Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1929-02-22
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
BROWNS in HORRIBLE
ACCIDENT MONDAYE EVE
Carlton Jester, Son OF Former Rep
resentative, Climbed To Top Of
Standpipe And Fell Into Water.
COMPANIONS GIVE ALARM
Ponder Morgan And Spencer Willis
Who We're With Him When Ae.
cident Occurred Call For Help.

Probably the saddest accident
that ever occurred in Milford hap
pened about o'clock Monday night
when Carlton Jester, a Freshman in
the Milford High School, drowned in
the standpipe which holds Milford's
water supply. The boy was the son
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence e. Jester.
of Milford Neck, and had come to
Milford on Monday evening to re-
hearse for his part in the play
which the Milford Grange had enter
ed in the Sussex County Dramatic
Contest on Tuesday evening. His
father, who is Master of Milford
Grange, and former member of the
Delaware Legislature, was attending
meeting of the Odd Fellows, and
his mother was at the Grange Hall
when the accident occurred.
So far as can be learned from his
companions who tell a straightfor-
ward story of the events leading I'D
to the tragedy, young Jester, his
cousin, Ponder Morgan, and Spencer
Willis left the Grange Hall after they
had rehearsed their parts in the play.
They went to the standpipe, which
is back of the Grange Hall and
started to climb up to the top. Young
Jester was in the lead, and reached
the top about the time that Morgan
had got about halfway up the 100
foot ladder. He looked over and
then started back down the ladder.
When about twenty feet down he
again started up, reached the top
and stepped over on top of the light
screening which covers the top of
the reservoir to keep birds from
falling into the receptacle. The
screening gave way and the boy fell
into the water about 20 feet below.
His companions, and others nearby,
heard him scream as he realized
that he was topping into the tank.
Young Morgan climbed to the top of
the ladder and looked in, but could
see nothing. He then came to the
ground and the boys informed Jack
Willis, father Of one of the boys, who
Immediately climbed to the top, but
he heard 1nthing.
The Carlisle Tire Company was
notified Immediately. They took a
truck to the scene and threw search
lights on the top of the standpipe
while c. D. Holzmueller and Herman
McNatt worked for hours trying to
grapple the body with graphing
irons. After this method failed the
men returned to the ground, and a
plan was evolved to use regular fish
ing lines and to start to fill the res
ervoir at the same time. After a..
short time the searchers wer& re-
warded and the body was brought
to the top. Holzmueller and McNatt
then tied a rope about the body and
lowered it tenderly to the ground.
Jack Willis came slowly down the
ladder and guided the body until it
had reached the ground. It was
about midnight when the body was
recovered.
Young Jester was about is years
Of age, but was unusually large for
his age. He was one of the best
in the Milford High School.
and had made remarkable progress
in his studies. His untimely death
came as a distinct blow to the en-
tire community, for even those who
did not know him were saddened by
the sad circumstances surrounding
his death.