The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-07-27
COMPANION SAVEDHIM

COMPANION SAVEDHIM
From Drowning Nearly a
Tragedy in the Willamette
at Corvallis.
A case of drowning with all its
melancholy details was avetted
Wednesday evening by the heroism
of Kratz Cronise. II happened in
the Willamette near the old o. P.
incline at Corvallis. and it was
Nash Taylor, aged IS, whose life
nearly paid the forfeit of his in
clination for swimming. He re-
sides with his widowed mother at
the Presby terian manse, and is en-
ployed as clerk at Nolan's.
He was at arms lengG under the
, water while his rescuer swan fifty
or sixty feet with him, and it re.
CURED six or eight minutes of roll
ing and other vigorous restoratives
usual in drowning cases to restore
him to consciousness and life.
With Kratz Cronise and three
other boys, Taylor went to the
swimming headquarters TO bathe in
the twilight of Tuesday evening.
The boom of the Corvallis sawmill
swings slantwise across the river
at the point, and it is the custom
of the bathers to swim out to the
boom, and after a rest or other di-
version. swim back again to the
Corvallis shore. Taylor, Cronise
and companion started together
for the boom. Taylor is not as
vigorous a swimmer as the others,
, and he soon fell behind. He had
on former occasions, however made
! the trip and had no fear of his
> ability to repeat the performance,
: until about half way across, he
! suddenly began to call for help. Il
. had been observed by onlookers
that even before this Taylor hae
begun to show signs of distress
!, His first call for help was not heare
by his companions, who had al
ready reached the boom. A secon.
S call however, uttered as Taylo
: threw up his hands and seeme'
i about to sink, brought Cronise in
: to the water. He is powerfr
e swimmer and his vigorous stroke
! soon brought him within reach c
f Taylor who was by this time i
If the actual process of drowning. H
l. had practically given up the strus
S gle when his rescuer Preached hin
e Like all drowning persons. he a
= tempted to seize Cronise. but Cror
Use prevented that and seizing hil
4 by the hair, lifted Taylor we'll o,
of the water and began the swil
i for the boom about 200 feet away
- For a few strokes all went wei
Taylor having sufficiently recovere
~ ~ his equauimity to assist a little
> > the swimming. This was howev'
4 but for few seconds and Taylt
!. suddenly gave up all effort, b.
:. coming complete burden ON Crol
: ise. The latter was swimming O
- one side with one hand, and holt
\ ing his burden with head out {
= the water with the other hand.
was a trying position, and with tt
most powerful swimmer could NJ
= last long.
l. As Cronise's strength ebbeo
IS Taylor sank lower and lower in,
r the water r. Then he sank deeper an
a deeper as the strength of tt
IS swimmer WITS more and more spen
e At last hs was the arms lengt
K of the swimmer beneath the surfac
:. and every stroke with the diser
: gagged arm of Cronise, was labored
.e Two other boys were on the bool
" but they were trans6xed wit
r fright and lent no effort to the he,
oic rescuer.
; IF there had been six or eigt
J. feet more to go, Cronise could ney
e er have made it ?" said I. D. Bodin
S who was an eye witness to the ii
|. cident. 1T was the most tryin
le thing I ever saw, and but for th
q courage of Cronise and the gri
IS with which he stuck to his burde
|, even when all his strength SCENE
.r gone, Taylor would never have got
d ten out alive. During the last hal
t. or more OF the heroic swim, Taylo
s was under water entirely, and a
e the very last Cronise's strengt
IS was so spent that he made yer
slow progress. 1t was in ever
respect most serious situation
rt and it was only by reason of th
IS fact that Cronise is a brave boy an
At a splendid swimmer that a TRACED
n was averted."
e. Cronise finally reached the boor