Putnam patriot., 1918-05-31
TWO BOYS DROWN
WHEN RAFT TIPS
Marsham F., 10, and Warner
r. Arnold, s, Lose Lives
Saturday Evening
Philip, 6. Has Narrow Escape-Dis
traeted Father Seriously Affect
ed.-Mother Overcome

Marsham F. Arnold. aged 10. and
his brother, Warner r. Arnold, age s.
lost theI lives when frail raft they
had constructed tipped and let them
into twelve feet of water in fuckers
pond in the Quasset section of the
town of Pomfret about o'clock Sat
urday evening The youngest broth
or, Philip, age s, had a narrow escape
from meeting a similar fate, and the
father, Frank 4. Arnold became so
exhausted from his frantic efforts to
rescue his two little sons that he Was
in a critical condition for some hours
afterward. The mother was prostra5-
ed upon learning OF the tragedy and
became unconscious. The whole neigh
borhood was east under a shadow Of
gloom by the sogrowful affair as The
family is a highly respected one and
the two little boys were bright little
fellows and we'll liked by all
The only eye witness of the fatality
was little six-year old Philip. who
was himself on the way to the raft
and was hip deep in the water when
his brothers were thrown into the
pond Had he succeeded in reaching
the frail craft he too, would prob
ably have been drowned
When he saw his brothers strug-
gline in the water Philip hurried
home and informed his mother AMI
grandmother of what had happened
The mother rushed to the scene while
the grandmother hurried 10 a field
near by for Mr.. Arnold. When I'll
reached the scene nothing was in view
but the fatal raft The father waded
in and made frantic efforts to find his
boys who were at the bottom of the
pond in the mud
Someone telephoned to Pomfret
School and asked to have some of the
students who could swim come to the
place and see if they could recover
the bodies Nearly the whole student
body responded and soon after taa
boys arrived they succeeded in locat-
ing and bringing to shore first one an /
then another lifeless form.
1t is understood that the boys had
been forbidden to play about the pond
but boylike we're unable to resist such
an alluriHg pleasure and Marsham,
the oldest, conceived the plan of
building the raft and sailing out upon
the waters. The pounding done in
constructing the raft was heard at the
Arnold home, but no attention W Is
paid to it and the family did not have
any idea of what was going on near
the waters edge.
According to Philip, the raft I'm
ished. it was launched into water deep
enough to float it and the two broth
ers got on and pushed off. He, Phil
ip, was wading out to get aboard
when the raft tipped. Marsham could
swim little and was making his way
toward shore but when he saw his
younger brother was not in sight he
turned to render assistance and him
self sank under the water. 1t was at
first thought that one of the boys
might have been choked by the soft
mud, but this was not the case.
DR.. S. B. Overlook was at the Day
Kimball hospital and received a call
to hurry to the pond. He did 50, but
the boys we're beyond aid. He gave
PERMISSION for the removal Of the
bodies to the home.
The double funeral was held at the
home Tuesday afternoon and was
private
The Arnold family formerly lived
in South Woodstock, where Mr. A.
mold was engaged ON the estate Of
Clarence w Bowen