Salt Lake Tribune | 1906-01-03 | Page 8 | Hero Tells Own Story Brave Act

HERO TELLS 01 STORURAVE ACT Fireman ho Saved Child's Life Describes the Perilous Feat. CRIPPLED FOR LIFE rXDKR E Mi INK WHEELS Man Awarded (told Medal hv the President Talks of Sensations, Sen-sations, GRAND miiAND, Nb . Jan 2 George Poell. the D reman on the St. Joseph Grand liliin.l rnllroad who recently received a letter let-ter from President Roosevelt, noticing him (hat he had been awarded a gold medal for saving the life of a child, thereby nearly losing los-ing his own haa told In hla own words the story of his deed of heroism Many Of t be details of hla heroic act are now told for the first time Father Sells Photos Mr Poell lives with his wife and her mother In a mivi .st little heme purchased wholly from the proceeds or the uje "f biM photograph and that of the child he ri - i The photographs were sold by the rescued child's father. The eovl of tho county alo showed their admlratl in fur Mr. Poell by electing him County Clerk, an office which pays J1500 a enr Mr r-ocii was unknown In th- (Hall) ri.iinty. and bis --..In lumpnlgn I?mio was hl rescue of the rhlld. Story of n Daring Deed. The child whose life was Ha ml by Mr. Poell In so taring a manner wns Paul I'ssary, the 'l-ear-old on of John I'yanrv. the Htatkm agent at Powell. ,Sh on June 26 last the Child was seen on the track ahead Of a train, which was running ot n rule of thlrtv mll.-a an hour The train eould not be stopped In time an I Mr Poe climbed out of his cab, crawled to the locomotor, pilot snatched the hll.i fr .ni certain death, and threw It to ono Hid" of ih- trurl. In d.ilrig s.'. he Mlpp d nnd fell. Ho was caught either under the pilot or the wheel ,,f the engine truck, and was diHggud 30J f. . t bumping uvei Hie piid-i ..f Ibe ties HIm right foot was torn off at the ankle, both arms were broki n. and hla tb h frightfully fright-fully torn and bruised. Talking today of his thrilling experience. Mr Poell called attention to the feet that in every account, so far as published. It had b-n -tat.-rl that he tbr.ught of his little brother at hrme at the time. Tells How He Did It. I don't know where the newspapers gut that," s,ld Mr Poell 'Though I have a little brother at the Old home In Hanover 1 Just didn't happen to think of him ' In (slot, there wasn't much time to think w.-re rounding h curve at a pretty good rate ami on u down grade with a heavy train Suddenly the engineer put on the emergency l -.ike. I looked out ahead. There wan a child on the track. "The little fellow Peemeil to have heard us. and lr. his childish way appeared to turn partly part-ly around and then tildle off straight ahead of the engine, as If to run away from us und beat us. Only Thing to Do. "The -nglneer could not leave his post. I saw at once that we could not stop tho train In time. I can still sec those little blond" curls bobbing up and down. Something told me I must tun out. get on the pilot, and sweep him off the track, ond well, that was the only thing there was to do. In some way I Slipped gOl i aught Just below the cvllnder. was Iragged quite a distance, and thin dropped."