The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-08-29
Drowning Of Daisy Curtis.

Miss DOllic Martin, Miss Annie Martin,
Daisy Curtis aud Len Curtisand Leon.
ard {. Jones, Of Portland, together with
/ Miss Ethel Cook and Stanley Stowcll,
Of Hood River went TO the lake for the
purpose Of bathing.
Arriving at the lake, the children,
Len and Daisy Curtis, together with
Miss Cook and Mr.. Jones, boarded II
raft, which had been made for them a
few dnys before, while the other ladics
aud Mr. StOwcll iloatcd In the water
only placing their hands on the tim
bcrs. Mr. Jones propelled the raft, by
means Of an oar, 10 the sand bar on the
other side Of the lake, where they all
enjoyed swimming and bathing for M
hour. Starting back, Mr.. Stowcll, to-
/ gcthcr with Miss Cook and the chill
drcn remained ON the raft, the others
floating In the water with their hands
on the raft and Mr.. Jones swimming
ahead. When about fifty feet f'om the
shore, and where the water was twelve
feet deep, thc raft was by some unknown
cause capsilcd, and in moment all
/ were atrug2ling for their lives. Mr..
/ StOwcll and Mr.. Jones were the only
ones who could swim, and they ut once
swan 10 the aid of the drowning ones.
Mr. Stowcll graspcd Miss Annie Martin
and Miss Cook and took them safely to
shore Mrs. Watson climbed up on the
raft, and throwing out the oar, begged
the men TO save the children. Mr..
Jones, who was long way off, camc
up 20 Miss DOllie Martin, after she had
sunk twice, and she grasping him in
death grip, pulled him TO the bottom
with her. They rose 10 the surface and
through superhumun effort on the part
of Mr.. Jones, reached the shore, with
the young lady in un exhausted condi-
tion. Throwing her from him high up
on the bank, Mr.. Jones started back for
the children and reached the little boy
just us he was sinking for the last time
Nothing was to be seen of the little
girl, 50 the boy was drawn to shore
safely, when the men at once started
back 10 look for Daisy. She had not
come to the surface after sinking the
first time, and the supposition is that
she swallowed great deal Of water
and that with her heavy bathing dress
kept her down. Mr.. Stowell and Mr.
Jones, both Of whom are expert swim
mers, dove repeatedly from the raft to
recover the little girl, but to no avail,
and then came the awful fact that
Daisy was drowned.
Mrs. Watson had started immediate
ly upon reaching shore for town, and
on reaching the hotel shouted that
some one had been drowned in the
lake, and they must bring ropes and
grarnel irons at once. Never did peo-
pie respond more nobly to IA call for aid,
aid in few moments they had arrived
II. the scene Of the accident, and regard
'ss of clothing, many rushed into the
lake and searched for the child's body
hoping that she might be brought to
life If ioInd; but all to no purpose until
Jack Lucky arrived with grapnel iron
made of piece of gas pipe, eighteen
feet long, with wire hooks attached, /
which he made and brought to the lake |
within thirty minutes from his first ar
rival there. AT the first drawing of
the grapnel the body was brought to
the surface and was borne to the shore .
by the willing and tender hands of the
searchcrs.
The child had been in the water then .
two hours, but hoping still to revive
her, Dr. Thomas worked over her for
an hour, but to no avail - little .
Daisy was drowned! DR.. Thomas
notified her mother Mt once, breaking
the news to her very gently and kindly,
Mr.. Curtis arrived here on n special .
train at $3.50 p. m, and they bore all
that was mortal of their little girl back
to Portland.
No blame is attached to any one of
the bathers, as the accident was unior-
seen and everything possible was done
to save the child's life.
1t is remarkable that all the others
We're saved, as the water was deep and
all were struggling for their lives at
once.
Daisy was II years of age and Len 8,
the children of Mr.. Anson Curtis, who
is well known here, He was engineer
for the o. r.. Il N. Co. for thirteen
years, running between Portland and
The Dalles, and is now foreman of the
the shops of the Union Pacific at Al
bina.
The residents of Hood River can we'll
be called the kindliest hearted and
most sympathetic of people, for forget
ting their business and homes, they
rushed to the rescue and worked nobly
for two hours to save human life.