Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-04-27
ESTHER WEPKING. VICTIM
OF SUNDAY TRAGEDY.

the Monday Madison papers giving
an account of the tragedy.
Work of locating the body went on
Monday and yesterday. The high
hut the workers hoped yesterday
that calm water on the lake would
enable them to recover the body OF
the young lady.
Miss Wepking, a native of Lancas-
ter, was highly regarded here. She
attended the Lancaster schools and
year ago last fall began studies in
the commercial department of the
university. Week before last she
was home for the spring vacation.
She is survived by her father and
mother and two sisters and one
brother.
In speaking of the dread affair the
Monday State Journal said:
Lake Mendoza claimed it's first vic
tim of the season Sunday.
Miss Esther Wepking, %, Lancas
ter, university commerce student,
living at Chadbourne hall, was
drowned off Mendoza late yesterday
afternoon, and Arthur A. HARDWOOD,
Cassville, 202 North Frances street,
also a commerce student, who was
Miss Workings companion when the
canoe overturned, is in the univers-
ity infirmary in an exhausted con-
ditiOn.
Harwood made a desperate attempt
to rescue his companion and succeed
ed in holding her above the water un-
til pulled into canoes that put out
from the point to the rescue. He was
in the water with Miss Wepking for
more than an hour.
The story Of the tragedy is one of
reckless heroism in the face of a
pounding wind and lake dashed into
whitecaps.
HARDWOOD and Miss Wepking were in
q canoe off the point about $50 p. m
Their craft was overturned. Har-
wood succeeded in slipping life pre-
server around his companion.
The plight of the couple was seen
and rescuing party of three canoes
made up of one girl and five men
started out from picnic point. After a
half hour of hard fighting the rescuers
reached the overturned canoe and
pulled in Harwood and Miss Wepking.
Miss Wepking was exhausted.
Everett H. Patton, Chicago, senior
of the normal course at the univers-
ity, one of the six who volunteered to
go to the rescue, declares that when
Miss Wepking was pulled into one of
the rescuing crafts she was almost
lifeless.
The young woman who volunteered
to assist in the rescue began to work
on the exhausted girl and according
to Patterns account, succeeded in re-
suscitating her.
''Harwood was all in," Patten said, in
relating the story. But the girl was
worse"
''The three canoes tried to start
back but the lake was so rough that
all we could do was to go with the
waves. We drifted for half an hour.
The canoes were dashed together.
One of the men stripped his shirt
and we used that to tie the boats
together"
Then follows a story of smiling
courage in the face of death-how the
six "kidded" with one another to hide
the fear in their hearts. And all the
time the heroic girl who volunteered
to go out with the rescuers was work
ing over the exhausted coed.
1T became worse as we were dri-
ven toward the Mendoza shore" Pat
fen said. THE canoe on the south
side became swamped and one of the
fellows yelled that the boat was go
ing down. Suddenly they all went
over and we were i'll the water"
Then followed the tragedy. In the
water. so cold that it was numbing
the six rescuers attempted to save the
exhausted couple. Harwood was in
the grasp of one man and Miss WEEP
king was being held up by another
The names of all the rescuers have
as vet not all been learned. Patten
said the man who was holding up Miss
Wepking was dashed under one of the
canoes, which were being milled
around by the flashing of the wind and
waves. Patten dived for them but
caught only the man. Miss Wepkins
had disappeared
By this time the Cardinal had
reached the scene and the six rescu-
ers and HARDWOOD were taken ashore
Harwood was rushed to the university
infirmary where for while he was
unconscious, then delirious. His con
dition in the morning was improved
Patten went to his place of resi-
dence after being treated at the IN
Urinary. I'D certainly like to meet
that plucky girl who went out with
US" he said. "She certainly was
brave-and all the fellows were her
oes.'
Walter ]. Brennan was in constant
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