West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-02-21
A DOo RAN DOWN TO THE RIVER AND
uAltKED

DARKED.
moved 20 the home OF c. S. Mosby. two
miles south OF Loring. Kan. where no
was given stlmulnnts. lie said:
II believe that II was my position on
the window seat that saved my lie"
said DOrtch. Just before we got 10
the bridge shoveled I'm some coal. and
then got up on the seat on my knees
and leaned out of the window on my
elbows. When the engine went down
the lurch threw me out OF the window
The brakeman was sitting I'm front OF
me, but his window was not up. nnd he
did not have time 90 get out
When | struck the water II seemed
as If I went down fifteen or twenty
feet They say that the engine ex-
ploded, but | did not hear IT, All /
heard was the crash ms II went through
the bridge. The boiler must have ex-
ploded while ] was under the water
When / came up | was about thirty
yards from the shore. / tried To- swim
10 the bank. but the current was so
strong / could not make II. 1t was
hard work swimming. wore heavy
shoes, and i did not think 20 take Off
my gloves, or. In fact, / did not have
time TO remove them. A piece OF tim.
Der went by. and ! grabbed hold OF it
and noated down the stream.
AT the mouth OF XIII creek where Il
flows into the Kaw river. lodged on
small sand bar But when / tried 10
stand up the sand sank under my feet
Just then piece OF box car noated by.
1t looked as n It would make good
raft, nnd so ! got aboard and was Off
In n hurry.
"Tho wreck happened n little before
z o'clock. It was cloudy and raining
md was still dark The water was
full OF all kinds Of wreckagc. but
could not discern any Of the objects.
Half mile below the bridge I saw
something floating by the side Of my
raft ] thought II was the body Of q
man, perhaps that Of tine engineer or
brakeman. When II came nearer
reached out ana tried 20 get hold Of IL.
! found that It was the body Of a
dcad steer Only part OF its bacl,
was showing above the water. Two
carloads OF steers Just back Of the en-
gine went through the bridge
1.-TWO miles down the river passed
the first farmhouse. called nt the top
OF my voice a dog ran down 90 the
river and barked. but saw no human
being. Every time I passed house 7
called out In fact, believe ] yelled
nll the way down until toward the last
I became 30 cold I couldn't keep 70 UP.
My clothes were soaked through. and
cold wind was blowing I tore q pleco
OF sheet iron OF. the raft and held it
up I'm front Of me TO break the wind
About seven miles down the river I
passed n rock crusher, and "a man saw
me. IL was r.. J. Bowers. the superln-
tcndcnt lie ran few hundred yards
down the river bank 10 the home OF
q. S. MOsby. / saw them dragging a
rOwboat toward the water Mr MOsby
rowed out into the middle of the
stream. The boat was so light that
he was afraid Il would turn over if
tried 10 get in. lie threw me "a rope
md told me TO tie II around my body.
20 that n I fell on the raft hc would
have me The bank was go high no that
point we could not 60 ashore. md we
were compelled TO float nearly hlIf n
mile farther down the river before we
could find a landing place 10 was
q pretty tough experience. but when
think OF those other two men I feel I
gm q lucky one"