Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-28
COULDN'T SEND THE
PULMOTOR To SAVE A
LIFE WITHOUT ORDERS
Drowning of Bixler Boy Brings
Facts to Light; Gas Co.
Sends Machine

The death by drowning of Lerew
Bixier yesterday afternoon in the river
opposite McCormick's Island, brought
10 nght the fact that under the sys-
tenn In ofrce at present at the Harris
burg police headquarters 1t is practi-
caily impossible to send a pulmotor
outside the city limits to aid in resus-
cltating persons apparently drowned
soon after it was learned that Blk
ler had sunk in the river and while
rescuers were searching for the body,
a telephone call was sent in to police
headquarters here asking that a pull
motor be sent out, but the reply was
mace that 1t was contrary to rules to
send the ambulance outside of the CITY
limits without orders from the chief of
police. About a quarter of an hour
later a second call came in with the
information that the body was still in
the water but that a pulmotor was
needed Tor immediate use when the
body was found.
In the meantime, news of the acci-
dent having reached George t. Ed
rage, who is connected with the Har-
rlsourg Gas Company and whose son
TWO years ago was drowned at Nc
Calfs Ferry, he at once placed the
company's pulmotor aboard an auto
and drove to the scene of the accident
where searchers were still trying to
recover the body. AS soon as the body
was brought to the shore the pulmotor
was applied, but resuscitation was i'm
possible. other methods also were
used without avail
Young BiXler at noon, after doing
several chores about the house in the
morning, said to his mother, Now,
m going down for a swim in the
river"
"Oh. you'd better not CO." Mrs. Blk
Ter replied, you'll drown one of these
days"
That's the last thing that could
happen to me-" replied Lerew, who
was known as an experienced SWIM
mer.
His Toes Touch Body
Carefully they looked along the
river bottom as they went up stream.
Inc current at this point is not swift
and it was believed that the body
might not have floated down stream
at all. This proved to be the case. for
when Prof. Ellenberger again treading
water, made his way up stream into
the deeper and cloudy water his toes
touched the sought-for object, and
the body was then taken ashore.
1t is believed that the youth choked
to death when seized with cramps as
the effort at resuscitation failed to
disgorge any water at all. Bixler
ate hearty dinner and it is believed
that on reaching deeper water he got
mouthful, and that this upset his
stomach causing the cramps. The
body was taken to the home of Frank
Oenslager and afterward removed to
the home of his parents, d. w. Blk
Ter. at 1850 North Sixth street.
Burial will be made at FisherviIle
Services will be conducted Thursday
at the home in Riverside. The Rev
Russell Dysart will officiate.
Colonel Joseph B. Hutchison this
morning emphatically denied that the
services of the city pulmotor was abso-
lutely refused when BiXler was drown
ed near McCormick's Island. The
Colonel said:
THE first notice of a drowning
came from Mrs. Frank Oenslager
Front and Vaughn streets, and was
a request to send men with the ambu-
lance to help drag for the BODY. 7
Informed Mrs. Oenslager that we had
no graphing irons, or any person who
could be sent. / understood that the
body had then been in the water some
time.
Before leaving the telephone line
Mrs. Oenslager was informed that as
soon as the body had been recovered,
the pulmoter would be sent; or if there
was any likelihood that the body
would be found very soon, the pulmo-
ter could be had. Next came a call
from DR.. George Burton. The body
then was still in the water"