Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-12
Beulah Bandfield Becomes Ex-
cited Over Lost Oar and
Plunges Into Water
ATTEMPT TO RESTORE LIFE
Assistant Surgeon Of Homo and Corps
of Nurses Work heroicaIIy for Over
an Hour in Effort to Resuscitate Vic
tim-Girl's Father Member Of Home;
Mother a Cook.

mind, Beulah Bandfeld, the young Slri
who met death by drowning in the
Iowa river back of the soldiers home
Wednesday afternoon. would have
come to no harm. Her companion.
Florence Ford. escaped unframed.
Miss Bandfield, however, became fright
ened when an oar slipped from it's lock,
and jumped into the water near the
bank. While for some distance along
the shore the water is shallow, the
very spot where the girl Jumped con-
tanned ten feet of water, and she went
to the bottom.
Miss Ford, the surviving member OF
toned by Coroner Nichols, in the pres
ence Of Commandant Horton and a
Times Republican reporter. Miss Ford
said that she and Miss Bandfield Sc
cured a boat at the home landing. in
tending to go for little row down
the river. The current was very swift,
and they kept close to shore. One of
the oars became unfastened and
dropped into the water. The boat was
carried away from it, and Miss
Bandfield tried to reach it. She failed
in this and became excited, presum-
ably fearing that the boat would be
carried down stream. The boat was
only about three or four feet from
shore. and Miss Bandfield jumped into
the water, evidently thinking that it
was shallow, and she could easily reach
shore. She went down, and when she
arose Miss Ford handed her the other
oar, and told her to grab it. She only
threw up both arms" Miss Ford said,
land made no effort to get the oar
When she came up again l pushed the
oar out to her, but she did not try to
get it. 1 think she was too excited to
know what / was doing. She came up
the third time, but when she went
down that was ALL The current took
me down stream, and some one yelled
TO me to take the other oar and use It
as paddle on both SIDES. I did this
and landed safely at the first bend"
Miss Ford is daughter of G. w.
Ford, jLennox Furnace Company
molder, living at 302 South Sixth av-
enue.
Body in Water Some Time,
Miss Bandtield's body was in the wa
ter abont three-quarters of an hour,
and was finally recovered by ike"
Mann, boatman, and John Berg, clerk
in the quartermaster's office. 1t was
found about ten rods down stream
from where the girl disappeared.
Work Hard to Bring Life.
Dr.W. J.. Neuzil, assistant surgeon
of the home, was at the waters edge
when the body was recovered, and took
charge of the girl. He gave a hypoder
mic injection of morphine, and had
the body removed Immediately to the
hospital after forcing as much water
out of the body as was possible. AS
sisted by Mrs. M. A. Shaffner, acting
of nurses, and six or
eight nurses from the floor, DIR. Neu-
zil worked over the body for little
over an hour, trying to effect artificial
and get some response from
the stimulants. The efforts were all
useless, however.
Girls Fatherin the Home.
Miss Bandfeld was a daughter of
William Bandfeld, of Fraser, Boone
county, who Is member of the home
and a patientw in the hospital suffer
ing from a cancer. Mrs. Kate Band
field, his wife, is employed as head cook
in the main building at the home. The
young woman, who was only Is, but
large for her age, was employed as a
waitress in the main building, and was
referred TO by those in charge of the
dining room as one of the best girls
the institution had. A sister, Carrie,
who was also employed as a waitress,
quit a short time ago owing to ILL
health, and returned to Fraser, where
three married sisters live She was
notified by wire of her sisters death
Wednesday evening.
Coroner Nichols decided an inquest
The young woman's sisters living at
Fraser are Mrs. Susan Webb, Mrs.
Phoebe Elsberry, and Mrs. May Sewer.
Mrs. Webb, Mrs. Elsberry and Miss
Carrie Bandfield reached the city early
this morning. The body will be taken
to Frazer for interment, leaving this
evening.