The Washington herald., 1907-06-25
HEROES GET MEDALS
Charles Arms and Edgar E.
George Decorated.
RISK LIVES TO SAVE OTHERS
Ferryman Leaves Sick Bed and Puts
Forth Alone In Boat to Rescue
Three Men from Mail Car-Penn-
syIVanian Holds Boy from Death
President Orders Awards.

For saving the lives Of two mail clerks
and Il baggageman in wreck on the
/ Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Sep
| tember o. 1906, Charles Arms, Of Clarks-
( llfe-savlng medal by President Rcose-
/ yelt A medal for heroic service ir the
saving Of lives was also awarded 10 Ed
/ gar L. George. Of Parsons, Pa.
/ The exploit for which Mr. Arms re-
ceives recognition was particularly heroic.
He saved the lives Of Mail Clerks J. G.
Martin and Thomas a. Frazier and bag
! gageman Robert L. Morris, victims Of the
wreck Of Louisville and Nashville train,
/ No. lo2. at Clarksville Tenn. September
4 p, 1906 The train ran through the open
draw Of the bridge over the Cumberland
River at Clarksvile. and the locomotive.
mail. and baggage cars were thrown into
the river, fifty feet below. It was about
8 o'clock al night and very dark
/ When the train crashed into the river.
/ Mail Clerks Martin and Frazier. and
/ Baggageman Morris, although terribly
/ bruised and shaken, managed 10 break
/ their way out Of the cars and get on top,
whore they clung with all their remaining
/ strength. all the time shouting for aid.
/ while tho partially submerged cars were
/ being rapidly swept down the river by the
swift current a number Of persons were
standing on the river bank. near the ferry
landing when the accident happened. They
saw the cars plunge into the river and
heard the despgiring cries Of the mail
| CLERKS and the bagsageman fo- help but
none dared go 20 their aid
Rises from Sick Bed.
Arms lives near the ferry landing on
the bank Of the river. and at the time OF
/ the accident was confined to his bed with
/ malarial fever He had been sick nearly
/ four weeks. and a doctor had visited him
/ and given him treatment for his malaGv
/ less than an hour previous 70 the acci-
/ dent He heard the crash Of the train
/ as IL plunged and a moment later his
/ little daughter came Into his sick chamber
and told him what had happened lie
/ Immediately arose. and without waiting
/ 10 fully clothe himself. he made his way
/ as rapidly as possible 10 the ferry land
| ms, minus coat, hat, and shoes His
/ belief at the time was that the entire
/ train had plunged into the river. and he
/ thought there might be scores Of people
I .u need 0f assistance
/ Arriving NJ the ferry landing he Jump
/ cd into q skin ana appealed 90 the by
ISLANDERS for aid, Offering SO an the
money be had, 20 any person who would
/ 60 with him IN the boat Ills appeal
i for aid was met by the statement that IL
| would be madness for any person % 60
ont with a boat 20 attempt q rescue. the
I helper at the ferry landing telling him
/ that IL the drift don't swamp you, the
+ people in those cars viii jump in and
swamp you sure"
Puts Forth Alone in Boat.
/ Notwithstanding the attempts 20 dis
suade him, Arms pushed OF in the boat
alone. and with cries Of encouragement 20
+ the imperiled persons he finally reached
/ the cars and succeeded in taking Of the
injured mail clerks and baggageman.
afterWard safely landing them on the
/ bank Of the river.
/ The Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company presented Arms with 500 in
+ recognition Of his Eeroism, and the Post
on.ce Department took the matter 10 and
made application for a medal for him
under the act Of February y. 1868. which
provides for the award OF medals OF honor
/ for the saving of life upon railways or as
/ the result Of railway disasters
/ The case was carefully inquired into ny
/ the officers Of the government. and the
medal was forwarded yesterday with
letter Of transmittal from President
Roosevelt himself.
George Saves Boys Life.
/ George was granted a medal for saving
/ the life OF a Polish lad about twelve
I years Of agc. whose foot had become fas-
tened in d frog on the Delaware and Hud-
son Railway track at Parsons. Pa.
/ George and a number Of other persons
were on the station platform waiting the
approach OF a fast passenger train. WHEN
/ the screams Of the lad attracted their at
tention.
/ George Immediately started on a run
/ for the boy. hoping TO extricate him from
/ his pcrilous predicament before the train
reached him. He made one or two un-
/ successful attempts 20 release the foot. and
/ finding it impossible 10 do so before the
/ train reached him. he seized the boys
/ body. and bending it down outside the
rail. forced the imprisoned leg under the
engine cylinders, oil boxes, and steps of
/ the cars, which scraped their bodies as
/ they came along.
| The engineer applied the emergency
/ brakes. but did not succeed In stopping
until the locomotive and one car had
passed over Mr.. George and the boy. The