Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1908 — CLOSE CALL FOR DR. E.C. ENGLISH [ARTICLE]

CLOSE CALL FOR DR. E.C. ENGLISH

Almost Losses Life by Drowning. Horse Drowns and Doctior Has Miraculous Escape. There Is a great amount of good fortune that Dr. E. C. English is alive to tell the story of his Thursday night adventure, for the horse he was driving was drowned, the buggy wrecked and he lost his medicine case of surgical instruments. The accident occurred Thursday night at the bridge over the Loughridge open ditch, on the road running past the farm occupied by John L. Smith and the Frank Parker farm occupied by Dan E. Lesh. It is a large ditch and was swollen out of its banks by the heavy rain Of Thursday afternoon, and which had partially inundated the bridge which is without any railing. Dr. English had been called into consultation In dr surgical case by Dr. L M. Washbutn, to a place several miles beyond .the scene of the accident, and had hired a livfery rig ffom Duvall Brds. stable. He had picked his way thru the darkness to this ditch and then Just trusted to the horse to find the way. They had Just crossed the, bridge when the horse stepped off the upstream side of the grade and

the buggy went off and was overturned at the same time. The swift current strong the buggy around against the bridge and after Dr. English had succeeded in extricating himself from his position in the buggy which had the top up, he clung to the buggy until he reached the bridge, but he could not cope with the strength of the current enough to raise himself up on the bridge and he was carried beneath it. He caught hold of the bridge rafters as he went under and worked himself to the bank as he emerged from the lower side of the bridge. He had been In water up to his neck and was wet thru and thru. He could do nothing for the horse and so went to Dan Lesh’s house, got out of his wet clothes, donned clothes belonging to Mr. Lesh and he had the latter take him on to the place he had originally started for,which was reached without further adventure. Dr. Washburn, knowing Dr. English had departed at a certain time was mugh alarmed at his delay and had taken a lantern and gone in search of him. On their way home they also lost their way in trying to reach the road and did not get their bearings for some time. Duvall Bros. Vent to the place where the horse was drowned and succeeded in getting It out and burytng lt. They found the buggy com-

pletely demolished and estimate the total loss at S2OO. The horse was a well known livery animal and went by the sobriquet of “John Summers.’’ Dr. English wore his heavy fur overcoat, which was open and which spread out over the water and helped to keep him from sinking and he attributes his escape to this fact. It was a very close call and the doctor and his many friends are rejoicing that it resulted with no more serious consequences.