John Schwendinger and Louis Traut Drown

SCHWENDINGER, TRAUT

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 5/20/2004 at 22:02:46

Dubuque Telegraph Herald newspaper
Front Page, Column two
September 7, 1908, Monday

TWO DROWNED IN RIVER ON SUNDAY

JOHN SCHWENDINGER AND LOUIS TRAUT DIE IN MISSISSIPPI NEAR EAGLE POINT.

ONE ATTEMPTED TO SAVE OTHER

Schwendinger Tried to Rescue Friend and Was Caught in Whirlpool.

The Mississippi claimed two more victims on Sunday shortly after ten o'clock when Louis Trout, aged twenty, and John Schwendinger, aged about forty-five, were drowned a short distance above the Eagle Point High Bridge just opposite Kimbel's Island.

Mr. Traut was the son of the late Joseph Traut, and resided with his mother on 14th street between Clay and White. The other victim lived on Angela street, and in addition to a wife, leaves a number of children.

Messrs. Traut and Schwendinger were members of a party which went up the river Sunday morning to spend the day on the island fishing and enjoying a general outing.

Shortly after their arrival, it was suggested that they form a swimming party which was promptly done. After they had been in the water a little while, young Traut suddenly stepped off one side of the island which he apparently thought sloped down as did the other side.

Instead of this, it was an abrupt step off, and he sank way beyond his depth. Schwendinger was nearby at the time and hearing the calls of the frightened young man, hurried at once to his assistance. It was while endeavoring to recover his friend and help him back to the island that the rescuer sank beneath the waves and shared the tragic ending of the younger man. It happened that there was a whirlpool just where the swimmer went down and it was this which sucked them down to their deaths.

Hardly had the bodies disappeared beneath the waters before the word was spread throughout the island, and campers immediately joined in the work of searching for the bodies.

News of the tragedy was dispatched to Dubuque and parties were hurried to the scene of the drowning with the proper implements for dragging the river.

Shortly after noon their efforts were rewarded when both bodies were recovered hardly eight feet apart, and only a short distance from the place where they had gone down.

Coroner Ryan was promptly summoned and took charge of the remains. He will hold an inquest over the bodies at a later date.

Deepest grief prevailed throughout the city when news of the drowning became spread about town. Mr. Schwendinger has been working for some time at Rhomberg Bros., and was a trusted employee of the firm. Mr. Traut had recently completed a course of study preparatory to taking up the trade of a machinist, and he was just about ready to take a position when the tragedy occurred.

Clarence Traut, a brother of the dead boy, saw him drown, and when the news of it was first brought to relatives the mother was told that both her sons had perished. She was overcome with grief and her condition for a time was serious.

In the section of the paper we now call the "Want Ads" this notice appeared in the same issue as above:

DIED
SCHWENDINGER -- In this city Sunday, Sept. 6th at 11:30 a.m. John Schwendinger, aged 42 years. Funeral Tuesday, September 8th, from the family residence, 235 Angelia street to St. Mary's church. Interment in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

Telegraph Herald, July 8, 1908 Page 12

RIVER VICTIMS ARE LAID TO REST

Double Funerals Are Held To Mt. Calvary On Tuesday

SERVICES LARGELY ATTENDED

Bodies of Louis Traut and John Schwendinger Are Buried

The funerals of the late John Schwendinger and Louis Traut, who met their deaths on Sunday morning in the Mississippi river, were held on Tuesday mornings. The funeral of Mr. Schwendinger was held from the residence to St. Mary's church at nine o'clock, the services being conducted by Father Kramer who also officiated at the grave in Mt. Calvary cemetery.

The funeral of Louis Traut was held to St. Patrick's church at nine-thirty o'clock, Father Dowling officiated at the church and grave. Requiem was solemnized for the dead young man and the children's chorus sang the mass. Father Dowling spoke of the goodness of the life so recently closed and dwelt on the great loss to the family in the sudden bereavement. The pallbearers were chosen from the machinists union.

The pall bearers of Mr. Schwendinger were chosen from the membership of the St. Aloysius society of the Sacred Heart church.

The funerals were held at the same time in Mt. Calvary cemetery and the bodies laid to rest within a short distance of one another, the young man whose life was lost in the Mississippi and the man who gave up his life in the futile endeavor to save the life of his young friend. The funerals were largely attended.