Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-26
Madison, May 70,

Madison, May -, 1893.
The present Year LII lie university
seems to be an era OF distressing. cstas-
trophies. Only last fail college circles
We're shocked through ANA Though "a,
tie announcement OF the IuarLu death
Dy accluenLal shooting UI student Ndlpn
u. Cone, under most patnetlc clrcunl-
stances and last night the students,
faculty ana lesluents OF Madison were
panied 10 the extreme upon Tie vIrcu-
latIon OF the News that Two oliiurilLo
y. -. Smith and W. b. Strong mad IAN
Ell victims 10 The unluly elen1ruts on
Lake Mendoza and bounds graves de-
Meath The Water.
Ine story OF the first drowning OF
any students since 1857 is Particularly
sud. 1eoteruay forenoon ut about y
O'clock u. u. smith and ". i. Strong,
DGtn members OF the sophomore class,
and A. l.. Coo, Il junior III the uniyer-
and Went upon Il trip acIUSS the lake.
Although the boat, the MayfoWer, is
reputtu to be an ugly craft, and the
sci was UNUSUALLY high, no remonstrance
was offered against the proceeding by
Mr.. Miller, not even warning made
because Of the VIGOROUSLY tricky cnar
acter Of the vessel.
At about noon the three boys We're
near Governors island and were about
to head the craft for home when it Was
caught in a sudden gust and went over.
Strong almost Immediately sank, While
Coe and Smith retained their hold upon
the gunwales. Until three O'Clock the
boat with it's suffering burden driftcd
about at the mercy Of the wind, when
Smith, although Il man of u splendid
constitution was no longer able to
withstand the terrible ordeal and be-
came unconscious. For Il time, which
seemed to him almost an eternity, Coe
sustained himself and friend above the
water, although himself almost ready
to sink from sheer exhaustion. At last
his strength gave out and he was OBJ
iged to remove his hold upon Smith,
who at once sank beneath the waters.
By this time the boat had been car
ried by the wind to a point near Maple
Bluff, and a farmer named William
Sidle. an eInploye of n. b. Van Slyke,
While on the shore caught sight of COe,
and embarking in q skiff, brought him
safe to land.
Mr.. Sidell is probably the most expert
oarsman on the lake, and this alone eX-
plains the fact that he was able to
breast the waves and reach Coe through
the storm. Twice he was obliged to
start out, during bis first attempt his
boat filling with water. With words of
encouragement Mr.. Side buoyed up
Goes spirits, telling him to keep cool
and watch the waves" There will
be- he said, three large waves and
then three little Ones" and during an
interval between the trios of the big
waves he succeeded in transferring Coe
from the water to his skiff.
This was about four o'clock. Coe,
soon after being placed on terra frma
walked the entire distance to his room,
over four and a half miles. The circula-
ton thus restored, however, and the
kind nursing he received on his return,
put him on the road to recovery, so
that which might otherwise have proven
fatal experience for him will prob
ably lot result in his serious injury
Not one man in twenty could have
borne the ordeal he did without most
serious and permanent consequences.
The friends of the dead young men
were telegraphed last night news Of
the terrible accident, and relatives Of
both will probably arrive today.
Walter B. Strong was twenty-five
years old, and was the son of a widow
living in Fort Atkinson. The mother
and her little family have just moved
in from a farm near Fort Atkinson,
where the elder Mr.. Strong died q
month ago.
Daniel D. Smith was twenty-six years
Of age and resided with his parents four
miles from Whitewater, where his faith
er owns a farm and occupies a rural
Congregational pulpit. Mr.. Smith was