The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-09-01
SAVED HUSBAND
FROM QUICKSkND
Cings 10 Life and Finally Is Brought
20 Shore and SAfety-SUings on
- Limb Of Tree.

NEW pecial.-Wtth every
muscle and tendon strained TO the
Jamaica, L. l.. Thursday helped her
husband, James Barth. TO wrench
himself free from a Quicksand that
threatened 10 engulf him.
Clinging TO his wife and slowly
climbing out inch by inch. working
up frem her ankle to her waist as
she hung over him from the bough
OF tree. Barth finally managed to
free himself from the sand that was
sucking him 10 death. But in doing
so he tested the heroism of the brave
little woman, who exhibited the
strength of a giant in supporting the
strain. She collapsed when her hus-
band finally wrenched himself free.
The Barths are well known in ia
maica- Mr.. Barth is bass solOist in
st. Mary's Catholic Church. He
weighs over 200 pounds. His wife is
sligh> and frail. They live on West
Street
Mr.. and Mrs. Barth went berrying
Thursday. They had heard that there
were elderberries to be had on q piece
of boggy ground on the shore of ia
maica Bay. but did not know that in
the middle Of this bog there was a
dangerous Quicksand.
Wife Swings Out on Limb of Tree.
They found the berries plentiful,
and Barth, standing fer several min
his basket half full when he attempt
ed to rejoin his wife, who was nearer
the roadway.
To his horror he found that he had
sunk 10 his ankles in the soft mud
and that every effort to free himself
only mired him deeper in the bog. 1t
was not until he had made several at
tempts to escape that he realized the
gravity of the situation.
BY this time he had sunk to his
knees and every effort made his
imprisonment in the Quicksand more
told her of his danger, but warned
her not to attempt to reach his side.
If I could only reach that branch,
he said, pointing TO the bough of a
tree that hung several feet above
him, L could pull myself out"
We'll, l can reach il and you can
reach me-" said his wife, and grasp
ing the branch she edged herself care
fully along until she hung at the very
end of il. She was still some dis
tance from her husband. but she
swung back and forth until her feet
were within reach of him.
1t was almost all she could do to
hang there, suspending her own slight
weight, ano when Barth desperately
caught her by the ankles the strain
seemed uDbearable- But the plucky
little woman knew that upon her de-
pended Barth's life.
She dug her slender fingers into the
branch and closed her eyes din an
agony Of pain while Barth pulled with
all his strength and finally freed him
self from the trap into which he had
fallen.
She Collapses After Ordeal.
The struggle was a desperate one
Tor the man and torture for the wo-
man, but she held on with grim de-
termination while he clasped her first
by the ankles, then the knees and
finally by the waist, and then with a
supreme effort lifted himself wholly
out OF the quicksand, caught the limb
and swung to firm ground.
The wife dropped by his side utter
ly exhausted, and Barth after a min
ute's rest lifted her in his arms and
carried her to the trolley line a mile
away, where they got a car to their
home.
Physicians were called immediate
ly. who said Mrs. Barth had reached
the absolute limit of her physical
strength in bearing the weight of her
husband and herself. The full ex-
tent OF the injuries resulting
from the muscular strain are not vet
known, but the brave woman's nerves
were seriously affected by the physical
and mental agony Of those moments
when she stood between her husband
and an awful death.