The Mount Holly news., 1916-01-25
A THRRIBLE ACCIDENT.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Mount Holly had one of the most $
> we're shocks it has felt in years on Satu
day afternoon when about two o'cloc
/, telephone messages for help were receive
! at different parts Of the town. The n
D port was that four little boys had bee
+ killed while playing near the Mount
There was quick response to the appes
: for assistance, and in short time ther
, was large rescuing party at the scene
The sight that then presented itsel
, was enough to make the stronges
shudder. On the southern side of tn
Mount huge mass of earth and ston'
had fallen and pinned under it wer'
four boys.
The rescuers at once began to worl
heroically. A plank was secured an6
with this and an automobile jack the
mass Of rock was raised. 1t was found
that life remained in two of the little
fellows, and some of the rescuers
scratched away the dirt with their hands
air. The stones and earth were finally
removed so that all of the boys could be
released, but it was too late to save two
OF them. Howard Powell and Ernest
Street were dead when reached; Russell
Street and BERTHE Sellers still breathed.
Fortunately a number of doctors were at
hand when the call for help was sent
out and they worked with all their
might to revive the two who were still
breathing. They were finally taken to
the Burlington County Hospital.
The boys ranged in age from II to IA
years. They, with many others. had
been in the habit of playing at the
place where the accident occurred. and
had dug cave under the side of the
Mount. Hanging over the heads of the
boys was ledge composed of sand and
stone of hard nature, but made more
so owing to its being frozen. The boys
had built fire under the ledge, and
this, with the thawing which had taken
place. loosened piece that weighed
easily two tons, and without a moments
warning this fell ON the youthful VIC
TINS.
There were several other boys around
the cave and the accident was witnessed
by them as well as by some of the
neighbors in the vicinity, SO as soon as
telephones could be got working the call
for help was sent out. The boys who
were killed were suffocated. Ernest
Street did not show any signs of extreme
suffering, nor were there any bruises on
his body; but Powell was crushed so
badly that his face was horribly dis
torted, and it was only by his clothing
that his father was able to recognize him.
Russell Street also suffered from suffoca-
ton, and it was only by the hardest
work on the part of the physicians that
he was revived sufficiently to be taken
to the hospital Sellers, in addition to
the suffocation, had q broken ankle.
This did not concern him very much,
and when he was asked about it he said:
"Never mind my leg, only save my
life."
The two boys in the hospital are get
ting along nicely and Russell Street may
be able to leave the institution today or
tomorrow. He is suffering from shock,
abrasions and sprained wrist. BERTHE
Sellers is not in 80 good condition, as
he has broken ankle, and is also suffer
ing from the shock and soreness of the
lungs. 1t was feared that amputation
would be necessary in this case, but that
operation has been averted by skillful
surgical treatment.
The boys had formed a little scout
band" of their own, and had been in the
habit of playing around the town, the
cave being one OF their principal places
of amusement. They had built fort
and put up breastworks in front of the
cave. In various places they had put
tin cans for cannons, and had gathered
barbed wire and old fence wire which
they had stretched around the fort as a
means of protection against invaders.
Their efforts along this line showed that
they had been reading of the methods
used in the present war across the
ocean. There were large number
of lads in the band, but fortunately
they were not all in the place where the
fatal ending occurred. Some OF them
were nearby, and it was through their
efforts that the prompt alarm was given.
The unfortunate lads lived in the up
per part of the town. Mrs. Ella Street,
mother Of the Street boys, lives on Ris-
don street; Sellers parents on Broad
street, and Howard Powell's parents re-
side on Cherry street. Coroner Gaskill
was among the first to arrive at the
scene, and he saw that the affair was an
accident for which nobody was to be |
held accountable. The place had been |
. playground for boys for long time
and none of them had ever dreamed OF
the danger that lurked above them.
Saturdays sorrowful accident showed |
the necessity Of having proper appara-
tus with which to try to restore life. The |
physicians worked hard with the oxygen |
tank and with hypodermics to strength
en- the hearts action, and as result
two boys are now living. A pulmometer is
very useful in cases of this kind and at
other times when such strenuous meas
ures are not absolutely necessary.
Whether the life Of third boy could
have been saved with such an apparatus
is doubtful, but there should be one
within reach for emergency cases, al
though it Is to be hoped such another
will never occur in this vicinity.
The Burlington County Hospital should
have pulmometer ready for use at mo
ment's notice, but it will require more
money than that institution can readily
part with at present, and in fact it
should not be called upon to take the
sum out Of it's treasury. The good work
this hospital does without compensation
entities it to some reward. The instru-
ment mentioned will cost over 500, and
there certainly are ten public-spirited