The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-07-21
Frantic Efforts of Companions
tn Save His Life.
Youth Forbidden BY His Father
To Go Swimming.
From Mondays Daily.

che more added to the long list of
| leaths by drowning that have occurred
| in the Minnesota and Blue Earth riv-
ers at Mankato.
About dozen boys were bathing yes
terday afternoon in the Minnesota riv-
or in the well known place near the
| Milwaukee switch tower. John Barth, a
boy of fifteen who could swim very lit
tie, got beyond his depth at place
about thirty feet from the shore, having
come to sudden declivity or pitch off
.. in the bottom He went down with a
| faint cry.
Most of the other boys got out of
the water as fast as they could, and
some seized their clothes and ran away.
Gustaf Eichhorn, boy of fourteen,
and Harvey Anderson, aged about
irowning companion. Once the Anderson
boy is said to have actually had hold
Of the drowning lad, but failed to rem
Ter him any assistance. Herman Tim
herman, who had been bathing and
was on the shore reading comic paper,
md had not yet dressed himself, heard
, cry tl.at someone was drowning, and
swan out to rescue. He got hold of one
foot of the Barth boy, and as the latter
struggled and padded, tried to pull him
to a place of safety, but without sue
cess. Suddenly he loosed his hold, and
made for the shore to get board with
which to assist his drowning companion.
Before he could return with the board
he Barth boy had gone down for the
last time
The alarm spread quickly. The police
were notified, and Officer Bienapf and
John Landkamer quickly drove out to
Sibley park with one of George Atchi
sons wagons, and brought two boats
md number of drag hooks to the spot
where the boys had been bathing. The
boats were soon launched, and a num-
Der of citizens set diligently to work
o find the body. For hours they work
ed in vain
John Barth was the son of Michael
5arth, a gardner, living out on Division
street on Agency hill. The boy is also
survived by his mother and three broth
nrs and three sisters, Minnie, aged eigh-
cen; Frank, aged seventeen; Bernhard
thirteen; George, ten; Esther, seven,
md Emma, five.
Mr.. Barth informed The Free Press
that he had strictly forbidden John to
20 swimming in the river.
Everybody knows that it is almost
impossible to keep the boys from bath
ing in the river, though they know it
is very dangerous, with its swift cur
rents, undertows, cola springs, holes
md pitch-offs. Many boys will go into
the water, in spite of parental warn
ings and prohibitions. There should be
some safe place, where their love of
, cool swim on a hot day may be graf
fled. The city ought to have some
olace, fenced in in necessary,
where the boys may swim and paddle
around without danger of drowning.
Many such casualties in the Minneso-
TO and the Blue Earth are still fresh in
the minds of those who have lived in
time. Two years ago, RichardetaoiWK
Mankato any considerable length of
time. Two years ago, Richard Olson
was drowned in the Minnesota at Sibley
park. That same summer Eddie Erick-
sen met death in similar manner off
the shore of North Mankato. Five
wears ago the two little Whalen boys
were drowned at about the same place.
\ Syrian boy was drowned near the
| old brickyard some few years ago. A
young man by the name of Prosser
about seven years ago lost his life in the
Minnesota. Just above the Main street
| bridge. Willie Minke was drowned in
| the Blue Earth river about ten years
lgo. Two years before that prom
nent lawyer, Mr.. Foster, and shoe man
| named Lind were drowned not far from
the same place. Some fifteen years ago
a son of Bruno Roemer lost his life
in the Blue Earth below the bridge.
Many North Mankato people remember
when the Merose boy was drowned in
the Minnesota.
Mayor Taylor took the matterup with
the aldermen this morning of offering a
reward of $40 for the recovery of the
body, so as to stimulate search, and it
was decided to offer this 1t was al
SO decided to buy some dynamite to
explode in the river.
AT late hour this afternoon the
body had not been recovered, though eff
forts were made by police officers and