Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1911 — FIREMAN’S BRAVE DEED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FIREMAN’S BRAVE DEED

GEORGE ROELL TAKES HIGH RANK IN BAND OF HEROES. ■ Railroad Man Have Reason to Be Proud of Act of One of Their Brotherhood Child's Life Saved at Terrible Sacrifice. To George Poell of Grand Island. Neb., fell the honor of receiving the

first of the medals authorized by congress especially for the reward of heroism in connection with the fascinating and dangerous occupation of railroading. Geo. Poell at the time he performed the courageous act which should have made him famous in a land less likely to forget such deeds than is the United States, was a fireman on the

St. Joseph & Grand Island railway. On June 26, 1905, his train of 30 load«d freight cars was humming down the line from Grand Island to the little town of Hanover. C. H. Bishop, the engineer, had his throttle open, and the train was making 30 miles an hour, when suddenly, about a mile •from the town of Powells, the engineer made an emergency application ■of brakes, reversed his engine and sounded his whistle. Startled. Poell leaned from the tender, and, looking ahead down the track saw a quarter of a mile away a little sunny-haired baby standing between the rails. The child did not realise its danger, and faced the engine smiling. Then it turned and toddled down the track. The train was running on a down

grade, and the brakes worked badly, causing the cars to “bunch” and ■hake. Poell realized that the train could not be stopped in time. Without saying a word to the engineer Poell went out of the window of the cab, crept along the running board and finally gained the pilot, on the left hand side. Leaning forward he swung out ahead of his engine, and, Just in the nick of time, grasped the child with his left hand, while he clutched the pilot with the other. The •top upon which the fireman had to stand was only four inches wide, and

It was slippery from passing through the weeds and grass which lined the right of way. Ln attempting to swing the child Into safety he lost his footing and fell. Ab he went over he threw the baby to one side, but in doing so his own left toot was caught in some part of the engine gear. Poell went under the wheels, but to one side. Re was dragged over the ends of the lies for 130 feet and over a bridge 30 feet long. Then his left foot was wrenched from the ankle socket, the man's body was released. and, with both arms broken, and face and body terribly bruised and torn, he plunged down an embankment

When the train was finally stopped and members of the crew reached the man, they found him unconscious. His first thought was for the baby, and before he would permit anything to be done for him he sent his comrades back for the child. The baby, little Paul Ussary, the 2H-yearold son of John Ussary. a railroad station agent, escaped with a few bruises, but Poell was in the hospital for a long time. Even after he would have been ready to walk with a crutch he could not owing to the fact that both of his arms had been fractured so that the man had to be carried about in a helpless condition for weeks. His medal of honor, the first under the new act of congress passed in 1905, accompanied by a special letter of commendation from President Rosevelt, reached Poell on October 4, 1906. Since then 11 other names have been added to the roll of merit in the railroad world.