The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-10-25
Party Plunges into Deep Waters
Of the Washita When Wagon
Turns Over at Ford on
Dark Night
FLOATS DOWN THE
STREAM 40 YARDS
Father Searches Franlically for the
Child and Gives Up Hope but
Cry Leads him to the
Little One

tale OF the miraculous escape
from drowning Of a baby was brought
to the city this morning and it was
only a case Of good fortune. or the
direction OF Providence that prevent
ed the little one from being the vic
tim OF a watery grave, The miracle,
IL such il be, occurred Monday night.
but today is the first time the father
OF the babe has been to town since
then.
After the circus Monday. Eugene
Darnold. who lives about two miles
east Of Lucille, started home in a lum-
Der wagon. accompanied by his wife
and three-year-old daughter, and his
brother-in-law Being rather late in
leaving town Mr.. Darnold decided to
ford the Washita river, northeast Of
Lucile. instead Of going around by
the bridge. an added distance OF sew
eral miles
According to the story, the night
was as dark as the darkest when the
party arrived at the river bank and a
consultation was held as to whether
they should ford the river or go
around by the bridge. Eventually it
was decided to cross at the ford. Mr..
Darnold was perfectly familiar with the
crossing. but the intense darkness
made his driving Inaccurate.
AT one side Of the regularly trav-
eled ford, the rushing water had wash
ed out a leep hole. into which the
right Wheels of the wagon dropped.
The force Of the water overturned the
wagon, throwing the occupants into
the swirling stream. The horses, be
coming frightened, ran away, but IN
their first mad rush the wagon was
ierked into an upright position, and
the team and wagon proceeded on to
the Darnod home. mile distant
where they were later found, with
everything intact.
In the excitement of the moment
the baby was lost in the stream. This
water was swift and up to the arm
pits Of the adults. and the getting
to the shore was no small task
With Mrs. Darnold safety on th'
bank, the husband plunged into thu
stream and began a frantic search foI
the child. It was so dark that he witl
difficulty could distinguish objects
floating on the surface OF the water
and for a time. that seemed ages, h
searched the river for his child. Run
ming down the bank a hundred yard
or more, Mr.. Darnold began a syste
matte search of the river He workel
carefully back to the point where tn
accident had occurred without resul
and had given the child up as lost
Some twenty minutes had elapse
when the trio. assembled upon tn
bank, heard a faint cry Again pluns
ing into ther iver. Mr. Darnold, guide
only by the cries Of the baby, rushe
some forty yards down the stream
where he found the child sitting o
sandbar, crying as only healthy
lusty lunged youngster can.
/ Upon examination it was found tha
a slight bruise ON its forehead was tn
only injury sustained by the child an
besides a decidedly cold bath, n
harm had been done. Mr. Darnol
thinks that the fact that the child ha
wooden cap pulled down over il
face at the time of the accident pr
vented the water from rushing inl
her lungs as she floated down II
stream and probably saved the chi
from drowning. The little one suffe
ed severely from being chilled