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MILLER, Harold 1900-1922

MILLER, ONEILL, RIDER, DUNHAM, PECK, JOHNSON, COOK, CHAPMAN, DAUBERT

Posted By: Merikay Mestad (email)
Date: 8/22/2009 at 17:08:04

HAROLD MILLER DROWNS IN CEDAR NEAR SANS SOUCI

Sudden Tragedy, First of Season, Follows Plunge Over Depth, Tho Experts Quickly Attempt Rescue; Youth Cried for Help as He Goes Down. / Was Not Accomplished Swimmer, Friends Say / Victim of Reiver, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Grant Miller, Just Graduated Last Week from University of Iowa as Civil Engineer.

Harold Bernice Miller, age 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grant Miller, 409 Riverside drive, Chautauqua park, graduated from the vicil engineering department of the State University of Iowa last Tuesday, was drowned at 6:10 p. m. yesterday in the Cedar river, near the Miller cottage on the east bank—the first tragedy of the kind for the season in Waterloo or vicinity.

Red Cross lifesavers, who happended to be at a cottage on the west bank, 150 feet from the place where the young man went down, hastened to the rescue but, although arriving within a minute of two, were unable to find the body. The body was recovered at 6:30 p. m. by firemen. Latest rEd Cross methods of rstoring the life of a drowning person failed.

Miller went in bathing with two gil relatives. He could swim, but not expertly. Near the east bank, at the rear of the Miller cottage, thee is abroad sandbar. The trio walked from the sand into the shallow water.

Steps Into Deep Hole.

Miller preceded his companions and unexpectedly stepped into a deep hole. He called immediately for help. The girls thought at first he was feigning, but the second cry was unmistakably that of a person who saw death staring him in the face.

Neither of the girls could swim. Both shouted for aid. No one was in the Miller cottage to render assistance.

M. H. Cook, Fort Pierce, Fla., visting at the Sindlinger cottage, which is on the opposite bank and somewhat up the river from the Miller cottage, was the fist in the water to the rescue. Miller’s last cry for help came, clear and insistent. Cook hatily removed his shoes and coat, ran down stream and plunged in. He said he was cloe to young Miller at the time.

Crowd Joins Searchers.

Almost at the time that Cook rushed to the rescue, Mrs. H. O. Chapman, living in the Sindlinger cottage, was in the water diving for the body. She hastily disrobed, partly as she ran, and at last was attired only in her silk suit of underwear.

Later C. E. Daubert, Dubuque, a United States field examiner in lifesaving work for the Red Cross, joined the rescuing party. All of them dived repeatedly without locating the body. Soon 25 or 30 people, men and women, in bathing suits, joined them, in addition to a number of boats.

Woman Dives repeatedly.

“While sitting on the porch of our cottage, on the river bank, I heard the cry of distress, “O help,” said Mrs. Chapman. “Not more than 100 feet away I saw a man’s arms were lifted in the air. His head and shoulders were above the water. Omstamt;u O sprang to the rescue. I have been a Red Cross examiner and an instructor of swimming for several years.

“I knew that, dressed as I was, I would be hampered in my work. So I disrobed down to my teddybears. Knowing there is a strong current at this point, I estimated that I had better enter the water 20 feet below the place where I saw the young man disappear.

“I dived repeatedly. I knew the river was full of deep holes, but hoped I might strike the right spot. Mr. Cook and Mr. Daubert joined me. Soon many others came. Among the fist was J. C. Murtagh, whose cottage is near by.”

No Eddy to Guide Rescuers.

“I saw the young man’s arms uplifted and heard his cry,” said Cook. “I was at the scene very quickly afterwards. My watch stoped at 5:13, showing when I entered the water. The young man appeared to bend forward as one does in a dive. That was the last seen of him. No bubbles arose on the water. There was no eddying of the current, no change in the swirl of waters that would guide us in our diving.”

The body was located at 7:30 p. m. by drag hooks operated by Ray Tiller, fire chief. The body was somewhat below the place wher Miller went down and in three and one-half feet of water. It is the fire chief’s opinion that Miler died of heart failure, due probably to the excitement and shock of cold air and cold water. They say they could not detect water in the lungs.

For Guards at All Beaches.

Daubert, who has been in lifesaving work for the Red Cross for many years and who has assisted in numberous resuscitations, states that the records show life has never been restored where the drowned person has been in the water more than 31 minutes. That record was achieved at the Jersey City beach.

Daubert advises a life guard at all beaches. He believes that that precaution should never be neglected. “Lifeguards have always been on duty at the Dubuque beach, and there has never been a drowning there,” he said.

Pulmotor Used in Vain.

Daubert applied the latest means of resusciatation to Miller’s body for a long time without avail. The pulmotor was then used with equally vain results. Daubert could not say whether the young man had died of heart seizure.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller are prostrated over the death of their son, who was entering young manhood with bright prospects. He was born in Orange township Jan. 30, 22 years ago. He finished the schools of that township and graduated from west high school in 1918 with honors. He then entered the engineering department of Iowa university and was given his bachelor’s degree last Tuesday. He also was commissioned a second lieutenant of engineers in the officers’ reserve corps.

Friends say Harold never took strongly to swimming. He learned last summer, but never practiced it as one who like it better might have done.

Favorite With Friends, Students

He was a member of First Brethren church, and a favorite both with fiends I Waterloo and with fellow students at the university.

Surviving are the parents, two brothers—Ralph E. Miller, assistant cashier of Leavitt & Johnson National bank, and Lester W. Miller, a realtor; also a sister, Mrs. R. E. O’Neill.

News of the drowning quickly spread and soon thousands of people gathered on the bridge, on the river and in neighboring streets.

Mr. Miller was a member of Theta Sigma Delta, professional engineering fraternity, and Phi Gamma Delta, social fraternity, at the University of Iowa. He won his “I” at the university this year as a member of the rifle team.

He was president of the General Engineering society of the university this year and had been awarded a commission as second lieutenant, as an engineer in the United States army reserve corps.

Engaged to Marshalltown Girl

His roommate at the university was Dwight Rider, son of Mrs. Loren Rider, 731 Grant street. Mr. Miller was engaged to wed Miss Winifred Dunham, Marshalltown, who had just reached California to spend the summer.

Mr. Miller was employed last summer on the Logan avenue road project as an assistant of W. D. Johnston, county engineer. Mr. Johnston commented today on Mr. Miller’s high professional standing and also upon his likable personability. Mr. Johnston had hoped to have him on this staff again this summer.

The body was removed to Petersen Bros. mortuary to await funeral arrangements.

--Waterloo Evening Courier (12 Jun 1922:1) w/picture


 

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