Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-27

he realized that he could not cross, yet
he knew that upon this one feat his
life probably depended. Both his feet
were frozen. and he feared that in his
weak and unsteady condition he would
certainly be blown from the bridge and
meet instant death in the chasm be-
low. Having to choose between what
he believed to be certain death on the
bridre and freezing to death further
back on the track, he chose the latter.
Upon the coming of the train his life
depended. Then, turning his back to
the village, where a few minutes be-
fore so much hope had centered, he
resumed his race for life.
He staggered along and more than
once was tempted to rest, for the pain
was excruciating: yet to pause would
be fatal. He could feel that he was
slowly freezing to death. He had
handkerchief tied over his ears and
they felt warm. He united ii to pro-
to find both ears swollen to the size of
his hand. AS he felt no pain in them
he tied the linen over his face and re-
sumed his weary tramp. If only train
would come-that was his only hope
of salvation. For three long weary
hours the unfortunate man KEEP, up his
monotonous tramp and bore his suffer-
ings with fortitude. Finally nature
could endure no more, and in an agony
of despair he sank fainting in the snow.
BY sheer force of will Fernisa kept his
senses about him. He crawled off the
track and remained there in a semi
conscious condition, how long he never
knew. He was fast losing conscious
ness when he fancied he heard the re-
port of a gun. Rousing himself up he
strained his ears and listened. The
listened in the sudden silence there
came a second and a third report. He
feebly raised the lantern which he still
held in his hand, then he could hear
the putting of the engine. The next he
knew he was surrounded by friends
and gently carried aboard the train. 1t
was the fast mail for whose coming he
had waited so long.
"As the train was rushing to Sedalia
the trainmen worked over the sufferer
like Trojans. At Sedalia he was taken
to hospital There is little more to
tell" said the veteran, knocking the
ashes out of his pipe, except that the
patient recovered in time. l believe,
though. that he lost his left ear and
that one or two fingers were ampu-
tated."
Speaking about personal bravery
said Jim Hall, an old freight conductor.
reminds me of Pat Conley, who was
rear brakeman on a Southern Ohio
train that broke in two while he was
on deck. He made for the brake wheel,
to keep the rear section from dashing
into the forward part of the broken
train. The brake chain snapped, he
was thrown off the car before the
wheels, and in an instant he had both
legs cut off below the knee and one
hand severed.
What was left of him was hurried
upon the engine to the station, fortu-
nately very near at hand. The stumps
were amputated and dressed without
anaesthetics, the call being too sudden
and summons too hasty to procure
them if the mans life was to be saved
at all. Pat never uttered sound.
Quivering with pain, white and per-
spring with agony, he never so much
as WINGED. Gangrene set in and the
arm had to be taken off above the ell
bow, but the brakeman never uttered
a groan. Late one night, when he was
still weak from the second operation.
the hospital cot on which he lay broke
down. Pat fell to the floor, the band
age was loosened upon his leg, the
ligatures burst, and but for the quick
action of the nurse Pat would have
rived the brakeman's face was drawn
with anguish. He was So weak from
loss of blood that it grew doubtful
whether life could be coaXed back into
done was attended to at once.
Painting, sick, racking with mex
pressible torture, the poor fellow look
ed up at the surgeon, who was COM
PEELED to stoop to his pillow to catch
the feeble words. In a whisper that
was inaudihle to the rest of the room
Pat murmured: Doc, hOw-long-l
ought a fellow to stand this before he
hollers?'
For Gods sake, Pat said the doc
tor, cry if YOU want to. It'll do YOU
good
Then, for the first time in all these
days of pain, Pat turned his face to the
wall and wept like a child.
That poor fellows case was worse
than your friends" said Hall, turning
to Stevens. He was one of the merry
lest men l ever heard Of but despite
his courage and endurance his case
was a hopeless one. and he died a hero
if ever there was one"
Il can add a story about heroes"
chimcd in Conductor Kingsley when
Jim Hall ended his yarn. With all
due respect /" Pat C"nl"y and Joe
Fcrnisa, I'm a hero, too" announced
Kingsley quite seriously, to ihc amaze
m"nt Of his listeners, for he was never
known to praise himself
I've a big reputation up north as a
man who'd stick to his post" began
the old conductor. 1T was when first
went to railruading that got this rep
utation. had been raised in a super
intcndcnt's family. and when | was old
enough | went to firing on the Milwau-
kee
About three months after I'd got a
regular run | was out on a freight
over night. We'd had a rush, and
was pretty tired, and at about II the
head brakeman took the fire for awhile
and | went to sleep. | was sitting on
the front end of the seat, dead to the
world, when n couple of red lights on
the tail end of the CabOOSc showed up.
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