The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-04
BERKELEY TEAM
LEADER BROWNS
NEAR STANFORD
Death of John Service Makes
Fourth Life Claimed by
Lake Lagunita
Young Athlete Perishes in Its
Treacherous Waters With
Comrades Near
Weeds Entangle Him When His
Canoe Upsets and Prevent
His Swimming
srEcIAL DIspArcH 10 rnE cALL


STANFORD UNIVERSITY, May
Within stones throw of the
bank and before the very eyes Of his
helpless comrades. John Service, the
young captain OF the Berkeley high
school track team, was drowned in
the treacherous waters of Lake La
gunita this morning when the canoe
In which he had gone for an after
breakfast paddle overturned. Although
swimmer, he became entangled in
the tough weeds and sank before the
frantic efforts of the witnesses on the
shore or his teammates who were in
boats at the other side of the lake
could reach him.
This tragedy was the tragic finale Of
the brief visit paid by the unfortunate
lad and his many high school colnpan-
ions who took part in the interscholas-
tic field day
Together with two other schoolmates
Service engaged a rowboat and spent
some time frolicking on the placid wa
ters- firing of this they secured two
rowboats and a canvas canoe. Service
took the canoe. Before embarking he
was warned by " K Carpenter. STAN
ford senior in charge of the boats that
unless he could swim he would better
remain upon the bank The lad an
swered that he could swim and left his
coat upon the shore as a precaution.
MIssTRoKE UPsETs CANOE
The three boys were among the first
to visit the lake this morning and there
was but handful of students upon the
bank when the frail craft was upset,
evidently by crab. or misstroke of
the paddle. The tragedy occurred in
the shallow end of the lake and scarcely
100 feet from shore. but the bottom is
heavily overgrown with reeds which
come close to the surface Upsets upon
the lake are not unusual, however, and
at first little cause for fear was felt by
the students who saw 1T, until 1t was
observed that the boy had evidently lost
his head and would endeavor to make
shore instead of ciinging to the boat
Carpenter, the boat keeper, at the
first cry made dash for a boat and
was hurrying to the scene. as were the
other comrades OF the unfortunate lad.
Before either OF the parties could reach
him the swimmer-disappea not to
rise again.
Aid was Immediately forthcoming
The cry was sounded from the hill by
the witnesses OF the tragedy and a
large number of students from the fra
ternity houses responded and hurried to
the scene.
USE FLOAT FOR RESCUE
The landing float of the varsity crews
was cut from its moorings and quickly
towed to the spot where the boy had
sunk after repeated efforts had been
made by Carpenter and offer students
to find the boy. BY diving With the
float as a landing platform scores of
students began systematic and frantic
search to find the boy. hoping he might
be revived. So thick were the weeds.
however. that no trace of the body was
found until the bottom was dragged.
The body was in the water one hour.
Warm blankets. hot water and every
possible means known to the physicians
summoned were vainly employed
DR.. Wilbur. the campus doctor, who
made the first examinations of the boy,
found that he had not swallowed any
water and that his lungs were not filled