Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-12-17
Victor Campbell Drowned.
TEN-YEAR-oLD BOY GOES THROUGH THE
ICE AT SOUTH PARIS.

The first drowning accident in many
years at South Paris occurred Friday
afternoon about o'clock, when Victor
bell of Oxford Street, broke through the
thin ice on the river, and those who saw
the accident were unable to rescue him
until life was gone.
After the close of school for the day,
Victor, though he had been warned
against doing it, took his school books
and went on to the ice on the mill pond
with other boys. Above what is known
as the SANDY" there is large cove and
the pond is quite wide. Here the ice
had evidently partly broken up during
the thaw, and while some Of it was
thick enough to hold light person, in
other places there was only the ice
which had made in twenty-four hours or
so. Llewellyn Bartlett and Roy Buffers,
boys a little older than the Campbell
boy, were with him, and the Bartlett
boy, starting from the peninsula back
of the cemetery, had gone across the ice
to the east bank of the river. The
Campbell boy started to follow him. and
broke through one of the thin places in
the ice.
The other two boys who were with
him made all effort to get him out, both
of them getting into the water to some
extent in doing it, but they were unable
to get near enough to rescue him, and
the Buffers boy had pretty close work
getting back on to firm ice.
The boys then ran to Billings mill for
help, and in very short time there was
a large crowd of men and boys at the
scene, but the ice was not strong enough
to allow the men to get out where the
boy went in. A big fiat bottomed boat
was procured at the mill, and r. l..
Cummings, James Heath and Carroll
Edwards started for the place. 1t was
rather slow work as they had to break
their way through the ice. After reach
ing the spot, it was very short time be-
fore they secured the body by the use
of pickpoles. 1t was near where it went
down, in five or six feet of water.
At least half an hour had gone by
after the boy broke in, some think it
was three-quarters of an hour that he
had been in the ice-cold water, and
there seemed no possibility of life being
left, but every effort was made to re-
suscitate him. He was taken at once to
DR.. Littlefield's, and three physicians
and a number of assistants worked over
him to the best of their ability for an
hour and half, but without avail.
Victor was one of six children of
Mr.. and Mrs. Cyrus P. Campbell, there
being three older and two younger than
he. He would have been II years of
age on the Goth of this month.
The funeral was held at the Univers
alist church at $50 Sunday afternoon,
and in spite of the bad travelling the
church was filled. Rev. j. Fl. Little
spoke very feelingly in conducting the
service. A solo was sung by Mrs. Pen
fold, but there was no other singing.
The Knights of King Arthur occupied
front seats, next behind sat the members
of the Junior Christian Union of the
Universalist church, and then the Sun
day School, one wing of the church be-
ing filled with these three bodies, Of
which he was member, and delega-
ton of the Knights of King Arthur acted
as bearers. The floral offerings includ-
ed bouquet of pinks from the Junior
Union, carnation pinks from the Knights
of King Arthur, roses from the Sunday
School, bouquet from the South Paris
Grammar School, and another from his
teacher. Margaret StearnS, and pupils.