The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-25
Neil R. Godfrey, Losing Leg,
Almost Lost His Life
on Track
FLAT CAR ROLLED
EVEN TO HIS BODY
Wheel Stopped as 1t 4: med
Sleeve of Goa :
the Rail )


a brakeman's pres, :. Of mind prob.
ably saved the life of Neil r. Godfrey
in an accident which occurred in the NJ.
& W. r. freight yards late Saturday
afternoon while the Barre & Chelsea rail-
road locomotive, Granite City, was
shunting a fiat car laden with Barre
granite along the scale track. Godfrey
slipped from the front running board on
the locomotive beneath the fiat car and
sustained the loss of his left leg at the
knee, but prompt action on the part OF
o. W. Hastings, another brakeman who
was on the running board with Godfrey
and pulled the young man quickly to
the outside of the track, ayerted much
more serious injuries. Engineer A. p.
Burnham heard the warning cries OF God
frey's fellow train workers and reversed
his brakes just as the rear wheel of the
fiat car was about to pass over Godfrey's
left arm. In another moment the wheel
would have crushed his body.
Train men had to cut the young mans
coat in order to release his arm, the gar
ment being caught between the hanges
of the wheel and the rail DR.. j. A.
Wark was called and an ambulance was
hurriedly summoned. While the physi
clan and ambulance were rushing to the
scene OF the accident cot was procured
from the Lamorey Clothing Co.'S store
and Godfrey was removed from the
track The accident occurred soon after
3 80 o'clock and few moments later at
the City hospital the young railroad man
submitted to an operation for the re-
moval Of the limb two inches below the
knee Unless there are complications
he will recover from the effects Of the
accident.
Godfrey passed his 3oth birthday in
the hospital Sunday. He is the son of
Frank Godfrey of Williamstown and had
been employed as brakeman on the
Barre & Chelsea road for two years. He
is a competent draughtsman, but took
up railroading when he returned from
an extended sojourn in the Canadian
Northwest four years ago.
Railroad men who were in the yard or
aboard the train when the accident hap
ened are at a loss to account Tor the
circumstances under which Godfrey near
" lost his life The Granite City To-
eomotive with Engineer Burnham at the
throttle came down from Prospect street
in charge of Conductor R. H. Brown and
shifted to the scale track to get load
of granite that was to have been trans
ferred to Burnhams meadow. The coup
ling had been made and the locomotive
had gone the length of a car when God
frey slipped. Car Inspector James OCon-
nell who was on the ground alongside
the locomotive, and Brakeman Hastings
who was with Brakeman Godfrey on the
foot board. were the only ones who wit
messed the accident Conductor Brown
had started for the freight station with
the weight bill.
According to Mr.. Hastings, Godfrey
was on the running board when ne
slipped and fell toward the car, Hast
ings grabbed the young man and threw
him toward the outside of the rails, and
at the same time shouted to the engineer
70 reverse the brakes. How much the
latter's prompt response as wen as
Brakeman Hastings presence OF NINA
figured in minimizing Godfreys injuries
was revealed when the tralnmen came
10 remove the young man from the ral's'
Although it had been raining, the run
ming beard was dry and officials state
that the board was in no way defective
as the locomotive was given thorough
examination in the car shop Sept. II.
Godfrey retained consciousness ano
pluckilv aided the trainmen in making
nrenarations for his removal to the nos
pital