Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-30
TWO YOUNG MEN DROWNED
Joseph F, Tinker and Joel B. LoomiS
Die at Cutoff.
GO DOWN At NIGHT WHILE SKATING
Tragedy Casts Gloom over Future
Festivals on the Ice, First
of which was In
Progress.

| Joseph Frank Tinker. aged p, and Joel
b. Loomis, also aged %, both in the office
| of Superintendent of Motive Power McKeen
Of the Union Pacific skated into an air
| hole in the ice on Cut-Off lake about $3.50
! Friday night and were drowned. The bod
/ les were recovered early Saturday morning
within few feet of each other by Frank
Brown, custodian of the Omaha Rod and
Gun club. The body of Tinker was found
| imbedded in the mud and standing in an
upright position with only about five inches
of water over his head, while that of
Loomis was discovered lying on its side at
| the bottom about five feet from the spot
where the body of Tinker had been pre-
viously found
tinker was a stenographer in the office
of Superintendent McKeen and LOOMS was
clerk in the office. The former was the
only support Of his widowed mother, Mrs.
Sarah X. Tinker, and an only sister, Sarah
R., and lived at 12S South Thirty-fifth ave-
nue. The family formerly resided at S9
South Thirty-sixth street
The parents of Doomis reside at Lincoln
and he roomed at a6s Douglas street
First Carnival Fatal.
The exact spot where the boys skated
into the airhoe was Just a few feet from
the east end of the grounds of CORTLAND
beach and about five blocks from the club
house Of the Omaha Rod and Gun club. the
members of which held an ice carnival that
was attended by several thousand persons
Friday night and attracted many who did
not belong to the club. II is believed the
accident to both young men occurred about
$3.50 p m, as George r. Wright of The Bee
business office was skating in the vicinity
of the accident about that time and heard
repeated cries for help from what he
thought were two persons He could not
locate from exactly which direction the
cries came, but summoned assistance and
a search was made but, of course, with
out results, as the men were then under
the ice.
The ice was in fine condition Friday
night with the exception of the usual !
numerous airholes that have caused the |
death Of so many skaters at Cut-On lake |
In recent years, but the dangerous spots !
near the pavilion of the Omaha Rod and |
Gun club were plainly marked with Ian |
terms and no accidents occurred at the |
festival proper The lake near the club |
house was brilliantly illuminated by many |
lanterns and the moon was exceptionally |
radiant, so it is difficult for other skaters |
to conceive how Tinker and Loomis failed !
to avoid the death trap.
Two Others Go In, but Escape.
Two other boys skated into an open !
place in the lake Friday evening, but |
scrambled out of the water alone and got |
on car for home as quickly as possible |
without giving their names. 1t is believed
that Tinker and LOOMS went into the
hole together
The first intimation of the double fatality
was when the sister of Joseph Thinker
notified The Bee early Saturday morning
that her brother had gone skating Friday
night and had failed to return, and she
was fearful that he had been drowned.
The mother notified the police, Mrs Think
Ter also notified the officials Of the Union
Pacific, and NJ. F. Hartman, supervising
chemist IN the office of Superintendent
McKeen, went to Cut-On lake and obtained
the aid of Frank Brown, custodian of the
Rod and Gun club house, who immedi-
ately started on a search Of the airholes
of the lake.
Mr.. Brown got a boat and a number of
pike poles and after only a short search
found the body of Tinker about $50 a. m
Saturday, just twelve hours after the &C.
cident Tinker had evidently plunged into
the hole without the least warning, as
his feet were imbedded in the mud at the
CCOl'Oiii anu hV was SldHulHB perfectly up
right
Goes Back for LOOMS.
The body was taken to the club house,
where Mr.. Hartman was surprised to
learn that another member of his office
force had gone skating with Tinker Friday
night and was also missing and had not
reported for duty Saturday morning. Mr..
Brown returned to the airhole where he
had found the body of Tinker and after
graphing with the pike pole a few min
utes raised the body of Loomis to the sur
face. This was about one hour after the
recovery of the body of Tinker. The body
of LOOMS was also taken re the club house
and Coroner Bradley notified who went i'm
mediatey to the scene OF the accident and
brought both bodies to the city. He will
hold no inquest, as the accident occurred on
the Iowa side of the river. The Iowa au-
thorities will hold inquest, in Difference
to the wishes of the families
The catastrophe has caused intense gloom
among the members of the Rod and Gun
club, although the accident occurred some
distance from tie scene of the ice festival
But the entertainment was the first of what
promised to be novel and enjoyable outdoor
parties, and the affair has put a damper
on the enthusiasm for future festivals.
Deep regret over the unfortunate occur
renee was heard on all sides at Union
Pacific headquarters, where the young men
had been employed for some time and were
esteemed