The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-11
DIVES FROM THE BRIDGE
Hearing Cries for Help Young Woman
Takes OF Jacket and Skirt and
Dlves TO the Rescue Of
the Swimmer.

rescue of an exhausted swimmer by a
young woman was witnessed by a
large number OF the crowd Of 10000
persons who watched the two and
one-half mile race this evening The
race was won by William s. vosburgh
of Oak Park, Chicago suburb, repre-
senting the University of Illinois, in
So 1-2 minutes.
The rescue was dramatically staged
at the Rush street bridge, about
three-quarters Of a mile from the
start. NJ. b. Pfeister OF Chicago, un-
attached, cried for help as he neared
the bridge. Miss Elsie Herder, Of
1882 Champlain avenue, Chicago.
therew off her jacket, jumped out Of
her outer skirt. kicking off her shoes
with the same movement, leaped "a
the bridge rail and dived 35 feet into
the water. Catching the exhausted
swimmer, she held his head above
the surface of the water until the
police motorboat reached him and he
was dragged aboard Safely landed on
the shore, Pfeister had regained
enough strength to give the young
woman grateful and resounding kiss
upon the cheek. You saved my life, (
he said, and Miss Herder blushed.
Raymond Boyle, of the Pittsburgh
Swimming Club, was exhausted and
suffering from contact with the cold
water at the Monroe street bridge.
less than 300 yards from the finish. He
was lifted from the water by officers
| in the police motorboat and taken to
| the Practitioners hospital. One Of the
doctors who went to the hospital and
worked over Boyle for more than an
hour, was the official time keeper for
the race. AS a result there was no
official time. Boyle was said to be
seriously i'll tonight, but his recovery
is expected.
| The race was the annual Chicago
marathon swimming contest, and it is
a classic Of its kind. Vosburgh was as
strong at the finish as he was at the
start. Several of the contestants fin
Iished in good condition. There was
considerable suffering among men
from the south and east, on account
Of cold water.
VIII s. Merriam OF the Illinois
Athletic Club, Chicago. finished sec
ond M. Kaiser OF the Missouri Ath-
letic Club, was third, And j. T. Strive,
lof the Chicago Athletic Association
was fourth.
The swimmers started from barge
about 800 yards east Of the breakwa-
ter. The temperature OF the lake wa
ter was 81 degrees and the cold ham.
pered many Of the entrants during the
| first half mile of the race. Around
the government life saving station
and past the inner harbor, the men
steered into the Chicago river.
4 The water here was considerably
warmer, partially due to the presence
on the surface of large quantities OF
sewage, decayed vegetables and rot
ten fruit which had been emptied in
to the river from the mouths of ten
big sewers and the wharfs and stor-
age houses of several commission
4 dealers.
4 Along the route Of the race thous-
ands crowded into every available
inch of space. Every bridge was
thronged. On the government pier
more than half mile from short 4
crowd of 1000 sought the best places
to watch the first few hundred yards
of the race. A heavy drizzle of rain
caught them with no boats near to
bring them to shore.