Show BRAVE FEAT OF A POSTAL CLERK SAVES MAIL FROM BURNING CAR THEN TAKES CHANCE FOR LIFE WITH LEAP STORY OF HIS EXPERIENCE Gathers Letters and Registered Matter Mat-ter Into Pouch Tosses Them Out of Car and Jumps Into Flames of Wreckage Washington Railway mall clcrki frequently experience danger In the line of their duties but few mart thrilling accounts of escapes from death over have been chronicled than that given in an official report to the postafllco department by John M Me Croskey a railway mall clerk on tha Washington Orrvllle Spokane railroad rail-road On the morning of August 21 the train of which his car was a part ran Into a burning bridge about two miles south of Dart Siding Wash Much of the train was destroyed by fire but through McCroskeys heroism some of tho mall was saved Following Is his own story of his experience OB given to Gen Supt Alexander Grant of the railway mall service 1 had no warning of tho approaching approach-ing accident until tho engineer applied ap-plied the emergency brakes just before be-fore the engine plunged through the burning bridge The mall car followed fol-lowed tho engine striking on tho en glno tank sliding up over the tank crushing the cab and stopping on top of its back The jat throw mo backward back-ward over the paper rack wrenching my back I regained my feet in a few seconds and went to the door tr find that the mull car was seme 4C cot abovo the creek and on fire Just then EOIIIO part of tho tmglne exploded blowing lire gas and lUeara In every direction and making cicnpe for mo Impossible at that time I returned re-turned to the letter car and gathered up what letters and registers I could Slid placed the letters In a pouch and brew them out of the car The Ieg Is tors and dater pad and type I put tn my handbag and threw that intc the creek I saw it was up to me to make my escape as best I could without aid for the car was a mass of flames and I t19IWkI J 4 yf I at Last Took a Chance for My Life and Jumped the heat was so Intense no ono could get near enough to tile burning wreckage wreck-age to be of any assistance to me I then tried to climb out on tho loft side of the car but the flames drove me back into tho car I then went to tile door on the right side of the car and on looking down when I could see through the smoke flames and steam could see nothing but wreckage and a mass of flames on the rocks 40 feet below into which I at last tool a chance and Jumped I tried to leap clear of the wreck but that was Impossible anti I alighted among the burning timbers of the bridgo that had been knocked down as the engine crashed through the bridge I was rescued from furtbet danger by a special agent of the GI cat Northern Railroad Company My back neck and shoulders wort severely wrenched and my right knee was bruised and sprained by the Jump from the car to the burning wreckage In tho creek |