Submitted by
Robert L. Haddock
Marlin Daily Democrat
Saturday, February 2, 1918
DROWNING TRAGEDY OCCURS
JOHN BARTLETT FALLS
THROUGH ICE TO DEATH
IN CHILLING
WATERS
Venturing
too far upon the thin sheet of ice that coated the oil mill lake this morning,
John Bartlett, aged 12 years, broke through and was drowned. George Carter, Jr.,
fell through nearby almost simultaneously, and but for the shallowness of the
water he might have suffered a like fate.
For a little over an hour after the
recovery of John Bartlett’s body from the chilling waters, physicians and
assistants worked frantically to revive him, but no response was ever received.
Were Crossing Lake
The two boys, in company with Willie
Bartlett, younger brother of deceased, and James Emerson, all of about the same
age, had been playing about the lake, when John and George started across. John
had gone nearly half way over some 25 yards from the bank, when the ice broke.
George was not far from the bank.
Pulled in With Rope
Immediately after the boys fell through the
ice, the cries of the two on the bank attracted O. E. Blakely, who with some
section hands was working on the H. & T. C. railway nearby. They quickly rushed
to the scene. In the meantime, a rope had been secured. It was long enough to
reach George, who was standing in water nearly waist deep. With it he was pulled
in over the ice that surrounded him.
Alarm Turned In
Already the alarm had been turned in from
the pumping station at the lake and physicians and many others were rushing to
the scene.
In the meantime, Mr. Blakely with the aid
of his laborers, had extricated a boat, which was frozen in the ice, and began
cutting their way to the middle of the lake to recover John, who had disappeared
in the water.
In breaking the ice to effect passage for
the boat, the rescuers used an axe, which was lost about half way out. They had
to return for another one, which was secured at a nearby house. With this they
penetrated the ice to the point where John had broken through.
Negro Recovers Body
Alex Wilson, a negro, was let down into the
water by others in the boat. He secured a hold on the body by locking his feet
around it and it was lifted out.
Pulse Was Beating
The lad’s pulse was still beating,
according to Mr. Blakely. They let the water out of his body and rushed it to
the pumphouse nearby where efforts to resuscitate him failed, after frantic
efforts had been made, an oxygen tank finally being called into use in a attempt
to sustain life.
Made Brave Fight
According to eyewitnesses, John made a
brave fight before submerging. The water where he fell in was almost over his
head, but for some time he managed to keep his nose and mouth above surface by
clinging to the ice, which repeatedly gave way beneath his hold, making it
impossible for him to climb. Two theories are advanced as to why he was finally
compelled to go under. One is that in reaching for the edge of the ice he missed
it and plunged beneath, being unable to return to the top for air. Another is
that he simply became exhausted from the effects of the struggle in the icy
water, which must have chilled him to the bone.
Attended Local Schools
The dead boy had been attending the local
schools and was in the high sixth grade. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Z. W.
Bartlett, was born October 28, 1905, and had lived in Marlin with his parents
all his life.
Funeral arrangments had not been completed
at press hour, but is probable that it will be held Sunday afternoon.