SLATER PROVED HIMSELF A HERO
College Student Risked Life to Save Young Charges—Boy With Fractured Skull Expected to Recover.
That James R. Slater, the Rutgers College student who was with the boys run down by a train on the railroad trestle near Milltown Saturday morning, proved himself a hero was the verdict of all who heard the details of the accident from the lips of the boys. Withal, the young man, who was in charge of the boys, has been severely censured for undertaking the passage over such a dangerous spot as this trestle is known to be.
The train service on the Raritan River Railroad is so infrequent, however, that just such chances are taken by boys and older persons daily. The bridge in question spans Lawrence Brook, just west of Milltown, and is fully thirty feet high. Its floor-way is made of open cross ties, upon which but an insecure footing can be obtained.
It appears that the party, which, as stated in Saturday’s Home News, was composed of John Hendricks, Albert Hardy, Robert Swain and Eddie Reeves, had nearly reached the east end of the bridge on a “hike” toward Milltown. The boys are all members of the “Home Guards,” an organization of the First M. E. Church. Hearing a train approaching, all made a dash for safety and probably would have succeeded had not young Hendricks got his foot caught in some way between the ties.
The Hardy boy stopped to help him and Mr. Slater, directing the other two boys to continue, went back to where Hendricks was vainly trying to extricate himself. Just as their combined efforts succeeded in wresting the foot free, the train swept into sight, only a short distance away. In this emergency, Mr. Slater retained his presence of mind and advised his young charges to lie flat along the edges of the ties, on the outside of the rails, himself taking the position nearest the oncoming train.
Like many of the trains on the R. R. RR., this proved to be a combination train, made up principally of freight cars, but with a passenger car attached at the rear end. The projecting steps of this car struck Mr. Slater, and he with the boys, was swept from their precarious positions to the gully thirty feet below. Fortunately they had passed beyond the waters of the brook, thus obviating the danger of drowning.
All sustained pretty severe injuries, John Hendricks being the greatest sufferer. He was picked up unconscious and taken to St. Peter’s Hospital, where he was found to have a slight fracture of the skull. The Hardy boy suffered a broken leg and was taken to his home on Drift Street. Mr. Slater was badly shaken up but escaped having any bones broken. At St. Peter’s Hospital today it was stated that young Hendricks was gaining nicely and is expected to pull through all right. The Hendricks boy is a nephew of Freeholder Peter H. S. Hendricks.
Frank Hoffman, superintendent of the Raritan River Railroad, was here investigating the accident. He said that the train was going slowly at the time. All trains going south have to go slowly at this point because the bridge is approached around a sharp curve.
“The train was going at the rate of about ten miles an hour,” said Mr. Hoffman. “The fireman saw the party on the bridge, near the end closest to the train and called to the engineer, who put on the air. If the boys had run a few feet toward the Milltown end of the bridge they would have been unhurt, but they were panic stricken and stood stock-still until the engine hit them.”
