The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-16
SKATING ON THIN ICE.
1t Causes the Drowning of a Girl and Three
Persons Barely Escape Losing Their Lives.

hundred or people gathered
along the canal between West street and Black
ford from o'clock last evening until late last
night cutting holes in the ice and fishing with
erab-hooks for the body. of Mary Downing, a
tweive-y ear-old colored girl, who disappeared
under the ice while skating. After school hours
quite number of girls gathered on the thinly-
frozen ice the canal, between Van Camps
packing-house and the bath houses. and among
them were Mary Downing and Anna Harter, q
white girl Both resided on Columbia street,
the former with her mother, Minerva Downing,
and the latter with her sister. Mollie Harter.
East of the bath houses for distance Of several
feet the water was not frozen, and the employees
in Van Camps house cautioned the children
several times about venturing too near the ice
limit. Accidentally, though, the Downing and
Harter girls skated too near the unfrozen water
and both slipped into the canal near the east end
of the bath-house. Their screams aroused the
people of the neighborhood, but when assistance
reached the scene both had passed into the bath
house. Mr.. Schissel who keeps saloon near
by, ran into the bath -nouse and by means of q
long pole rescued the Harter girl she was
about passing under the ice again. The colored
girl was also floating on the water with both
hands extended and calling for help. but before
Mr.. Sshissel could render her any assistance she
near the west end of the house was also unfrozen
and as the girl again came to the surface there,
she called out, Mamma, here / ann Several
men attempted to reach her, but they were I'M
successful. and she passed under the ice to be
more. Holes we're cut in the
ice nearly all the way down to
Blackford street, but no traces of her
had been found late last night watch was
stationed at the chute in the canal at Gibsons
mill. as it was supposed the body would reach
that point time during the night. The
Harter girl when taken out was almost uncon-
scious, but after being removed to her home
rapidly recovered.
At about the same hour the two girls met
with the accident two young men came near los
ing their lives in the manner in White
river. near the I. 81 ST L. railroad bridge, and
the recovery of one of them yet extremely
doubtful Frank Ryan, who works at Pottss
posite Kingans pork-house, quite distance
from his companions broke through the ice. He,
called for help, and johnny O'Brien, fourteen
year old son of Thomas OBrien, living at the
corner of California and Maryland streets. hap
pened TO be at the pork house, and the nearest
person to the helpless youth. AS Ryan
about to pass under the ice OBrien gave him
his hand and pulled him out of the water. The
weight of both on the thin ice more than it
would bear, and 1t gave way. throwing OBrien
was too much fatgued to render any service to
the boy who had saved his life. but the
united calls for help attracted the work
men at kingans, who, after telephon-
ing undertaken Kregelo flor assistance. went to
O'Briens rescue. On account of the dan gerous
close to the waters edge, but after O'Brien had
been in the water twenty minutes they sue
ceeded in getting him out by means of long
pole He was unconscious, and was removed to :
his home by Kregeo. DR.. Todd was called and
prom ouncea his condition very critical. lie was
still alive last night but Dr. Todd does not have i
much hopes of his recovery. Ryan soon re-
covered after O'Brien had rescued hiIa.