The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-13
John NJ. Coulter, Jr., Saves Another
Girl while His Sister Goes Down
in Ninety Feet of Water.
HEROIC WORK OF FISHERMAN
BODY OF MISS COULTER STILL At
BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.
DespOndent and Aged Man at Martins
Vile Hangs HimseIf-other
News in the State.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WINONA PARK, Eagle Lake, Ind, July
12-The hundreds of cottagers at Winona
Park were shocked beyond measure this
evening when the after-dinner merriment
was turned to grief and horror by the over
turning of a sail boat and the drowning of
two of the most popular young women at
this resort. The news flashed through the
grounds in an instant, and the beach was
soon lined with crowd to learn the sad
news. Bertha Yarnelle, the seventeen year
old daughter of Edward f. Yarnene OF
Fort Wayne, and Georgia Coulter the four
teen-year-od daughter of Prof. John NJ
Coulter. of Chicago University, We're the
victims. These two girls, with Miss
Eunice Munson, daughter of f. w Mum
son, of Chicago, went for a ride in q small
sailboat with Miss Coulters brother, John
NJ. Coulter, jr and William Gray, of Chi
cago The boat capsized off Yarnelles
point, about half mile from shore and
mile and half from the landing Young
Coulter saved Miss Munson, but the other
two girls went down. Miss Yarnelle was
landed in the rigging but Miss Coulter
sank in ninety feet of water. George Rit-
ter of Warsaw, a fisherman, hastened to
the scene of the accident in a row boat and
w NA4AiSAA NoSlAe1LlSIs the park DOdlinan, ar
rived about the same time. They found
Coulter and Gray exhausted by repeated
diving for the missing girls. The survivors
were brought in and another rescue party
went out at once in steamer. Here
Scheimer proved himself hero. After
finding Miss Yarneles body so entangled
in the rigging that it had to be cut loose,
he went down for Miss Coulter until he
was so nearly drowned that only prompt
medical assistance saved his life. The body
of Miss Yarnelle was taken to ner fathers
cottage and Drs. Shaclxlefocd, Schoonover,
Burkett and Webber, of Warsaw, worked
for hours to resuscitate her without effect.
Professional divers have been sent for to
recover Miss Coulters body.
The two bereaved families are among the
most prominent in Indiana. u. f. Yarnelle,
of MosSman, Ylrnelle q Co., at Main and
Clinton streets Fort Wayne, has been one
of the most widely known tenor singers in
the State. Professor Coulters family is
known all over the Northwest. Before 60
ing to Chicago he was president of the
State University, at Bloomington, succeed
was q professor at Wabash College. at
Charlottesville, and is a. botanist of world
wide reputation. He was president of Lake
Forest University, Chicago, before going
to Chicago University. Both of the gfrls
were charming and beautiful, with every
promise OF happy and useful life. The
Yarnele family has been here for many
years during the summer season Profess
sor Coulter's family has been here but a
few days and this is their first visit since
Professor Coulter has taken charge of Wi
mona Summer School At the time of the
accident he was in Chicago. Prof Stanley
Coulter, of Peru, occupies a cottage here
with his family. AT the time of the drown
ing Mr.. Yarnelle was at choir practice.
a short time before the fatal sail Miss
Yarnelle was in the drug store and spoke
of the danger of sailing and referred to
the fact that there had been no serious ac-
cdent since the park was opened How the
boat capsized will probably never be fully
known. Ihe young men saw that the girls
jumped to the wrong side when a tack was
made. Scheimer the boatman, asserts that
the boat must have "gibed," as he found
the short rope of the main boom tied to the
hlOpkS