The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-31
MIR. and Mrs. NJ. S. kupilik
Go Under When Car
Slips Over Bank. Y
f. j. STICkNEY RISKS
LIFE TO SAVE BABY
Farmer Plunges in Freezing
Water and Rescues
Youngest. i,

NJ. $. Kupilik. 1908 Cooper street, his
wife and Frank. their six -year-old son.
were drowned in the Missoula river at
o'clock yesterday afternoon when the
automobile In which they and four 9th
cr children of the family were taking
Il Sunday outing, slipped down the
muddy cmbankment Of the orchard
Homes road. just west of the county
bridge.
Two of the Kupililt boys got out OF
the machine before 1t plunged into tho
swollen river; IA third was pulled out
before the current had swept him away.
and the three year old baby of the
family was rescued almost half mile
down the river by +. j. Stckncy.
young farmer. who waded half way
across the swift. icy stream. in water
to his neck, to reach the child.
stiekney Risks Life Twice.
Though chilled to the bone and soak
ing wet. Stckney ran downstream after
the rescue and plunged in again 10
save the father. whose body he could
see out In mldstream. by rtsking
| drowning he was able to bring tho
| Kupilik were futile.
The current swept Mrs. Kupilik's
| body beyond Stickncys reach, and tho
| missing child was not seen after tho
| accident. Neither body had been re-
covered last night, but Il search will DO
| made today.
| kupilik was master mechanic in tho
big refinery of the Great Western
| Sugar company here.
! Tried to Turn Machine.
Kupilik. according to Charles. his 10
year-old and eldest son. had started
west down the rivcr-bank road from
the south end of the county bridge, just
at the western outskirts of Missonla.
The machine had not gone a quarter OF
a mile when the mud, which is uneom-
| monty deep as a result OF the recent
warm rains, discouraged the driver
Kupilik decided to turn around.
Brakes Did Not Work in Mud.
Charles got oui of the machine. whilo
his father backed toward the river.
u don't Know what happened" he
said aftcrward. The motor seemed
to stick, then the car jumped back and
before father could stop it II had gone
too far The bank was muddy, and
the brakes wouldn't hold. The ma-
chine slid over into the river"
Driver Had Only One Arm.
kupilik had only one arm. and 1t may
he that he could not handle the car fast
enough. At any rate, 1t slid down tho
slippery bank and into the river before
any of the family. save Fred, 10 years
old, could jump out.
One Boy Saved Quickly.
The water there is deep and swift.
+ especially SO since the rains of this
month. which have brought the river
up nearly two feet. The machine
sank completely out of sight.
Charles and Fred. standing on tho
bank. shouted frantically for help. and
II. A. Balfour. who lives nearby, and u
> Japanese who was driving down tho
road came up in time to save eight
year old Henry by holding a pole out
to him. The others, though, were
snatchcd away by the rushing water
, and carried swiftly down stream.
e Stickney Hears Shouts.
: +. J. Stickney. whose farm is nearly
| ildi1 a. iHIit iHt punt WHtie tue
machine left the road heard the boys
, shouts
;, Il was out in the shed, working" he
said after the accident as he stood
shivering in his wet clothes beside a
:. stove II looked up the river and sa "
people threshing around in the water
, | thought that perhaps some boys had
:, been trying to ride down the river on
. a log and had been thrown off. So
q ran down TO the Shore
Almost Beyond Depth.
Near Stickney's place Is rifle" q
shallow, widening of the river. Stick
ney plunged into the ice water ant
waded out into the steram In time L
intercept the body of the little boy
though he had almost to go beyon,
his depth to make the rescue. IL
struggled to shore as fast as he coul,
" against the powerful current with tn
unconscious child in his arms.
Peter G. Cullen. u teacher who live
near Stickney. met the rescuer on tn
shore. He knew first aid well en0ug
- to force the water out of the child
: lungs and restore breathing. Then h
(COptiuNoN nm Dnuo Nys~>N