The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-26
THREE ARE SAVED
Modern Heroes Develop at a
VineWOod Picnic.
Man and Baby Pulled From Be-
meath Car Wheels.
WATCHING AIR BRAKE
Little Four Year.Old Examin-
ing "the N0ise."
Street Railway Guard Saves
Child as Car Starts.
W WATCHING AIR BRAKE

| Some heroes are born, some are made
and others have this reputation thrust
/ upon them-and then there are still
others who are unlucky enough not to
have a newspaper reporter near when
their deed is performed.
| There are two heroes in topeka
whose performances along the heroic
| line have startled and received the al :
| miration of those who happened to be
| on the scene of action, and then like a
comet they disappeared and only in
their own horizon and in that of two
ever thankful parents has the incident
remained visible.
During a picnic at Vinewood not long
ago two young linemen of the Topeka
street railway, Edward Holt and De
Vile S. Hawkins, saved from instant
death under the wheels of a big trailer
a little three-year-old baby which had
dropped from the platform and was III
the middle of the track.
Holt, the younger and smaller of the
linemen attempted to grab the baby
from in front of the car and Hawkins
leaped from the platform of the car and
saved the lives of both his fellow line
man and the little child.
The accident was witnessed by at
least 500 people and happened so quick
ly that they hardly realized what had
happened until both man and baby
were safe from the sure death of the
fast approaching car.
1t was about five o'clock in the even
ing and the cars were crowded. Scores
of motors and trailers had been led out
On the spur at the head of the park
tracks. When the crowds gathered
these cars were backed down from this
spur and after being loaded at the plat
form were pulled out from the station
rounded the loop and came back to the
city.
A big motor and two of the large
double truck trailers were backing in
from the spur in preparation to the
handling of crowd of at least 800 peo-
pie who had gathered In jams clear to
the edge of the platform which is about
two feet above the level of the track.
The railway officials had stationed
these two linemen, Hoyt and Hawkins,
on the rear of the last trailer to guard
against any accident and warn the
crowds on the platform from crowding
too close to the edge of the planks and
thus liable to a ''side-swipe" from the
approaching cars. Practically all OF
the linemen and extra workmen on the
system had been shifted to the park
this day for the purpose of keeping or
der among the thousands Of children.
These cars were backing down to
the loading platform and the motor
man was changing his gong while the
deputies around the tracks were yell
ing warnings to the crowds surging
to the entrances. But these warnings
and street car gongs are heard at all
times and the human ear learns to
take them as a matter of course and
they are not heeded-especially in the
case of many small children-they
were all laughing and yelling with
glee.
Just as the cars were approaching
the gang plank near the far end OF
boy either jumped or was pushed from
the platform and fell in the middle of |
the track right in the path of the on |
coming cars. A deafening cry at once
went up from the mob but the motor |
man three cars ahead changing his |
gong and seeing. practically nothing |
neither saw nor heard. The cars con-
Ed Hoyt and DeVille Hawkins, |
were yelling to the little |
baby but in innocent interest at such |
and only clapped it's little hands and |
screamed in joy at the novelty of the |
scene. The rear platform of the last |
trailer was within three feet of the |
baby when the real heroic part of the |
story was enacted.
Youne Hoyt climbed over the rail- |
ing and leaping down from the plat |
form of the car he made a lunge at |
the baby in an attempt to either knock |
it off the track or grab it in his arms
and leap from between the rails. But |
his foot slipped on the ties and in the |
quick struggle to regain his foothold |
he fell with the child beneath him, |
his head falling over one rail and the |
body of the child directly resting on
his shoulders. The scene was appal.
ling and in the space of a fraction of |
a second several women had tainted, |
and the screams of children gave a |
terrible touch to the scene. All ex-
pected to see both man and child |
crushed beneath the wheels and suffer |
a horrible death.
But DeVille Hawkins was not on
the back Of the platfrom as a specta-
tor He took in the situation before
the danger had dawned upon the
crowds witnessing the act and he too |
THREE REASONS