Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — Saved by Three Boys. [ARTICLE]

Saved by Three Boys.

Three boys of Plainfield, N. J., shouk be honored with the humane society’s medal for saving two little girls from drowning. The New York Tribune thus relates the story of the rescue: Mamie Long and Florence Wilson, two little girls, had a narrow escape from being drowned in Tiers Lake. There Is a raceway from the pond to the mill, a short distance away. The gates were open to allow the water to. flow into the race and thus relieve the pressure on the dam. The children were gathering wild flowers. Attracted by the rush of water through the race, they stepped upon a plank which projected over the edge of the lake, and it tipped over, and both girls went into the water directly in front of the race. Harry Boyd, a colored lad, witnessed the accident. He and Tommy and Willie Martin hurried to the spot. There was nothing to be seen of the girls, and the boys concluded they had been carried into the race, in which case an attempt at rescue was useless. A moment later Mamie Long came to the surface. One of the boys plunged in, although he ran the risk of being caught in the race and carried down. He aided the girl to the bank, where she seized the framework of the gates and was drawn out. Florence Wilson did not rise, so Boyd, who had thrown off his clothing, plunged in. He found her near the gateway, under ten feet of water, and brought her to the surface. She quickly revived. To-day both girls are apparently no worse for their adventure.