The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-05-02
IS DEAD NOW.
Was in Youth and Health two Days
Back-A Nelanchollly Accident.

Was in Youth and Health two Days
Back-A Melanchollly Accident.
The flag at the college floats at
half mast. It signals the passing
of student of the institution. The
mortal remains of Earl Rawson lie
lin his room at Cauthorn hall. A
sorrowing father and mother. and a
vounger brother weep by the bier.
Five hundred students and two
score teachers remenb Der with regret
the incident of the past few days.
| Wednesday evening while rum
ming the high hurdles on OAC
athletic field. Earl Rawson, a soph-
omore, whose home is at Orchard,
near Vancouver, Washington, met
with an accident that proved fatal.
AS he sought to pass over the hur-
die, he tipped it over and fell astride
one of its upturned legs. The rough
|'stick penetrated his body. It pas
sed through. the natural passage,
tore its way through the peritoneum
and entered and perforated the
bowels 1t made wounds that set
up terrible leinfiammation that ended
| in the death Of the unfortunate boy
at one o'clock yesterday morning,
RI hours after the accident. Physi-
clans interposed with a desperate
surgical operation in the hope of
saving lite, but when they opened
the apdomen. they found discolored
bowels, peritonitis, and certain
death within a few hours.
The hurdle on which Rawson
fell is shaped like carpenters S
horse, is thirty inches high and
about yard long, The leg at the
lower end is perhaps an inch by
three quarters in size. 1t widens
out to nearly three inches in width
at the upper end. Rawson was un
familiar with the manner of run
ming hurdles, He had not attempt
ed the task but a few times before
1t was this unfami1iarity that
caused the accident. As he rose to
pass the hurdle, he thrust his left
foot out ahead of his body. His
heel caught the hurdle, and the
latter tipped. The leg came up
just in time to impale his body as
Rawson fell heavily, The stick
entered to a depth of eight inches.
Rawson relieved himself of it, be-
fore other boys but a few yards
distant could reach him. He was
then carried at once to the rubbing
room in the ArmoTy, and DR.. Cath
ey summoned. The wound was
dressed hurriedly, and the boy car
ried to his room at Cauthorn Hall.
At first, the injury was not re-
garded desperate. There was no
blood on the stick. This led to
hope that there had been no per-
forations. At II O'Clock that light
however, DR. Cathey called, and
found symptoms SO alarming that
he remained with the patient till
morning. At eight O'Clock next
morning the boys pulse was I5o.
At noon it was $50, and could be
found only in the neck. Drs.
Cathey and Pernot by this time
were convinced that there was no
hope. In any event there must be
an operation or death. AS an al
tentative an operation was tried.
The boy himself asked for it. 9th
ers advised it. The doctors feared
the patient would not survive the
operating table, but they made the
attempt
The operation began, at twelve
O clock, and it was after two before
it was completed. The fatal marks
of the stick were found in the
bowels. The latter were torn and
dark colored. Peritonitis was there.
There was no hope, and the doct-
ors so announced.
The boy came out of the ether,
and for some hours was concious.
He chatted limitedly with friends.
He knew of his desperate condition,
but made no complaint. At nine
his mother arrived, and he recog-
nized her, An hour later he 1apsed
into Inconsistencies, and at 10!
minutes to one his spirit fed.
The funeral occurs at Cauthorn
hall at 1920 today. The services
will be conducted by Rev. Humbert.
The battalion will attend in body. |
The sophomore class and the Phi1a-
delphian society, in both of which |
the dead boy held membership, held
meetings yesterday afternoon to
make arrangements. The debate
scheduled for last night was post
poned.
Rawson was a bright student. !
He was popular with classmates and
respected BY instructors. In de-
bate two weeks ago he won univer- |