Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-01-26
SAD PARTICULARS.
Particulars of the Deplorable Tragedy
by Which Two Lives Were Lost
in Jamestown.
Slated Into a Hole Where Ice Had
Been Cut-Pitiable Struggle
for Life.

THE DROWNING AT JAMESTOWN.
Secretary Poole returned ON the noon
train from jamestown, and reports
the town plunged into gloom Over the
sad accident of Monday night, where
by two well known and popular young
people lost their lives by drowning.
Particulars of the accident are given
by him, it appearing that the two
young people, Tom Ferguson and Miss
Hallenberg, started out from town at
ABOUT 8 O'Clock in the evening with
the expressed intention Of going skal-
ing. They expected to join two either
persons at the river, but the others.
failed to come, owing to the cold
weather. The river is about half a
mile from town and the young people.
put on their skates either at the rail-
road bridge or the brewery on the
James river, to skate down the stream.
Persons had been cutting ice on the
river, having suspended work only a
day or so before, leaving a large hole
in the ice which had only scummed
over. Inc two skaters apparently
skated into this hole. and the water
being intensely cold. were unable to
help themselves.
They were not missed until the fol-
lowing morning, when Miss Hallen-
berg failed to put in an appearance
either at her room or at school. Fer
guson was also missing, and as O
as these facts became known, it was
feared by Those who knew the two had
gone Skating that some accident had
oefallen them. Searching parties were
at once Instituted, and on approaching
the river, FergusOn's hat was seen in
tho i0n f,,Ovop -, ~ l,or:r. 49, -,
or ny THE water when he plunged in.
Miss Hallenberg's head could also he
e e %protruding slightly from the
water. The sheriff and coroner were
at once summoned, and the bodies re-
moved. Miss Hallenberg had appar-
emily grasped the edge of the ice.
where her mittens had frozen. She
was in a nearly upright position in the
water, her hands resting on the ice and
preventing her sinking. From the
appearances she had struggled until
benumbed and frozen. Ferguson's
body was found on the bottom, and
from Its appearance he had gone di-
rectly to the bottom and drowned with
out coming ito the surface.
MISS Hallenberg was a resident Of
Fargo and had not been long in James,
town. Ferguson had been in the en-
ploy OF II. G. Flint for over two wears.
and left relatives in New York. who
have been notified. Miss Hallenberg's
body was taken to Fargo for inter-
ment. She was a daughter of C. A.
~IIallenberg. and her mother had died
only two months ago.
The Jamestown Alert says of the &C.
cident: The place where the accident
happened was where the ice had been
taken out last week. Owing to the
mild weather the new formed ice was
not thick enough to support the weight
OF a person. The water in the river.
at the point where the accident oc-
CURED was about nine feet deep. Fer
guson's body was found in that depth
of water, in a flat position. His shoes
were covered with black mud and.
from the raised position of his arms.
it appeared as if he had attempted to
assist his companion from the water
on to the edge of the firmer ice. He
wore a black suit and white sweater
ana his overcoat and overshoes were
found on the bank near the mill,
The body of Miss Hallenberg law
a c down with the crown of the head
exposed above the surface of the ice.
Her black veil appeared in sight of the.
searchers also frozen in the ice: her
dress evidently buoyed her up. Her
arms were outstretched, as if she had
held on to the ice as long as possible.
and becoming exhausted let 20, to find
u Watery grave. a thick crust of ice
had formed around her head, freezing
into the hair, and the collar Of her fur
coat was heavy with the ice. Fergu-
sons cap was found a short distance
from the spot, imbedded in ice an inch
or more thick, that had formed during
the night, as the weather turned cold
soon after the accident. Both had on
their skates when found. It is pre-
sumed they had skated but a short time
and, as the night was quite dark, went
n the waiter without any warming
soon after reaching the river. How
long the struggle for life lasted is NOT
KNOWN. No one heard cries for helm
and no assistance was near.
The deplOrahle loss Of life is due en-
tlrely to carelessness Of those engaged
in cutting ice in the failing to protect
the dangerous places from accidents Of
this kind.
nANY A LOVER