GEORGE, Tom 1889-1913

GEORGE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 10/12/2016 at 19:05:30

Two Greeks Drowned

Lost Their Lives Sunday Afternoon While in Bathing Below the Dam in Wilson Pasture

The Greek laborers, who have been working on the Rock Island road for several weeks here, were drowned shortly after noon Sunday while in bathing just below the dam in the Wilson pasture north of the railroad tracks. The men were members of a gang of railroad laborers who are living in cars near the depot and the intense heat of Sunday drove them to the creek to cool off. The foreman of the gang states he had warned them to be careful as the hole was deep but they seemed to doubt it and replied that a hole like that could not be so very deep.

Just how the drowning occurred is not known but it seems the older man could not swim but he had succeeded in getting across the deep hole. Not content with this he started back only to sink. The younger man was sitting on the bank partly dressed and when he saw his friend sink he plunged in to help him. He never came up, but from what cause probably will never be known, the supposition being that the first man grabbed him and held him down.

It some minutes before the alarm was given and then there was plenty of help to get the bodies out, although it was some minutes before they were located. Duffy Albright brought both bodies to the surface but the men had been in the water too long to be revived. Dr. Carpenter, county coroner, was present, and the bodies were taken to the Engelkes undertaking rooms and prepared for burial. They were buried Monday morning in the Catholic cemetery west of town.

The names of the men were Max Sederes, of Plazomen, Macedonia, and Tom George, of Stezahe, Macedonia. Sederes was 26 years old and George 24. George, who lost his life trying to save his countryman, was married and has a wife and one child living in Greece. In addition to supporting his family he was keeping his widowed mother, together with two younger brothers and a sister. He had been in this country about five years.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 21 August 1913, pg 1