Thomas John Boyer, 31, oil tank loader, saved Charles E. Morris, 32, oil tank cleaner, from suffocation, Lawrenceville, Illinois, August 14, 1915. Morris was overcome by gas in a tank car. Boyer entered the tank through a manhole and tied a rope to Morris. Men at the top of the tank tried to pull Morris up through the manhole, but he held to a pipe at the bottom of the tank, and the rope broke. Another rope was lowered, which Boyer tied to Morris. He pried Morris’s fingers from the pipe, and Morris was then drawn out of the tank. Boyer held to the legs of Morris, but he became unconscious before reaching the top, just as a man caught hold of his hand. Boyer was drawn out of the tank, and both he and Morris were revived. 16136-1538
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16136-1538