grave import

Obituary

The river has claimed it’s regular summer sacrifice again. This time two lives are demanded to satisfy its implacable greed instead of one. Last week with the drowning of Swenson on the waterworks raft was reported, a citizen was heard to remark that there would have to come another one yet, that it took three to fill the roll, but it wasn’t supposed that the next drowning case would be a double one, and that is required four lives instead of three, to placated the fierce river go; but so it is.
Two boys went swimming Sunday who, had they been able to foresee the destiny in store for them, would never have left their happy homes for the uncertain pleasures of a bath and swim in the treacherous river. They were Charles Bauer, aged eleven, son of Henry Bauer, residing at 815 Sycamore Street, and William Schultz, aged fifteen, son of Henry Schultz, living at 814 Sycamore Street, directly across the street from the former. The boys had always been chums and were ever together in their sports and amusements. Sunday afternoon, one of them suggested that they go swimming; the other acquiesced, and they took a boat belonging to an elder Schultz boy and rowed to the sandbar opposite the mouth of O’Connell Slough. It is said that one of them was an expert swimmer and the other entirely unacquainted with the art. The boys took off their clothes, placed them in the skiff and paddled around in the shallow water.
Mr. James Jordan, whose residence is a the top of the bluff, at the east end of North Street, was sitting in his back yard about this time, and with a strong field-glass was scanning the landscape and enjoying the beauties of the scenery. He happened to notice the boys at one time, but when he next brought the glass to bear on that spot they were nowhere to be seen, though the boat with their clothes was distinctly visible. Mr. Jordan became concerned and went to the river and rowed over to the bar, but could find no trace of the boys, and became convinced they were drowned.
The coroner was notified and the search for their bodies begun. It was almost dark when they were recovered evidently within a very few feet of their drowning. No one witnessed their taking off, but it is altogether probable that one of them waded over a pitchoff and got beyond his depths, and the other, rushing to his assistance, was drowned with him. Near the point where the bodies were found is a steep pitchoff of six or eight feet, formed by the swift current wearing away the sand.
The bodies were brought to the morgue and the unfortunate parents notified. They were, of course, overwhelmed with grief at the sudden calamity which had befallen both families. The funeral will be held this afternoon from the German Lutheran church, on Columbia and Sixth streets.
The coroner impaneled a jury yesterday morning and an inquest was held over the bodies of the two boys and a verdict rendered in accordance with the facts and theories stated above.