The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-04-27
JUMPING FISH
LURE YOUNG MAN
TO HIS DEATH
PATIENT, THORO SEARCH FOR
BODY is FRUITLESS AND WA
TIERS STILL HOLD MYSTERY


Charles Preston, a young man 10
years of age, lost his life below, the
Richardson Silk Co. dam at about
7:15 o'clock Thursday nlht when he
walked out on the lower apron OF
the dam with the intention of catch
ing a mess of fish with his hands
from among the many fish which
could be seen as they jumped over
the first waterfall in an effort to get
upstream over the dam. Hundreds of
the fish could be seen and it was
these which hred Preston to his
death, in spite of the advice and the
warnings of a cousin, Dorr Ronk,
who was with him.
Preston had worked for short
time in one of the silk mills and had
worked on the Joe Jacoby farm,
south of the city for some time. His
home was at Breckenridg, where
his father, James Preston lives. Only
day or so before his death he had
commenced work in Belding-Hall
Co.'S factory "A", working on a ma
chine with George Mumby. On
Thursday evening, after work he
and his cousin, Dorr Ronk, with
whom he boarded, had gone home
and had eaten their supper and it
was proposed to go down to the dam
and watch the fish as they attempted
to get up stream.
They had been there but a short
time when Preston suggested going
down on the lower apron and catch
ing a mess of fish with his hands.
The idea seemed foolhardy to Ronk
and he tried to persuade Preston not
to go, but the latter being of dar-
ing nature, took off his shoes and
walked down into the madly rushing
water. He had proceeded about
twenty feet when he lost his foot
ing and shot out into the surrent.
Whether he swan or whether ne
merely struggled in the current, is
not known but after progressing
down stream about forty feet below
the apron end, he apparently stood
up and called frantically for help.
Charles Banner, of 705 Williams
street, was near the Cleaners mill
and seeing the young mans predic-
ament pulled off his coat and plung-
ing into the water, swan out to
save him. Mr.. Banner got to with
in about ten feet of the drowning
man before he went down to appear
no more, his calls for help silenced
forever.
Efforts were Immediately started
TO secure the body, Special officer
Cook and Marshal Meginley, having
charge of the work for the city and
they were assisted by other local
men. whose names are too numer-
Gus to mention. The searchers work
ing increasingly until well into Friday
morning and started in again Friday
morning at seven o'clock and work
ed throughout the day in a cold rain
at times driZzling and at times a
vertible downpour.
The efforts at dragging and with
pikepoles availing nothing, it was
decided as a last resort to use dyna-
mite and a quantity was secured.
Seven charges of the explosive were
let down into the water and set off
in another vain effort to bring the
body to the surface, The charges
were forceful enough so that even
at the depth at which they were ex-
ploded, the noise and jar could be
distinctly heard and felt While this
did not bring up the body it did bring
up countless fish and it is safe to
say that enough fish were killed to
provide several hundred fish dinners.
Everybody who wanted them had
fish.
The work of searching was kept
up intermittently throughout the day
Friday and Saturday and at about
ten o'clock Saturday night Mayor
Washburn, acting for the city, tele-
phoned to Frank Connell, former
local man, at Benton Harbor,- and
asked him to secure the services of
a diver. A short time afterward, or
about eleven o'clock Saturday night
Mr.. Connell called back here stat
ing that he had man and Mayor
Washburn was placed in conversation
with John M. Allmendinger, of Ben
ton Harbor, a professional diver. Mr..
Allmendinger stated that he would
be willing to start at once, catching
three o'clock Sunday morning train
out of Benton Harbor. Mayor Wash
burn agreed to have a truck at Grand
Rapids to meet the diver and get
him, his assistants, C.. Z. Stevens and
E. Baldwin, together with their ap-
paratus to this city. Elon Johnson,
down to Grand Rapids at four o'clock
Sunday morning and reached Bel
ding with the men and apparatus
somewhat before ten o'clock.
At 1:05 Mr. Allmendinger, having
been placed in his divers suit, drop
ped over the side of the large float
from which the apparatus was worked
Continued on page four)
The Ladies Of the Maccabees will
hold their half-night dance at the
Smyrna Maccabee hall, on Friday
night. Bill including war tax, 75c.