January 12, 1903: Running to Catch a Train, George Schaeffer Loses an Arm

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

January 12, 1903: George Schaeffer, age 20, has been maimed for life today. He was returning home with a number of friends from a fox hunt in Mill Park, trying to board the 5:21 PM train at the Pottstown station of the Colebrookdale line, going to the Manatawny station. As the train was pulling out from the depot, the group ran to catch it. Some made it safely, but Schaeffer missed grasping the handrail of the car’s step and fell with his left arm on the track, which was literally ground to pieces all the way to his shoulder. He has been taken to the Pottstown Hospital for treatment.

More News from Boyertown

• Boyertown to Yale: Lula Mekonnen’s Journey of Curiosity, Commitment, Community Boyertown’s Lula Mekonnen, class of 2025, blends science, service, and heritage as she enters Yale, hoping to craft a future tackling global health challenges.
• William Antes, New Hanover Gunsmith: Part 2 Bob Wood shares information and history about rifles and muskets in the second of a two-art series.