Children:
No Issue
Sibling(s):
Thomas Gaffney
William H. Gaffney
Sarah Catherine Gaffney
Elizabeth Gaffney
James Gaffney
Philip P. Gaffney
Frank Gaffney
Joseph Reuben Gaffney
Ann Gaffney
John C. Gaffney
|
Notes:
Easton Daily Free Press, Wednesday, December 16, 1908 Page 1
Little Fred Gaffney Killed by Electric Car
Ran from his Father’s Side to Join His Brother Across the Street and Was Struck and Carried by the Fender and Then Went Under
Fred Gaffney, the 5-year old son of John Gaffney, who lives on the Sage farm on the South Side, was run over by Easton Transit Company car, No. 108, about 11:20 this a.m. on South Third Street, and so badly injured that he died before reaching the Easton Hospital in the ambulance.
Mr. Gaffney and his son were walking down South Third street and were opposite the Bixler wholesale store, the child’s hand in that of the father, when little Fred said: “Over there is Joe,” and started to run across the street. Joe is his brother, aged 14 years. Mr. Gaffney, who saw that an electric car was coning, called to his son to stop, but the little fellow kept on and was struck by the fender. He fell into the finder and was carried perhaps thirty feet when he rolled off and went under the car. He was then dragged for fifty feet before the car which was doing down the grade on a rail that was slippery, could be stopped. Motorman J. Derringer, of the car No. 108, applied the broke and reverse the power as soon as possible but could not stop. Cars at his point run very fast as a rule and the moterman had no time to apply the brake before the boy was on the fender. The Motorman said: “I was watching a wagon on the left-hand side and did not see the child until he was right in front of the car. I did all I could to stop, throwing on the full reverse power.
Conductor Zechman jumped from the back platform, got the child from under the center of the car and carried him into the Easton Eating House. Dr. Thomason who was in the vicinity, went to administer to the lad and so did Dr. Sherrer, who came a few minutes later. They had the boy carried into the rooms of Dr. Morgenstern, at 137 South Third Street, where better facilities were afforded for looking after the injuries. The fund there was a depressed fracture of the skull, a severe scalp wound and internal injuries. The ambulance soon arrived and the child was placed in it, but death came while the ambulance was enroute to the hospital
Dr. Sherrer, speaking of the lamentable accident, said that he had known the motorman for a number of years by sight and had observed that he was a careful runner. “There is a noticeable thing about the streets of this city,’ he said, and that is the carelessness of children and of many women in crossing the streets, Women cross with the heads turned away and children run recklessly back and forth. Half a dozen times with in the last week or so I have had to rein in my horse and almost throw him, in avowing people who ran directly in front of the animal. Now that the streets are slippery and the rails on trolley tracks wet and damp, it is a wonder we do not have more accidents of this kind.
The accident caused a great deal of excitement and there was much criticism of the fast running of cars south bound, the statement being that the motormen were compelled to do so because the company was not running cars enough and those cars that were on the line had to run fast to make the time.
Mr. Gaffney, the father of Fred, told the Free Press reporter of the manner in which the child had darted away from him and his calling to him to stop. He said: “This is awful, terrible, My family will be terribly Shocked. We had just been to see my son, William, who was injured last week by a barrel of Molasses he was handling for Drake & Co, for whom he has worked years, rolling on him, and now this happens. It is awful.”
Poor man, he was greatly afflicted and frequently bent over with his hands to his head, shaking with grief. The crowd which gathered about him sympathized fully with him, but realized that at such a time even the greatest sympathy could not help the father’s bleeding heart.
Gilbert Fullmer, an electrician, was one of those who saw the accident. He was standing on the pavement and when he saw the child fall into the finder, ran out to try and hold him on it, but was just too late to reach the child before he rolled off and went under the car.
Fred Gaffney is spoken of as a very bright child. He is mourned by his father and mother and these brothers and sisters; Mrs. Floyd Stem, Mrs. Thomas Langdon, Anna, William, Frank, James, Philip, Thomas, Joseph and John
|
