The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-02-18

plunged into an air hole in the
ice Of the Missouri at the Wolf
Point ferry crossing. The young
men, sons of Mr.. and Mrs. Myra
Cusker, who reside about eight
miles southwest Of this city, had
attended the Wolf Point-Poplar
high school basketball game.
There had been some talk of their
going to the home of their uncle,
Frank Cusker, north of Poplar for
few days visit, and their non
return to their home that night
caused no alarm or surprise, and
there was no concern over their
safety until Tuesday night when
Myra Cusker met his brother
Frank Cusker in Wolf Point.
Search Begins
Although the boys were free to
go and come at will, they were
not in the habit of making trips
to places other than town and
the homes of friends, and in seek
ing a solution of their disappear
ance the river was the first ex-
planation that was suggested. Wed
nesday search of the open places
in the ice began and that evening
the poles used to probe the depths
encountered a car in water IA
feet deep at an airhole that had
recently blown out, about rs feet
from the McCone county bank.
But it was not until late Thurs
day evening that it was positively
certain that it was the Cusker car
or that the bodies Of the boys
were in it.
Rig Hoists
AS soon as the news of the
probable accident spread We'd
nesday morning, crews of men,
proficient in such work were or-I
ganized under the leadership of
George Littlefeld and the difficult
and somewhat precarious work
was begun. When the search was
first started, Winfield Montgom-
cry plowed the ice adjacent to the
open place on the downstream
side and some of the ice was saw
ed and removed. A strong hoist
derrick was built Of planks and
timbers, resting on the ice above
and below the hole. A chain
tackle, operated by man power
was slung from one end of the
derrick and a rope tackle operat-
ed by capstan from the other
end. Hooks were fashioned from
long bridge rods and four OF them
were caught into parts of the car.
The poles indicated that the car
Law on it's side with the wheels
upstream, and it appeared that
the shifting sands at the bottom
had already partly imbedded it.
This made the lifting especially {
difficult. It was feared that the
t5p might be torn from the body {
of the car and the bodies of the
bows thus lost in the current. t
Hard Work Brings Success ii
The lifting proceeded gradually u
with intervals left between in the {
hope that the current would cut t
pnder and assist in releasing the l
car. When the wheels were about {
five feet below the surface the E
hold of one hook gave way ana {
proved to be the spare tire at V
tached to the rear of the body. S
BEING partly inflated it came TO &
the surface, and was sufficient 10
identify beyond any reasonable
doubt that it was the Ford tour a
ing car the boys had driven. The a
tackles had to be readjusted ana 9
shorter hooks employed. Just as L
the dusk Of evening gathered a t
united effort on the pulleys ana Z
capstans brought success, and por- c
tions Of the car appeared above b
the surface Of the angry waters t
Snat ceaselessly boiled and surged a
mast the treacherous opening. +
Wrested From Current
The ranks Of the spectators VINO h
had flocked to the scene by hun n
dreds all through the day had !,
tbinned somewhat, but those who v
remained drew as near as they 8
were allowed in eagerness to see v
# the bodies were to be found IN +
sAe car. The body of James Gus -
ker was recovered first. 1t seem v
ed as if about to float away, but |,
when seized it was found that his :,
head was wedged firmly between "A
two ribs of the top which had been ?
mostly torn away in the work OF " !
sfting. Soon afterward the body
81 Rolla was carried out of the
ear bv the fierce current and 1t
appeared for a moment that 1t =
would be lost. By a wise precau- "
lion wire netting attached to huge r.
poles had been sunk into the wa Ii
ter at the downstream end of the S,
of the opening in the d
Continued on Page A.