IAGenWeb - Scott County
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOLK BACKGROUND
E. SERVIS FIREMAN HAS A NARROW ESCAPE
From Being Crushed and Drowned In River Red St. Clair, employee on ferryboat Robinson saved by timely action of engineer Roderick St. Clair, fireman on the ferryboat Robinson which plys between Davenport and Rock Island, had a narrow escape from almost from almost certain death while the boat was pulling up to the Davenport bank. The whole thing happened in the space of a very few minutes and only the promptness of Engineer E. Servis saved the man's life.
The ferryboat was coming from Rock Island and was about four feet from the dock. One of St. Clair's duties is to secure the boat to the dock as it pulls into port. He stood with the rope in his hand until the boat neared the landing and then made a leap for the landing the same as he does scores of times a day. But he leaped a trifle short and his foot striking the edge of the dock St. Clair slide over the side. He caught himself in time to keep from going into the water and held on with both hands to the side of the dock. The boat was coming on to the dock with enough force to hit the dock and crush both of St. Clair's arms if he did not let go. He appeared to lose all sense of his impending danger and clung wildly to this hold. Engineer Servis who was standing near and saw St. Clair go over shouted to him to let go and drop into the river. He saw that his was his only hope. St. Clair still hung onto the dock and the engineer running up shoved the man's hands from the dock so that he dropped into the water. Quick as a flash the engineer thrust with his foot a rope into the water just as the boat bumped the dock.
All this happened as the boat was moving a distance of about four feet. It immediately slid out from the dock not being fastened, and there St. Clair could be seen clinging to the rope. He was hauled out uninjured but not without cause badly scared.
Source: The Daily Times, Davenport, Ia., Davenport, Ia., Davenport, Ia., 27 Jul 1901, p. 5.