Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-20
life SAVING
MEDAL GIVEN
Central Power Safety
Club Holds Meet
In Weslaco

wESLACO, July 2O.-About 600
employees and visitors Of the Central
Power and Light company attended
the Dan Webster Safety Meeting and
witnessed the presentation of an In
sull Medal and Certificate of Merit
70 NJ. A. Smith Of Weslaco, by T.. b.
Neiswanger of San Antonio, at the
Weslaco high school auditorium.
The meeting was one of a series OF
meetings of the Dan Webster club.
Frank c. Ludden presided at the
meeting J.. II. Coleman talked on ice
Manufacturing and Handling" A. b.
Weaver spoke on the Operation and
Maintenance of Automobiles; a
housekeeping report was made by
James Sweeney Of the ice depart
ment. A demonstration Of the Sehater
prone pressure method OF resusclta-
ton for life saving was given, snow
ing the methods of working on one,
two and three men at one time. An
analysis Of accidents and their costs
was discussed by j. l.. Bates. John
Morton of San Antonio, head OF the
Bureau Of Safety read a list OF the
accidents for the Valley district for
this period and asked the cooperation
Of all foremen and managers TO re-
duce this number.
History OF Club
N~eiswanger, vice president Of the
Central Power and Light company,
gave a history of the Dan Webster
club in the Valley, stating that the
club was named Dan Webster club
because OF the fact Dan Webster was
the first man TO meet death by acci-
dent on the Central Power and Light
company's Valley properties.
lie also stated that IN 1919 tne
Safety Bureau was organized and IN
1919 il was incorporated, and mas
spread until il now serves one hun
dred forty companies in thirty states.
The insult Medal was decided upon
after a meeting in 1919 Of a commits
sion sponsored by the American Med
zeal association, the National Electric
Light association and the American
institute of Electrical Engineers, VINO
made a report as to the efficiency
and the technique Of the Schafer
prone pressure method Of resusclta-
ton.
Many Saved
AS q result Of its adoption by the
National Electric Light association
many successful cases Of resusclta-
ton from electrical shock were re-
ported by the member operating COM
panies. These cases were so num-
erous that the National Electric Light
association very much desired some
expression of appreciation to those
who had been instrumental in saving
lives. This desire was brought to the
attention Of Samuel Insult and in
1922 he agreed to finance a medal
to be awarded by the association,
known as the insult Medal. The pur-
pose of this medal was to show ap-
probation and recognition for the
saving Of human life. The greatest
OF care IL exercised in awarding the
medal. Affidavits are required TO
show that respiration had ceased and
that all awards are meritorious.
Since 1922 more than two handred
and fourteen Of these med.is have
been given out with twenty six cases
pending.
Smith Saved Ian
The Bureau offers the insult Medal
for conspicuous heroism or faithful
ness IN life saving, as in the case Of
Charles BRAKEMAN, who came in con-
tact with . trolley wire of the ice
hoist in the Weslaco plant az 2 p. m
on February i2. 1927. and due to the
shock respiration had ceased entirely,
Smith, being the engineer at the
plant, worked faithfully on Brakeman
using the prone pressure method Of
resuscitation for 45 minutes unaided.
Smith saw BRAKEMAN when he came
in contact with the wire, and went
10 his rescue without waiting 10 sum-
mons help. II vas due TO his heroic
work that the medal and certificate
was awarded.
The Central Power and Light Com
pary quartet composed of Lewis
Hirsch, II. w. St. John, ". L. Will
liams and L. r. Boiling gave several
selections on the program which were
we'll received.