Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-09
TWO DROWNED IN NAyAWA
Thomas Kendall and John Mergsn
Victims Of Treacherous Shore Ice.
PROMINENT IN SPORTING CIRCLES
Had Left Home sunday Morning 60
Hunt Ducks On Bake-FOund
Stfu G~raspinE stern
OF Beat.



Kendall Was q mcst expert swimmer ana
drovned in the Lake from which hs had
saved many people from a walsry grRve
At thu time Of the KursaaI disaster At
KRnawa svo years ago. vhGn several PER
sons were drowned. none was ~ active A.
Kendall in pulling the drcwzing from the
water ana TINS he sawed several 1fvss. he
has been the central figure In ressutng
several from the waters Of Manawa
while IN the BoeE war Kendall jumped
over the side Of a ship into the ocean ard
sawed Al English officer who had fallen
overheard. alfhougA the ship went nsarly
half q naiis bsfore IL could be stopped and
turned Ne was decorated By the british
governments for has bravery.
The bodies Of Thomas Kec1sI. manager
Of the az department OF the whole
sale house OF Peterson & Sehosning at
Council Bluffs, and Jonn Merger. Council
Bluffs agent for the Willow Springs Brew
ing company OF Omaha. were found at an
early hour Monday morning in Lake Man
ava
The two men. who were enthusiastic
sportsmen and experts in the use Of boats.
started duck hunting Sunday morning.
When they failed 10 return sunday night
search vas begun. their bodies being located
aDl4L 4 . ElOlA Mnl4d1 morning. AA-N we're
standing upright in about nine feet OF water.
Kendall firmly grasping the stern OF their
boat. the bow Of which protruded from the
water. II seems that they dragged their
boat across the Ice to the open wafer and
were launching il when the ice gave way.
precipltauns them into the water. ChRs-
ing 10 the boat they pulled the stern down
vita them
Thav Hrnrn = ten, 70 the lax -hfrh thai
left at the Minter home on the south SIDE
Of the lake. They borrowed Minters boat
and went oet after ducks Thar Is the last
seen Of them When they did not return
search was made and the only trace dis
eoYered Sunday night was to fad the beat
damned in the ice and with Kendail-s stiff
hat in the boat. None OF the hunting
clothes or appliances Of the two men were
found
Claims TO Have seen Drowning.
Il is generally IMPOSED the two men
were drowned early N the morning. though
a boy. WiIlet Sc5fr. son Of Joe Scott claims
to have seen them about II O'Clock He
SOS Merger was on the zee and Kendall
IN the boat Suddenly he saE the Ice give
way and Merger disappear Kendall. ha
said. made desperate efforts 10 rescue his
companicn- He gave no alarm and says he
does not knOW what happened after that
Ths searching party under Deputy
Sheriff Woolmsn. which found the bodies.
vas unable 10 set them out Of the water
untI about : o'clock Monday morning. Ken
dan VAS gripping the boat with one hand
and a rope win the other. Merger was
about two feet aWsy from the boat.
Mersen leaves = wife and two little girls
HIS wife Is a sister Of Jacob Krug Of
Omaha
Kendall vas a single man and lived with
ais widowed mother On Lincoln avenue.
He VAS an EngIlshm1n and had served IN
the lancers In the Boer war. he was an
al round athiete and an excellent swim
mer- Both were prominent in athletic cir
eles and helped organize the Pottaxaftamls
Gun club
No srraHssnsnt have been made Tor IN.
funeral