From the February, 1914 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
ERIE MEN RESCUE TWO BOYS.
An act of heroism, that should be rewarded with a Carnegie medal, took place on Dundee Canal at Passaic, N.J., at 4:15 o'clock on the afternoon of Jan. 14 (1914).

Those who have received due credit for the part they played in the occurrence are, John Naughton, Conductor, John Tredigo, Brakeman and Peter Burns, Fireman, all of the Passaic Drill Train, on the NYS&W Division.

The facts are as follows:

On the afternoon in question, three boys, Deza and Charles Biczak, twin brothers, age 10 and Deza Kohut, all of Passaic, were playing on the ice of Dundee Canal, when the ice gave way and precipitated them into the water.

At this time the Drill crew was working in the McLean lumber yard close by. Their attention was called to the situation and the crew quickly grabbed a plank and hurried to the Canal and broke enough ice to enable them to render aid. They succeeded in catching hold of the Biczak brothers and bringing them ashore. The Kohut boy had sunk to the bottom and was drowned.

Witnesses to this gallant rescue state that several spectators stood on the Canal bank without making an attempt to render aid, leaving it all to the brave Erie men, who took their own lives in their hands to save the little fellows.

The twin brothers were cared for and a report from their home stated they were allright and had returned to school. The body of the drowned boy was found the following Sunday.

It may be stated that this is not the first time Conductor Naughton has saved human life. He is credited with having rescued at least five persons from the Dundee Canal.