The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-08-05
FATHER AND TWO
CHILDREN DROWN IN SIX
MILE CREEK


This mornings Tampa Tribune
says:
Zone Of the most tragic drownings
in recent Hillsboro county history &C.
Cured late yesterday afternoon, when
William H. Morgan and his two little
daughters, Edna, aged fifteen, and
Bessie, aged thirteen, went down in
the black swirl Of Six-mile creek
some 200 yards west Of the Atlantic
Coast Line bridge. Mr.. and Mrs.
Morgan and the children motored out
to the creek late in the afternoon
for a swim and entered the water at
a point not far from the brick road.
After they had been in the water
some time Edna Morgan got beyond
her depth and her mother who could
not swim, started to her rescue. Mr..
Morgan, who could swim little, got
ahead of his wife, and she went back
to the shore, and called to the young
er child, Bessie, to come to her. The
little girl looked once at her mother,
then turned towards her daddy and
plunged to her death in the stream
which, though narrow, has strong
current at this point. Mrs. Morgan
being unable to swim, was helpless
but in desperation threw heavy chunks
of wood into the water, in the, hope
that her children and husband might
cling to them and be saved, but all
her efforts were in vain. Before heI
screams had brought the Palmer fam
lily, who live nearby, to the scene Of
the tragedy, the water had closed
over it's three victims for the last
time. s.
The body of Mr.. Morgan was recov
cred about o'clock, but every effort
/ of DR.. E. w. Holloway, who had been
called to the scene of the drowning
failed to bring any signs of life, and
the remains were taken in charge by
Undertaken E. T. Blount,
At the time Morgans body was
brought to the surface the body of one
of the little girls was also brought
up, but was again swept away by the
current, leaving the child's Dress in
the hands of the rescuer who attempt
ed to hold the body. At an early hour
this morning the bodies of the two
children were still missing although
twenty men were still at work comb
ing the stream for a considerable dis
lance below the scene of the drown
ing,
Divers Work for Hours
Among the first rescuers to arrive
lon the ground from Tampa were D. E
Hendrix, of No. 4214 Tenth avenue
and G. R. Peoples, of Tenth avenue
and Thirty-second street, brother-in
law of Morgan. They started the div
ing about thirty minutes after the
tragedy, but it was considerable
time before any trace of the victims
could be found. They were latel
Joined by former government dive
named Hope, and others. Mrs. Nor
gan, who was frantic with grief wal
taken to the Palmer home and aftel
being attended by DR.. Holloway wa
later brought into Tampa to spent
the night at the home of her brother
William H. Morgan was employed
in the Seaboard shops, and had live'
here many years.
Little Tots See Father and Sister
Swept Down to Death
AS result of yesterday afternoon
triple tragedy Mrs. Morgan is Del
with four children, all younger tha
the two who were lost. All, four Q
|. the kiddies were on the river ban
at the time of the drowning, and on
of them had been wading in the edg
of the water. Little Ruby Morgan
! nine years old, Royalia is six, Carl