St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-31
A TRAGIC DROWNING.
L. D. Washbupn and His Little
Niece Find a Watery
Grave.
Local Stoneeutters Make an
Appeal for Home
Labor.
The Minneapolis Police Actu-
ally Round Up a Burg
lar.
Tho Hnonoc-Gopham Cafe in
The Hoopes-Gorham Cafe in
Trouble--DiStrict Court
Briefs.


which all day long overspread the face
of nature, it now shelters in its bosom
the bodies of two persons who, when
the sun rose above the surrounding
hills yesterday morning, thought not on
death nor dreamed that ere that gleam-
ing orb had long passed its meridian
their forms would lie, cold and lifeless,
among the aquatic plants of the lake
bottom. Louis Dew Washburn
and his little niece, Gussie Buck
man, are no more, and there is
sorrow. the deep, impenetrable gloom
occasioned by the loss of loved ones. in
a little cottage at Interlaken, on the
shore of Minnetonka. where there was
before naught but gayety and happiness,
and no thought of the dark scenes which
must come to all jewellers on the earth.
At O'Clock Mr.. WashburD and his lit
tie niece were swimming-a few min
utes later both were dead.
Yesterday afte rnoonwas most de-
lightful day on the Ike. The suns
rays came softly down upon the surface
of the water and light breeze, which
MIlllhlGu IllC UOSOill VI UDC QuCCU
of lakes, tempered the fierceneSS of the
heat. There was no more delightful
spot on Minnetonka than 1nterDokeD,
Just opposite Minnetonka Beach. Mr..
Washburn, who occupied a cottage
there, together with his wife and two
little children, had been out swimming.
the water was in such delightful state.
He was an excellent swimmer, and he
had been amusing himSely by diving
from the boat His little nieces, Gussie
and Mary Buchanan, aged respectively
fourteen and sixteen years, who had
come from Sioux City, To-, to visit their
uncle, were watching him from the
shore. Finally he thought his guests
should have share in his sport. He in
vited the little girls to go out for a
swim, and the younger one, GuSsle, ac-
cepted, her sister going along to take
care of the boat. The bottom of the lake
inshore at that point is not adapted to
bathing purposes, consequently they
rowed out into the deep water, no one
having thought of danger, as the little
girl was quite good swimmer. added
to which was her uncle'S protection.
Thus they disported themselves in the
waves for some little time. The elder
girl, Ida Buchanan, was idly watching
the bathers and LAYING her hands in the
cool ripples, taking little heed of any
thing. when suddenly she was aroused
by her sisters voice crying: "Oh,
Mary! uncle is sinking~ Sure enough
he was. He had been Overtaken by the
dread enemy Of the swimmer, cramp,
and he was powerleSs. Vainly he
strove to make his way to the side of
the boat, but his limbs we're not subject
to his volition. His little niece strug
gled bravely to go to his assistance, but
fear and the excitement rendered
the child incapable of even taking care
of herself much less assisting her uncle:
She. too, Succumbed to the power of
from her Ianguor by seeing her uncle,
and the little playmate over whom she
kept watch by right of years. drowning
before her reyes, frapticly sought to
rescue both. In her nervousness and
terror one oar slipped from her feeble
grasp and f1oated beyond her reach.
She did what she could with the other
oar, used as a paddle, but her efforts
were of no avail, and with a cry of
anguish she fell to the bottom OF the
boat in a death-Jike swoon.
Who can imagine the feelings of Mrs.
Washburn, who had been watching the
scene from the shore, powerless to do
aught to render assistance to her perish
ing dear ones? She saw her husbands
frantic struggles for life, saw him sink
below the surface, and, the situation
dawning upon her, she flew to neigh
Dor with a cry for help. S. Ii. Findley,
to whose house she went, responded to
the appeal for aid. Mr.. Washburn had
disappeared for the last time Just as he
left the shore, and the little girl went
down never to reappear when rescue
was within twenty feet of her. Silently
he bore the lifeless figure of Mary Buck
man back to the cottage, where the
neighbors, who had by this time gath
cred, restored her to consciousness.
The grief of Mrs. Washburn is some
thing pitiable to behold. Left widow
in an instant, she has not even the con-
ISOLATION of gazing upon her dead hus-
bands features, still and cold though
they be in death. She can do nothing
but sit in her little home, yesterday
morning so bright and happy, alter
nately embl racing her two little chill
dren, one of them mere baby. The
kind-hearted wives of the neighboring
cottages are doing what they can to
tighten the burden of her grief, but
they cannot bring back the husband
and the brightness of that home, over
which cloud of sorrow will hang like
a pail.
S. II. Findley, whose cottage is near
that of the Washburns. tells this con-
corning the disaster, all he knows of it.:
1--WE were just preparing for sail, my
wife and and some friends. when no.
ticed Mr.. Washburn out swimming and
diving from his boat. Later l saw him
take the little girl out for swim. paid
no more attention to the matter. About
fifteen minutes later Mrs Washburn,
her face the color of marble, staggered
through our door. gasped oh. Mr.. Find
ley-the boat = they're drowningn
and fell all in heap in C.,
faint. Leaving her with my wife
ran to the little landing running out
from Washburn's house, jumped into a
boat and pushed off. Mr.. Washburn was
lust going down as left the shore. The
little girl did not disappear until l was
almost within reach of her. l thought
at first that there were three drowned
you see | couldn't see the other girl
over the side of the boat-but | found
that Mary had only tainted. It's a
terrible blow to Mrs. WaShburn. She
is actually speeches. from grief. And
IL is very udru upon Tile OIller IllCl6 glrl,
who came up here from Sioux City with
her little sister few weeks ago. and
who must now go back alone and in
mourning"
At s O'Clock last night no systematic
efforts toward dragging for the bodies
had been inaugurated, the men who
were on the spot-only three of them
seemingly having no idea as to what
should be done. 1t was too late then TO
do anything, but systematic search for
the remains of the two victims will be
made to-day.
Louis Dew. Washburn, the deceased.
came to Minneapolis some six years ago
from Maine. By profession he was a
civil engineer, but was also proprietor
of the Minneapolis Automatic Water
Supply company. his Office being
in the Boston block. He was a young
man, only thirty-one years old, was
highly esteemed by all the persons with
whom he came in contact, either So
cially or business way He was also
largely interested in the Johnson Crane
Electro Matrix company, a compare