Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-02-07
FRED DAVIS
NARROW escape

OF the number of persons stru ck by
the cars annually, comparatively few
survive to relate their experience still
fewer after meeting with such an &C
cident escape without an injury or
with injuries so slight as to be hardly
worth taking into account.
To the lucky few making up the lat
ter class belongs Fred Davis, a sixteen
year-old boy, who resides with his
grandmother, Mrs. Mullen, on Upper
Mulberry street. Fred was struck by
the cars on the Centre street crossing
Friday night and hurled sixteen feet
and yet his injuries were so slight
that Saturday evening he was able to
leave the house and to spend an hour
or so with his boyhood companions.
Fred is employed at the Structural
Tubing works. The accident occurred
Friday evening about 6 80 o'clock as
he was on his way home from work
with another boy by the name of
Thomas Foust. They were walking
on the P. g. r. track and had reached
the Centre street crossing when push
er running tender first came along be-
hind them.
After passing the Bloom street cross
ing the engine took on more steam and
flew forward at a good speed The
engineer sounded the whistle for the
crossing, but in spite of the warning
the boy was struck and hurled out in
the middle of the street.
AS soon as the locomotive could be
stopped it was backed up to the cross
ing and the fireman quickly dismount-
ed to make an investigation.
To the surprise of all the boy. by
that time, was on his feet. He de-
clared that he was not hurt, and pick
ing up his dinner bucket he started
for home
To say the boy wholly escaped
would not be in accordance with facts.
He was bruised where he was struck
by the locomotive ard badly Jared by
the impact when he struck the hard
frozen ground He was obliged to
keep his bed the greater part of the
day Saturday.
The story as told by the two boys is
as follows: AS they approached the
crossing they heard the locomotive
whistle. To get out of the way Fred
climbed up on heap of snow near the
track. which had been left there by the
workmen when the crossing was
shoveled off
just as the engine came along Fred
slipped and fell down against it. He
was struck just below the right should
er by a corner Of the tender and
thrown with terrific force, luckily
striking the ground several feet from
the track AS the engine dashed by
the boy lay in the street insensible.
His companion few to his side, hard
ly dreaming but that Fred was fatally
or at least very seriously hurt. He
lifted him to his feet, but the injured
boy staggered few steps and then fell
to the ground again. By the time the
pusher had returned he had arisen and
was able to walk
He was still dazed when he reached
home and suffered considerable pain.
DR.. Shultz. the family physician. be-
ing called, made an examination and
concluded that no bones were broken.
Neither did the physician see any
evidence of internal injuries. On Sat
urday the boys back was badly swol-
len where he was struck by the push
er 4; he was unable to stand in an erect
position and altogether he felt very
badly as the result of the accident. 1t
was thought. however, that all un-
pleasant effects would wear off N a