Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-27

Mr. Ferran then showed where Gag
mons hold had torn both his outer
and undershirt to shredS and the
scratches and finger marks of that
strange hold were still to be seen
on the flesh.
IL knew that unless | could break
his hold it meant death for both of
us, so ! got my arm under his chin
and freed myself, he struggling like
a crazy man. / got another hold and
began swimming for the shore. I
made fairly good Roadway and could
keep lifting his head out of water,
but his desperate struggles and the
constant going under water soon
weakened me and after having swan
about one third or so of the distance,
I found that he had become an abso-
lutely dead weight that could no
longer keep above water.
MY strength was fast going and
| was obliged to relinqush my hold
on Fred to save ElySelf. His body was
then the length of my arm under wa
ter. his struggles had ceased and |
knew that I could not save him. We
never saw him again.
"Then came the struggle to get
ashore myself. My clothes were heavy
and was about exhausted. My cordu
roy pants had slipped down around my
legs and were impeding me. | manag-
ed [, get one leg free but couldn't
handle the other and thought | was
going down.
Just then ] found that Charles
TrasK was swimming to me. He had
had time To pull Chase back into the
boat. had taken off most of his clothes
and was coming to help me with Gag
non.
u managed to stick out the leg to
which the pants were clinging and
asked him 10 pull them off. He did so
and we struck out again for the shore.
| was barely able to reach the beach
and | don't believe I could have gone
10 feet farther or ever have reached
shore had not Trask reached me just
as he did.
'"The boat with Chase in it drifted
up against the boom and he balled II
out A boat with Joe Lee and Ed Rip
ley came along and they towed our
boat back to the scene of the accident
where we began to search for Gag
mons body. We got grapples and | sent
to Augusta for Joe Nicholas, the diver,
who came down and worked until
darkness compelled him to stop. He
will continue the search Monday morn
ing.
Chase. who was left alone in the
boat. could do nothing as he did not
know how to start the engine.
81 did my best to save Fred but
it was more than l could do
ly a rowboat. but built over ana
small cabin put on forward. She IS
somewhat light and the topWorks with
the added weight OF the heavy man
made her somewhat topheavy and
easy to tip
Several people We're on shore in plain
view of the accident. but were power
less to reach the men in time to be
of any assistance. They said that
Ferran's attempt to save Gagnon was
all that mortal man could do. but
that for him to have held on longer
to the drowning man would certainly
have meant his own death.
Fer,an is an able. powerful man.
good swimmer and courageous He is
a former member of the Augusta po-
lice force. He feels the loss of his
friend very keenly.
Fred Gagnon was Wall-kno"n in Au-
u,ls;ta, shere he had resided since the
G. A. Eaton factory was started. He
had formerly worked in Gardiner. His
original home was Biddeford. His age
was 3S years and it is understood that
several brothers and sisters survive.
He vas not married. Many friends in
Augusta. Gardiner and Hallowell, with
whom he vas very popular, Will be
sadd1ned by his tragic death.