Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-06-13
DROW NED !!
OUR wELL-ENowN TOwNsMAN, BEN
JAMIN f. COOPER, THE VICTIM
OF A SAD MISHAP.

The Sorrowful Ending of Fishing Expe.
eveh, Saturday Afternoon, and Before
Help Could Arrive He Was Drowned
His Dead Body Brought Home.
On Saturday evening the many friends
of our well-known young townsman,
Benjamin F. Cooper, were shocked by the
news of his death by drowning at Nine.
veh, while fishing in the dam at that
place. The particulars are about as fol.
lows
On Saturday morning Mr.. Cooper, who
is noted for doing much hunting and fish.
ing, took his tackle and went on the train
to Nineveh to fish in the river. At the
L. r. r. station he accidentally met Mr..
Elmer Eldridge, who was going on sim.
liar trip. Being good friends. they natur-
ally formed company themselves. Mr..
Cooper's two brothers went on the same
train, but took to trout fishing and did
not accompany him. There was picnic
at Nineveh from here that day, but the
parties named were not at it.
About O'Clock Mr. Eldridge's bait gave
out, and he went to run about mile
distant to get some live clubs. He left
Mr.. Cooper fishing on the brerft of the
dam at Nineveh, little nearer the Indiana
side
At 3:15 o'clock, as is shown by the time
at which his watch stopped, Cooper's feet
slipped from under him, and he fell, strik-
ing the planks with great force and fall
ing into the water below the dam, A
lady belonging to the picnic party saw
him go down. She gave the alarm, but
help could not reach him in time to avail
anything. He struggled bravelY, coming
up four times, and as often being borne
by the recoiling waters into the falls OF
the dam. As he went down the fifth time
he threw his arm, evidently intended as a
signal that he had given up the hope OF
saving himself. He was known as very
good swimmer and one who is always
collected and cool in the water. It. is
thought that he was dazed by the shock
of the fall and was not able to help
himself or he would not have per.
ished.
A boat was rowed to the place where
he went down, and about thirty-five min
utes after he went in Lis body was reeov-
cred. Attempts were made at resuscita-
tation, but to no purpose, although the
body was warm when it was brought to the
shore. The body was taken to the sta
tion and brought home ON the Johnstown
Accommodation arriving here at 1909 in
the evening.
Mrs, Cooper, mother of the deceased,
was in Pittsburgh at the time, and in
tended coming home on that train, but
was detained short time and did not get
here until Philadelphia Express, at 7;16.
The unfortunate young man was
twenty-seven years of age last October.
He held the position of boss roller al
the Gautier Works, and had great many
warm friends about the city, and was very
much esteemed. He was single and lived
with his parents at No. 80 King street.
One of his sisters is Miss May Cooper
who recently returned home after having
finished teaching term in the BraddocB
schools. Another sister, Ella, is attend.
ing the Indiana Normal School, She will
return home this morning, there being nc
trains on tha Indiana branch on Sunday
The funeral will take place this after.
noon at 8 o'clock, when the Foresters tc
which order the deceased belonged, will
turn out to do honor to their late member
Interment will me made in Grand View