The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-05-09
Penn JUNIOR DROWNED
Walter Tabor Popular Student
Meets Death in Reservoir.

Der OF the Junior class, was drowned
about two-twenty O'Clock Friday af-
ternoon, May 8, at the water storage
reservoir of the NJ. & st. l.. Ry.,
north of town. The young man for
some unaccountable reason became
helpless and went down in ten feet of
water just as help was within his
grasp. The body was recovered at
9:15 o'clock p. m, Friday, having
been under water seven hours.
Spencer Mortimer, of Lavalle,
Wisconsin, one of the lads who was
swimming near Tabor, narrowly es.
capped the fate of his companion, and
tho drowning came near being a
double tragedy. Young Mortimer
reached the side of the distressed Ia
Dor and was endeavoring to help him
into shallow water. Tabor grabbed
him, secured a hold on his foot and
as he went down the last time took
young Mortimer beneath the water
with him. The young man was fright
ened and had great difficulty in re-
leasing the hold that the drowning
man had fastened upon him. He
finally kicked loose and as he came
to the surface he had the utmost
difficulty in getting to shore himself.
He was practically exhausted and a
few more minutes of struggle in the
water would have been fatal.
Penn college was having a holiday
annual May Day celebration,-and
the students were free from recita'
lions for the day. Most of the boys
and girls devoted their time to prep
arations for the entertainment of the
evening. A company of five boys
who had been working about the cam
pus left the others little after din
ner They were tired and hot, as
the day was unusually warm. The
suggestion that they go to the reser
voir was acted upon as with one &C
cord The boys raced off across the
campus and in a short time mes
senger returned with the startling
announcement that Walter Tabor had
been drowned A crowd of the col
lege boys hurried to the place. Com
panions and students stripped fol
the work and plunged into the water
but without result The pond re
fused to give up the body until al
hope of resuscitation was abandoned
Diving was attempted, but was
useless on account of the chilling
temperature of the water a slight dis
lance below the surface. Hooks ant
poles were secured, ropes, an eight
foot fishing net and other working
apparatus were brought. Willing
hands were not lacking. but all eff
forts were unsuccessful until afte1
nine o'clock.
| City Clerk Thomas Fl. Carlil
brought a light row boat to the pond
The work had previously been con
Quoted from raft of railway ties
Later Don P. Mcclure went to Skunk
river with his auto truck and brough
another boat which was also used by
workers.
Abandoning the method of drag
ging the bottom of the pond or sein
ing, the suggestion of pulling a hay
rake over the bottom was adopted
and put into practical test. 1t fail
ed to give results but it is probable
that the rake dislodged the body
| from it's first resting place. A short
/ time after the rake had been work
ing, George Smith, who was in one o.
the boats dragging with hooks, 10
Gated the body and through use o.
the hooks 1t was brought to the sur
face, about fifteen feet from shore
Coroner Cheesman was on the ground
with ambulance. The body was tax
en- to Cheeseman's undertaking rooms
and given immediate attention.
Young Tabor was accompanied tt
the reservoir by Roy Weant, Delos
Davis, Ben Lindley, Owen Laughlin
Arthur Hadley and Spencer Mortimer
! The boys went to the north shore Of
the pond and had been swimming out
to the tower. which is located at neal
the point of the greatest depth Of
water. The recent heavy rains have
filled the reservoir to overlooking ant
the "spillway" or outlet has been in
use The boys had been swimming ir
twenty or more feet of water Al
the time of the accident the CROWD
was scattered, some were on the bank
partly clothed, but young Mortimer
was far out in the center of the pond
when he heard the cry of distress
He turned and swan toward his
companion Tabor. who was not al
expert swimmer, had been out to the
tower and was returning to the north
bank when he seemed to give out OF
was possibly seized with cramps. He
began calling for assistance and his
efforts to handle himself in the water
became unavailing.
Walter Tabor was born March 3
1887. and was 25 years and two
months of age at the date of death
He had passed through the Penn Col
lege Preparatory Department and
was in his Junior year in the Col
Iegiate work. He was good student
and a popular fellow generally. The
family of the young man had been
somewhat separated and since he had
taken up work at Penn he had been
making his home in Mahaska county