridge waiting for
the torrent that ran around either
side of the bridge to subsde. The
boys had driven over from Green's
boro, a distances of eighteen miles, to
attend one OF the commencement ex-
ercises at Judson.
A fearful rain fell during the night
and 1t was still raining when the
BOYS set out in the black night to re-
turn to Greensboro. for they had to
be ready for college duties by morn
ing.
1t stopped raining just before the
creek was reached. a circumstance
which probably saved the life OF one
or more of the boys. for the storm
curtains, which had been tightly but
toned down were thrown back. If
this had not been done the boys might
have been drowned like rats in a trap
when the heavy carriage sank into
the creek. 1t was pitch dark when
the creek was reached. and the horses
refused to take the bridge and pulled
the carriage of a high ENHANCEMENT
into the creek before the boys knew
they had missed the bridge
Young woods shows Nerve.
Young Woods, who was driving,
quickly jumped On The front seat and
caught the nridge sas the carriage
passed under Byrd caught a post al
the upper edge of the bridge but was
unable to get out of the water until
Woods reached down and pulled him
up. Schuessler had the narrowest es-
cape Of the three. He was deepest
under the bridge but managed to get
a narrow hold on a post at the lower
end. AS he was being pulled from
his narrow hold by the strong current
and he had given himself up for lost
Woods grasped his weakening hand
and pulled him to safety on the
bridge Woods Is the smallest OF the
trio but the other two boys declare
that his nerve. courage and activity
saved them.
Daylight found the boys on the
bridge, one horse drowned in the
creek and the other struggling to save
himself The boys declare that this
horse kept himself above water by
grasping a limb in his teeth. When
light came Woods waded out. stood on
the body of the dead horse and cut
loose the struggling animal from the
heavy carriage.
The boys then went to a negro
house on the hill to dry. farmer
who passed at an early hour found
the drowned horse and the carriage
in the creek but did not see the boys
His was the first news of the accident
and the boys were given up for lost
Excitement reigned in Marion and
Greensboro and messages flew thick
and fast for couple of hours. A
searching party. however, located the
missing students before a big wood
fire in a negro cabin. Schuessler is
from Lafayette and Is a brother in =
law of Congressman ]. Tom Helm
Woods lives at Greensboro; Byrd is
from Mississippi.