The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-03-08
WHOLE NUMBER 67l
HEROIC CONDUCT.
Seven Persons Plunged into the Iey
Waters Of Black Lake.


CocHEcroN, Sullivan Co.. N. Y,
Feb. 17.-Thirteen miles east Of this
place. is Black Lake, one of those
) small inland lakes for which the coun-
: try is noted, and named on account
of the very dark color of its waters.
A tannery is erected here, and scat
tered here and there in the forest
clearings are the homes Of the labor
ers at the tannery, which make quite
a settlement about the lake There,
in that quiet and solitary spot, was
witnessed within the past week o
scene that struck terror to the stout
est hearts, and which called forth the
exhibition of those qualities of cour-
aee and endurance which are the
pride of the backwoodsman, to de-
gree that has no parallel in the annals
of courageous deeds.
The children of some OF the en-
ployes of the tannery had gathered at
the house of one of them, where they
enjoyed themselves until nearly eve
ming, one day this week. Two little
girls, Helen Brooks, daughter, ofthe
foreman of the tannery, and Hattie
Schoonmaker, proceeded home from
the party, took "short CUT across
the lake, which is frozen over, and
was considered safe. When they
had reached almost the other shore,
Hattie broke through the ice and In
trying to help her out, Helen slipped
in too. They both sank, and when
they came up, were entwined in each
others arms, young Kilcain, lad of
fifteen, working q few rods from the
shore started toward them. When
he reached them they were strug-
Cling to grasp the ice. Kilcain got
hold of them, and had them half way
out of the water, when the ice gave
way beneath him, and all three we're
planging beneath the chilling water.
When they cane up the lad began to
shout for assistance.
James Brooks, who was in the
woods near by, now came upon the
scene. 1t was his sister in the water
with the others, and he ran to help
her. In reaching out he slipped into
the water. Both girls had been
clineing to Kilcain, and be was fast
becoming exhausted with his efforts
to keep them and bis body above the
surface When the other boy fell in
his sister let go of Kilcain and
twined herself around her brother.
He succeeded in freeing his arms,
and then attempted to reach one edge
of the ice. 1t would break away
with the combined weight of him and
his sister, and tired him so that he
desisted, and the two boys began
for aid. Thomas Burt, an
other boy was attracted by the cries,
and ran to the edge of the ice, and
instantly broke through There were
now five of them in the water, all
fearfully for life. A man
named Max Deseker, hearing the
shouts of the children where be was
working in the woods, ran down to
the lake shore, and beheld the situ-
alton He had his five year old son
With him, and telling him to remain
perfectly quiet on the shore, rushed
20 the struggling little ones in the
water, only to share their fate. As
soon as be plunged in the water both
little girls grasped hold OF his coat,
and ne was keeping them afoat, when
his little son, terrified at seeing his
father in the water, jumped in and
grssped him around the neck.
The whole settlement had now been
attracted to the shore of the lake and
The widest excitement prevailed.
Women fainting, crying and praying;
men shouting, and the chilled, failing
PERSONS in the water battling with
leath, that stared them in the face.
Men shouted to do this and to do
hat, and between it all nothing was
lone to aid them. When Deseker
ound his little boy about his neck he
Ieized him in his powerful srms,
Kissed him several times, and with q
ook of dispair threw him far out on
he ice, where he was taken up and
carried to his mother. The little
,irls were now rapidly failing, but
Ioung Kilcain succeeded in climbing
,ut on the ice, and shouted for tan
lery hook. One was brought, and
le succeeded In pulling out the inan-
gHsssH1; 8 sac was sinking bennsesfh Tie fes!
Thomas Dent, father of the boy who
ad already fallen in aiding the girls,
ow jumped in TO the assistance of
)eseker and the rest, and after him
rent Thomas Hanley. These two
ustained the almost exhausted and
lmost frozen Deseker and the boys
ntil plank and m IRE tannery hooks
Tere brought, and by their aid all
afely landed. The girls, although
elieved to be dead, were resusci-
ated. The others were restored by
Tarm fires and clothing. The affair
reated q sensation throughout this
ntire section Of country, and the
ourage and noble conduct of Desc
er, Hanley, Dent, father and son,
nd the lads, Kilcain and Brooks, is
theme of hundreds of admlring
0nOupa