The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-06-01
LOSES HIS LIFE
IN SKUNK RIVER
ERNEST A. MAuRER DROWNED
BY SWIFT CURRENT.
WELL KNOWN. CO.. U.STUuEN7
Was Recognized as Good Swimmer
But Was Unable to Extricate Him
self--City PuImotor Was Used
H.E But Without Avail.

hE But Without Avail.
Ernest A. Maurer, aged 20, stu
dent at Central Holiness university,
t)n of George Maurer of Nebraska
City, Nebraska, was drowned in Skunk
liver a little before six o'clock Fri
day evening, May s, 1916. Maurer
was wading in shallow water along
the south bank of the stream, clad
in overalls and wearing shoes. The
aver was at food stage and the water
cutie muddy This hid the location
Ct the precipitous bank from the view
Of the wadeF. Clifford Cooley, COM
panion, was near Maurer wading with
Lin. Maurer, who was the farther
out toward deep water stepped over
he bank and was plunged into deep
water and into the swift current with
out warning. The victim is said to
have been good swimmer but he
appeared helpless and almost before
the companion, Cooley, who is also
rracticed swimmer, knew what was
happening, Maurer was helpless and
went down. Cooley called for assist
nee but those upon the bank were
powerless to give aid of any kind.
Considerable time was lost in locat-
were strangers to the locality and did
not know in what direction to go.
Within a comparatively short while,
owever, word was sent to the city
nd Coroner E. M. Cheesman and as
istants were on the ground with the
ounty rescue apparatus. hooks, poles,
cts, etc, and the city pulmotor.
Drowned Near Railway.
Young Maurer went down at place
a short distance east of the bridge of
the M. & st. l.. railway where search
was Immediately taken up. Coroner
Cheesman and Thomas Atchisoh were
in boat with pole and graphing
hooks. They had to use five 5-fOot
lengths of the pole to which was at
tached the graphing hooks, to reach
bottom. After sounding Il compare
lively short time the hooks caught
and the body was brought to the sur
face and taken to the bank where DR..
E. d. MCLEAN applied the pulmotOr.
But the body had been in the water
the better part of an hour and life had
fed. Effort to restore respiration was
continued with unremitting zeal for
three-quarters of an hour but to no
effect, and the body was taken to
town by Coroner E. M. Cheesman and
cared for.
Was With Biology Glass. ,,,,,,,r
Members of one of the college biol
ogy classes were spending the after
noon along the river, on a two-fold
mission, partly for recreation and
partly to collect specimens for the
university biology laboratory. The
afternoon was spent rowing about the
river banks and the woods adjacent
to the river looking for frogs, Craw-
fish and other specimens, A little
time before lunch some of the boys
of the aarty went in swimming and
spent some time in the water. Fol
lowing the plunge. the young men
again put on their heavier clothing
and we're awaiting supper. Ernest
Maurer and Clifford Cooley becoming
impatient. decided to wade along the
bank until the preparation of lunch
had been completed
They left the party, going down
stream for thirty or forty feet. and
for he happenings from then on we
nust depend upon Mr.. Cooley's state
ments and the declarations of mem
bers of the class, who came first up
en- the scene.
Efforts to Save Unfortunate Man.
Miss Mary Barclay, who was in
barge of the expedition, heard Coo
Iy's cry for help Cooley calling for
the assistance of u. Kellum, and she
arrived among the first. Maurer
ten was struggling with Cooley. try
ing to pull him under, in his efforts to
save himself. Miss Barclay and the
students Immediately set up a cry for
more help, and soon parties along the
river, having boats, came to their as.
sistance. A call was sent to town
for the aid of the police and fire de-
partments. .f
According to Miss Barclays quota
ton of Cooley's first explanation, Mr..
Maurer was in the water in perfect
condition, when Maufer suddenly call
ed to Cooley for help, reaching his
hand out. Cooley thinking that Mr.
Maurer in sport wanted to shake
hands with him, grasped Maurer's
hand. When he saw that Maurer
was drowning, he attempted to save
the young man at the jeopardy of his
cwn life, at the same time calling for
the help of those in the party. Maui
rers grin was broken and before an
other hold could be secured the body
sank below the water. Parties from
he north side of the river soon ar;
rived in boats and the search for his
ndy commenced.
Help Sent From Town.
In short time, help from town ar
rived, and men bringing the county's
rescue apparatus came on the scene,
The net was thrown over the river,
and boats with parties working with
rarpling hooks began the search for
he body, Almost an hour after the
drowning, Thomas Atchison hooked
the clothing of Maurer and brought
he body to the surface, but in releas.
ing the hooks. the body became free
and went down again. Only few
seconds, however, passed before Atch-
ison secured another hold on Maurers
body,
DIR. MCLEAN, who was near, in
charge of the pulmotor, immediately
commenced work attempting to revive
tho young man but after three-quarters
~ - ho''-'s effort with no show Of ra-
turning life, the doctor was forced to
give up, and the body was turned
~.