Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-13
DEATH CLAIMED SEVEN.
Details Of the Terrible Tragedy
in the River at Cedar
Rapids
LITTLE HERolNEs ARE DROWNED
In Vain Effort to Save Each Other
From the Cruel Waters Seven Little
Girls Lose Their Lives-Four Of
Them belonged to One FamiIy-The
Iowa News.


Them belonged to One Family-The
Iowa News.
Cedar Rapids, July 1S.-Seven little
girls, heloically but vainly trying to
save each other from the cruel clutches
Of tre;lcherous sand bank. and the
pitiless waters below, death claiming
them, one by one until all seven were
drowned--this is the tragedy which
shocked Cedar Rapids yesterday aft
ernoon and cast a gloom over the city
last evening.
The dead:
Lucille Sweeting, aged IA.
Hazel Sweeting, aged 10.
Gladys Sweeting. aged 10,
Josie ssweeting, aged IL.
Ruth ,Coyle, Sioux City, aged II.
Cora (oyle, Sioux City, aged 9.
Clara Usher, aged H.
i The s'weeting children were the
motherless daughters of j. d. Sweet
ing, who lives near Ellis Park. Clara
Usher was the daughter of Mrs
Charles Usher. widow, who keeps
house for him The two Coyle chill
dren were the daughters of Mrs. Coyle
of Siou1. City, who is sister of Mrs.
Usher, Ind had been spending few
days at the Sweeting home. 1t was
Aa.-
planned yesterday morning.
+ Details Of Accident.
The shocking calamity occurred
about 1880 Thursday afternoon. near
the west shore of the Cedar river,
just above the yellow Banks" two
and half miles north of the city.
Eight little children were all playing
together and Ruth Klersey, aged Is.
is the only one who escaped with her
life. The girls We're wading in the
river. The smallest one Lucille
Sweeting, got in beyond her depth,
and ont. of the other girls, her sister,
tried to save her. She. too, was
clutchetl by the cruel sand at her
feet and went into the deep water
below. Another child went to her
rescue and was engulfed and SO each
child III succession tried to save her
drowning playmate, death claiming
them, enc by one, until seven of them
were In the water, some of them
struggl ng to climb up the slipping
sand, screaming with terror, the 9TH
ers at the bottom of the deep hole,
their childish voices forever stilled.
All but the little Klersey child were
drowned. She stayed in the shallow
water stnd was saved
A Delightful Play Spot.
At tie point where the drowning oc-
Cured the current of the river makes
turn to the east bank as result of
bend In the river about 200 yare1s up
stream. This leaves the bank on the
west shore a large expanse of sand,
makin,. a delightful spot for children
to pla,f. Here the. little girls had dug
holes in the sand and waded in the
shallow water up to the time of the
tragedy. According to the story told
by the little Klersey girl, who was the
only witness to the tragedy. they were
all playing and wading along the river
bank At ore place a sand bar pro-
tects out into the river until it is all
most washed by the stream of the
main cIldluei.
How They Were Drowned.
Out to this place the children went.
Ruth Klersey was in the lead, but the
swift water and increasing depth
warned her and she drew back, calling
to the rest not to go farther, for it
was deep. But sunny-faced Little Luz
ellie either heard nor or failed to I'M
dersts nd. With a merry laugh she
rushe,l ahead, and before anyone could
stop her she was in six or seven feet
Of water Her laugh of happiness
turnel to a shrill scream of terror.
and with cry the oldest girl dashed
to the rescue. She, too, went off the
treac 1erous sand bar into the deep,
eddying water. So they followed each
a little heroine, trying to save the one
who had gone before until all were in
the deep water; all but little Ruth
Klers sy, who had warned them of the
danger and who stood dazed and mute,
helplessly watching her playmates go
quickly to their deaths.
An Awful Scene.
She, does not know how long she
stood 1t was quiet on the banks, she
afterwards said, after their screams of
terror. had ceased. AS she stood and
daze6Iy watched. hrst one and then
another came to the surface. At one
time 1t seemed as II they were all
floating at once, their hair sprea ding
out On the water and their faces look
ing white and pitlful. Then one sank
to rise no more. Another followed.
then another, and another, until all
were gone. A full realization of the
terrible calamity seemed to fill the lit
tie girls soul, and rushing down from
the shore she began crying in an
guisn at the top of her voice "Auntie,
the girls are drowned, the girls are
all drowned"
What Mrs. Usher Did.
Away In the woods Mrs. Usher. with
a sick and fretful baby in her arms
heard the terrifying call. Dropping
the baby quickly on the grass in the
wool and pulling the sidecombs from
her hair that it might have them to
play with while she was gone, she
rush ed toward where the children had
beer playing. She met the little child
and learned the story Without an in
starts delay she dashed thru the un-
derlrust, swamp and thickets to the
beach. Hazel. the oldest of the Sweet
ing girls. had been washed by the water
up near the edge of the step-off The
top Of her head floating on the water
was what met the terrified ans