The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-06-07
A SAD TRAGEDY.
EDWIN GLEDHlLL LOSES HIS LIFE BY
DROWNING At INDIAN POND ON
THE AFTERNOON OF THURSDAY,
NAV Asst

THE AZ ERkOON OF THURSDAY
MAY 3fsT.
The sad intelligence was received
here, Friday morning of last week, by
j. w. Blunt, assistant treasurer of the
Marston Worsted Mills, of the drowning,
the previous afternoon, of Edwin Gled-
hill, general manager of that company,
by the overturning of canoe at Indian
Pond where he and a party of friends
were enjoying a weeks outing.
Mr.. Gledhill was one of party of IA
who were making their headquarters at
Nike Mahrs camps on the shores of up
per Indian Pond, something like four
miles from Moosehead Lake. Mr.. and
Mrs. Gledhill, Mr.. and Mrs. b T. Stew
ard and Mrs. J. w. Blunt left here on
the early train, Saturday May Goth and
were joined at Wateryille by Mr.. and
irs. n. b. K. Brooks, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank S. Eddy and Mr.. and Mrs John
II. o. Brien and Mr.. and Mrs. Frederic
Wildes of Wellesley Hills, Mass, and
Austin W. Follett of Newton, all arriving
at the Mahr camps that afternoon.
Thursday, the day of the accident,
had been devoted to an all day excursion
to Indian Pond Dam, a distance of six
miles to the southerly end OF the pond,
the entire party participating and being
conveyed thither In four canoes, each in
charge of a guide. The accident oc-
CURED on the return journey in the mar
rows between upper and lower Indian
Pond, where the channel is less than
half the width of the Kennebec above
the Island at Skowhegan and where the
current 10 very swift. Between five and
six the canoes reached this point in their
homeward journey, the one containing
Mr. and Mrs. Wildes and Mr.. Gledhill
being the third to enter the narrows.
By the time they arrived the two canoes
preceding them had passed on through
the swift water and around the point in
to upper Indian Pond, and the fourth
its occupants did not see the accident.
The guide had been keeping near the
east shore of the channel until near the
upper end when he turned to CROSS to
the opposite side. As the craft swung
out into the swift current the side was
forced under and it was Immediately
filled precipitating the guide and three
passengers into the water. The guide
recalls seeing Mr.. Gledhill strike out
strongly for the bank and hearing him
call out "look out for the other people,
l can swim and will look out for my.
self" A moment later he saw him turn
to look back when nearly ashore and
the next instant he had disappeared
The canoe with the guide and the two
remaining passengers struggling in the
water floated rapidly down stream where
they finally met and assisted by the
guide in the fourth canoe who landed
his passengers on sunken log in severa
feet OF water, when the swamped canoe
came in sight, and fastened to the res
cue.
This assistance came none too quickly
as Mr.. Wildes and the guide had reach
ed the limit of their strength and Mrs
Wildes was unconscious. A landing wal
made at point some two miles dowr
the pond from the Mahr camps. Here
Mr.. and Mrs. Wildes were made as com.
Portable as possible, the latter slowly re-
gaining consciousness under their eff
forts at 1esuscitation, and word of tht
accident was sent to the camps.
At first there was a feeling that Mr.
G.edhill might have reached the shore
and had become lost in the woods in hi
efforts to roach the camp and, upon THU
supposition, searching parties were on
all night covering the country for dis
lance of five miles from the shore of thu
pond but without result
With the beginning of dawn, FRIDAY
morning, a large number of men wer,
employed in searching the waters anc
this search continued increasingly. Tt
aid in this the gates at the outlet o
Moosehead Lake we're closed and those
at Indian Pond dam we're opened, thu
draining the basis of the two ponds anc
lessening the depth of the water abou
eight feet.
A n
the scene, Saturday evening. Shortl,
after nine o'clock, Tuesday morning
one of the searching parties who wert
working from small boat in the chan
mel between the two ponds, about 25t
feet below where the canoe WAS over
turned, discovered and raised the boo
to the surface and it was Immediately
given over to the care of the two broth
era, Morris and Ralph, who went TO tht
scene By the early train of Monday morn
ing, and had participated in the searcl
since their arrival. AS soon as arrange
ments could be completed it was con
yeyed to this place .eaching here, Tues
day evening
Mr.. Gledhill ia survived bv a widow
formerly Miss Alice Wildes, daughte
of the late Colonel A W. Wildes, and
sharing the SORROW with her are th'
mother, Mrs Sarah II. Gedhill, whC
will suffer most keenly In the loss o
her eldest son for whom an affection