Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-06-14
Tots From 3 to II Years Old
Spend rs Hours in RoWboat
Picked Up 30 Miles From
Land by Steamer.
OLDEST BOY IN PARTY
IS HERO OF OCCASION
Saves Two of Companions
From Drowning PIunges
Overheard to Rescue Little
Brother From Watery Grave.

Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Detroit, Mich. June l3,-With the
prayers of 1000 male passengers,
mingled with the sobs of hysteri-
cal women, the four children who
had been adrift in small row-boat
for more than Is hours in Lake
Erie were rescued by the steamer,
City, of Toledo shortly before
noon. 80 miles from shore.
The children drifted from Lake
Side, Mich, at 9 o'clock Saturday
morning, and while they were far
from land two OF them who got
out of the boat were rescued by
nine-year-old Merwin Dazo, one Of
the party.
The children are: Robert, aged 8;
Richard, 6. and Merwin, 9. sons of
Merwin Dazo, Toledo, and Violet
Sperry. their first cousin, II years
old, who had been living with the
Dazo family at Lake Side.
Squatting on the second deck of
the steamer, the hero of the adven-
ture told the passengers Just how
it happened. They started out from
Lake Side with a broken oar and
two sticks, intending to push them
selves along the shallow shore. Soon
they were long way out. he told
the passengers and with a wind
blowing they could not get the boat
headed back for Lake Side.
Tied To Boat.
Violet was suffering from the
sunburn Saturday and did "a lot of
crying" Merwin said. Late in the
afternoon she conceived the bright
idea to get out and push the boat.
She could not touch bottom, of
course. and Merwin was afraid she
was going to drown. When she was
unable to climb back into the boat
and the boy found it impossible to
pull her in, he placed rope around
her waist and tied it to the bottom
of the boat.
For a long time it looked as if
iss.woiiid haxsa-te trais. ataaes in,
the water, but Merwin finally sue
cecded i'll getting her into the boat.
With her clothes soaking wet, Vio-
let was about all in,' Merwin told
the passengers, and soon went to
sleep.
Bob" Falls Overheard.
Saturday night Bob" got into
trouble He insisted in prowling
about the fat-bottomed craft and
fell overheard. Merwin at once
plunged into the lake, and. keeping
one hand on the boat caught Bob by
his rompcrs and pulled him back in.
Bob soon went to sleep and Vio-
let woke up. Violet proceeded from
the rear to the front of the boat to-
see how Bob was getting on and
nearly fell overheard. Merwin in
sisted that she turn in" after that.
AS it, began to get dark they all
became frightened, but Merwin de-
cided to take command" and
ordered the others to go to sleep,
telling them he would wake them up
after he had done the watch"
During the night Dick. Violet
and little Bob took turns at watch
ing for ships. Dick says that dur
ing his watch two tugs passed them
and Merwin confirms this, for he
was awakened by the "irst mate"
They did lot of hollering. Merwin
said. but the tugs went on their way.
Hoists Signal
With the rising of the sun Sunday,
Merwin decided to take off his un-
lershirt, and placing it on the end
Of a stick, he held it for hours, hop
ing that passing ship might pick
up his party. The sun soon became
too hot. and Merw;n, unable to stand
the heat of the rays on his bare back.
pulled down the signal and agairt
took to padding.
When the City of Toledo hove in
sight, Merwin and Dick, one with
the broken oar and the other with
4 stick, were doing their best to send
The rowboat along. They were 60
ng with the wind in northeasterly
direction and drifting farther into
the lake. Violet was crying that
she was hungry and had been put
ling water on her hlistered back,
while Bob curled up in sleep in
the bow.