Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-15
ACT Of HER0|SM
CAUSE OF DEATH
JOHN M'kiNNON SAVED WOMEN
BEFORE HE DROPPED DEAD
ON BEACH.
Especial Correspondence

Mt. Pleasant, July 13.--Full par
.i>h!ars have reached this city con-
te:ning the death OF John McKinnon,
iowa Wesleyan graduate, Minnesota
and Columbia University athlete, who
was drowned at bathing beach IN
New York City, Sunday. While Mt.
Pleasant and Iowa Wesleyan circles
have been plunged into the deepest
grief by the untimely end of what
promised to be most brilliant career,
yet there Is mixed with it the pride
that comes with the consciousness
that Iowa produced man, who gave
his life in the accomplishment OF a
The New York papers have devoted
columns to the act of heroism of this
young man, who by super human ef-
forts rescued two young women from
the grip of a tidal current, landing
them safe upon the beach, before his
great heart burst from the exertion
and he dropped dead upon the sand at
the feet of blase crowd of three
thousand holiday makers.
In company with three other com.
panions, lawyers, like himself, Nc
Kinnon was watching the great crowd
OF merry makers and bathers In the
surf sand on the beach before the
Nassau Hotel Suddenly the throng
was terrified by the screams Of two
young women bathers who had ven
tured out too far and were being rap
idly borne out to sea by treacherous
under current which cut In between
a large sand bar and the beach. The
regular life guards made no effort
to save, deeming It impossible for a
swimmer to live through the current
McKinnon without moments hesfta-
ton, dressed In his street clothes,
plunged into the boiling flood. Few
other men could have reached the
girls, let alone bring them back, but
McKinnon stood six feet three inches,
weighing over two hundred pounds
while the training received on the
Iowa Wesleyan football team, the Uni
versity of Minnesota Varsity and the
heavy weight wrestling team Of Col
umbia stood him in good stead. Using
the powerful Australian crawl stroke,
Of which he was master, slowly but
surely, he approached the drowning
girls. Upon reaching them he began
the fearful return struggle. 1t had
been hard enough going out, but he
was handicapped>b by his burden. Hold
ing a girl in each arm, he kept them
above water by treading. Releasing
first one girl and then the other, he
would take a stroke with his free arm,
then catch her up again. A dozen
times the trio sank under the water,
only to reappear again, little nearer
the beach. He was tightening the load
by swimming under water. Time and
again he neared the beach only to be
swept out again. No helping hands
were extended. No human chain was
formed, to aid in his work. Three
thousand people watched the titanic
struggle and stood helpless, dumb.
Finally he approached close enough
to obtain a footing Weak, spent, ex-
hausted he plunged ahead and laid
the girls on the beach. Tho crowd
awoke and rushed towards him. But
before person reached him John Nc
Kinnon pitched forward on his face
dead. The strain had been too
great.
The young women who owed their
life to this man, returned to their
hotel and later refused to divulge
their names. No anxiety was express
ed as to the fate of their rescuer.
The body reached New London this
morning and services will be held
from there Friday afternoon. A grief
stricken father, and invaded mother
and three brothers survive.
John McKinnon was born near
Lowell, Iowa, twenty-eight years ago.
He received his early education in
the public schools of New London.
After graduating from high school at
the age of sixteen, he entered Iowa
Wesleyan college, where he latter be-
came member of the Phi Delta fra
ternity. Here ne received his athletic
training as member Of the Iowa
Wesleyan football team. In 1907 he
graduated with the Bachelors Degree
at the age of twenty. Later he took
law at the University Of Minnesota
and was member Of the famous foot
ball team Of 1910. In 1913 he gradual
ed from the law college Of Columbia
While in Columbia he
won nation wide fame as a heavy
weight wrestler. Since his gradua-
ton he has been Z member of we'll