Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-05-16
LOSES HIS LIFE.
Cadet Jackson Drowned in the
Surf at Isle Of Palms.
THE ANNUAL PICNIC

Was The Event That Took the Bov,
to the Seashore and the Outin.
Was Greatly Marred by the sat
Accident. Cadet Simms, Rigby
Dirube and Others Tried to Saw,
jackson.
The News and COURIER SAYS the
annual picnic of the South Caroline
military Academy came to a tragic
end Thursday by the drowning OF
one OF the cadets In the surf. A mum.
Der OF the cadets went in bathing af.
Ter iunch and about five o'clock Il
was learned that Cadet w. ]. Jack.
son. of Winnsboro, was drowned. The
young man was among the number
OF three or four. who more venture
some than the rest, went out In the
sea much too far.
1t seems that all of these were
good swimmers and felt confident
tnae they could successfully battle
with the waves despite a warning
which had been given them that the
sea was running high. Young Jack
son had become exhausted and his
friends nearby became conscious of
his perilous condition and immeuiate-
y called for help. They were all
nearly exhausted and were in great
danger themselves.
Harold Simms, the nearest tn Jack-
son, seeing his friend drifting away
went bravel" to his rescue, fighting
manfuliy against the waves and sue
ceeding at expense of his remaining
strength to bring the half drowned
boy few yards shOreward. He then
became suddenly helpless, but held
on, swearing to his comrade that he
would either save him or drown with
him. Jaskson seemed conscious, but
altogether helpless, and made no ef-
fort to save himself, except as is US
0ai with drowning man, at his res
cuers expense.
Simms to let him loose and save him
self. Cadets Rigby and Dirube. them
selves also exhausted rushed as we'll
as they could to the drowning and
almost drowned men. They succeed
ed IN getting them closer to land,
when all OF a sudden, an iESmense
breaker came and broke them apart.
Much OF this happened before the
people on shore realized its true sig
nifcance. The calls for help were
at nrst supposed to be in fun, as so
Often is the case. But soon 1t was
realized that the cadets were in grave
danger and the people on shcre i'm
medtately set to work to aid them.
Mr.. Wfngate, an employee on the
island stripped off his clothes on the
beach and SWAN out toward the boys.
Many cadets were soon with him and
they succeeded In bringing Cadets
Rigby, Simms and Dirube, they all
of them in state Of exhaustion.
particularly Simms, who had to be
treated for some time before he was
quite himself. There was no doctor
present and the task was very diff
ficult.
Miss Estelle Thomas rendered a |
great deal Of service to the half
drowned youth by her knowledge of
nursing, Mr.. Wingate swan out as
far as he could with safety to him
self and usefulness to the almostj
'rowned cadet before he gave up the
attempt. There was no boat on the |
beach, but Mr.. Wingate sent out a |
squad OF cadets to the back beach. |
where one was found and brought to |
him In the water; he refused to take |
any of the crowd but Mr.. Dave Coch-I
ran.
They .rowed quite a distance out.
searching all the time for the body,
for the young man had drowned. The |
search proved futile, and they re-
turned to the shore. The colleagues
OF the popular young soldier were not |
content with this and despite the |
great danger in which they placed |
themselves. Cadets Buck, Grimbali,
Woodward and Clark set out again |
In the boat in search. They were
also unsuccessful and 1t was not unit.
40: 10 last night that the body was
found by the patrol made up of ca
diets and their friends.
The searching party was organized
soon after the affair occurred and the
cadets divided themselves up into sec
tions to patrol the beach by turns
until the body was recovered It
was about 1910 o'clock when Cadet
Watson discovered the body of the
young man about 200
feet east Of the pavilion. Imme-
diately after the sad event all the
pleasures of the day came to a close,
ceased and the band left the
At 6:15 most OF the
crowd left the Isle.
A gloom was cast over the entire
and the day that dad be-
gun SO auspiciously and happily came
to most deplorable close. Cadet
William j. Jackson was a member
Of the Freshman class. having enter
ed the Academy in October. the hol-
der of scholarship from Fairfield
County. His home was in Winnsboro
and he was the pride and hope of a
widowed mother. Mrs. M. A. Jackson.
He was young man of fine parts
and in his short career at the Cita-
del has made many friends among
the students and faculty. He was a
splendid specimen Of young manhood
stood we'll in his class and, was a j,
great favorite of all those who knew
him.