A triple funeral service was held at the Christian Church Friday for the three victims of drowning in the pipe line company reservoir about four miles south of Osceola. They are Elmer McNichols, 53, and his sons. Pearl, 18, and Burrell, 12. The accident occurred Wednesday evening.
Not in so many years has the community been so stirred as when it was learned that the trio had gone down in the murky water of the reservoir and that early rescue attempts had been futile.
Just what deeds of heroism were done in the few minutes that the trio struggled in the deep water will never be known. Certain it seems that the father and one son both gave their lives in fruitless, heroic attempts to save the other.
The pond covers some two or three acres and is located on the McNichols farm. The Great Lakes Pipe Line Company leased a plot of ground from McNichols for the construction of the reservoir for water with which to cool the huge engines which pump the gasoline through the pipes. A dam was thrown up across a deep gully and the impounded water is 25 feet deep in places. It is located about a quarter of a mile from the McNichols house.
Wednesday evening, the trio, as has been their custom, went to the pond for a dip after a hard day's work in the fields. With them went Murrell, 7. The four stripped and entered the water on the west side of the pond, which is shallow for a few feet. Reconstructing the tragedy from the story told by Murrell, the younger boy suddenly began to struggle in the water and the father who could swim only slightly, went to his rescue. He had no more than reached the side of the lad until he too went under. Pearl called to his little brother to run for help and unhesitatingly plunged in after the others. He could not swim at all, it is understood. In a moment, he too had gone down, leaving a terrified little fellow dressing with all haste on the bank.
Just then, a party, including Mr. and Mrs. Harry Palmer and son and a nephew of Creston and Warren Reid Cook and Mrs. H. R. Klautsch arrived at the pond through the pipe line grounds. Murrell apparently failed to see them and raced for home. The bathers thought he had run because he had seen the women in the party.
Mr. Palmer and the boys entered the water and swam about for a few minutes until they were startled by the appearance of Lois McNichols, 16, daughter and sister of the victims. She screamed that her father and brothers were drowned. Murrell had returned with her and pointed out a place near the dam where he thought the men had last gone down.
All of this occurred within the space of a few minutes and happened about 7:15 p.m. While the men dived in vain hope of finding the bodies, the women drove to the pipe line buildings and telephoned to Osceola for help. In a few minutes there were numerous cars on the scene and a boat and grab hoods were brought. Dragging operations went on near the dam and finally someone saw the three piles of clothing on the opposite bank. Wm. Miller took the little boy to the other side and asked him to throw a rock to about the place where he had last seen his brothers and father. He tossed a pebble out about twenty-five feet and said that was just the spot. Miller walked out, incredulous that they could have gone down so near the shore line. As he reached the spot indicated, he suddenly went down. He swam to the surface and then dove but was unable to reach the bottom. The bottom shelves off from about three feet to more than twenty at that point. It is the bank of the old gully from which the pond was constructed.
The boat was brought and with the rescuers standing on the edge of the shelf, they casty the hooks over the edge and in a few minutes felt one of the bodies. At 8:30 the body of Pearl was brought to the surface and rushed to shore where under the direction of Dr. H.E. Story and Dr J.N. Goodman, artificial respiration was carried on until the last hope of life was gone. Twenty minutes later the body of Burrell was dragged out and 45 minutes more elapsed before the rescuers were able to lift out that of the father. The bodies were placed in an ambulance and brought to this city where they were prepared for burial.
Services were conducted by the Rev. I.S. Caldwell of the M.P. church assisted by Rev. F.C. McCallon. Burial was made in Maple Hill Cemetery.
The victims of the tragedy leave to mourn their loss the mother and seven children, Mrs. Mary Viola McNichols and Lois, Leona, Lora, Murrell, Mildred, Edith and Arthur.
Not in so many years has the community been so stirred as when it was learned that the trio had gone down in the murky water of the reservoir and that early rescue attempts had been futile.
Just what deeds of heroism were done in the few minutes that the trio struggled in the deep water will never be known. Certain it seems that the father and one son both gave their lives in fruitless, heroic attempts to save the other.
The pond covers some two or three acres and is located on the McNichols farm. The Great Lakes Pipe Line Company leased a plot of ground from McNichols for the construction of the reservoir for water with which to cool the huge engines which pump the gasoline through the pipes. A dam was thrown up across a deep gully and the impounded water is 25 feet deep in places. It is located about a quarter of a mile from the McNichols house.
Wednesday evening, the trio, as has been their custom, went to the pond for a dip after a hard day's work in the fields. With them went Murrell, 7. The four stripped and entered the water on the west side of the pond, which is shallow for a few feet. Reconstructing the tragedy from the story told by Murrell, the younger boy suddenly began to struggle in the water and the father who could swim only slightly, went to his rescue. He had no more than reached the side of the lad until he too went under. Pearl called to his little brother to run for help and unhesitatingly plunged in after the others. He could not swim at all, it is understood. In a moment, he too had gone down, leaving a terrified little fellow dressing with all haste on the bank.
Just then, a party, including Mr. and Mrs. Harry Palmer and son and a nephew of Creston and Warren Reid Cook and Mrs. H. R. Klautsch arrived at the pond through the pipe line grounds. Murrell apparently failed to see them and raced for home. The bathers thought he had run because he had seen the women in the party.
Mr. Palmer and the boys entered the water and swam about for a few minutes until they were startled by the appearance of Lois McNichols, 16, daughter and sister of the victims. She screamed that her father and brothers were drowned. Murrell had returned with her and pointed out a place near the dam where he thought the men had last gone down.
All of this occurred within the space of a few minutes and happened about 7:15 p.m. While the men dived in vain hope of finding the bodies, the women drove to the pipe line buildings and telephoned to Osceola for help. In a few minutes there were numerous cars on the scene and a boat and grab hoods were brought. Dragging operations went on near the dam and finally someone saw the three piles of clothing on the opposite bank. Wm. Miller took the little boy to the other side and asked him to throw a rock to about the place where he had last seen his brothers and father. He tossed a pebble out about twenty-five feet and said that was just the spot. Miller walked out, incredulous that they could have gone down so near the shore line. As he reached the spot indicated, he suddenly went down. He swam to the surface and then dove but was unable to reach the bottom. The bottom shelves off from about three feet to more than twenty at that point. It is the bank of the old gully from which the pond was constructed.
The boat was brought and with the rescuers standing on the edge of the shelf, they casty the hooks over the edge and in a few minutes felt one of the bodies. At 8:30 the body of Pearl was brought to the surface and rushed to shore where under the direction of Dr. H.E. Story and Dr J.N. Goodman, artificial respiration was carried on until the last hope of life was gone. Twenty minutes later the body of Burrell was dragged out and 45 minutes more elapsed before the rescuers were able to lift out that of the father. The bodies were placed in an ambulance and brought to this city where they were prepared for burial.
Services were conducted by the Rev. I.S. Caldwell of the M.P. church assisted by Rev. F.C. McCallon. Burial was made in Maple Hill Cemetery.
The victims of the tragedy leave to mourn their loss the mother and seven children, Mrs. Mary Viola McNichols and Lois, Leona, Lora, Murrell, Mildred, Edith and Arthur.
A triple funeral service was held at the Christian Church Friday for the three victims of drowning in the pipe line company reservoir about four miles south of Osceola. They are Elmer McNichols, 53, and his sons. Pearl, 18, and Burrell, 12. The accident occurred Wednesday evening.
Not in so many years has the community been so stirred as when it was learned that the trio had gone down in the murky water of the reservoir and that early rescue attempts had been futile.
Just what deeds of heroism were done in the few minutes that the trio struggled in the deep water will never be known. Certain it seems that the father and one son both gave their lives in fruitless, heroic attempts to save the other.
The pond covers some two or three acres and is located on the McNichols farm. The Great Lakes Pipe Line Company leased a plot of ground from McNichols for the construction of the reservoir for water with which to cool the huge engines which pump the gasoline through the pipes. A dam was thrown up across a deep gully and the impounded water is 25 feet deep in places. It is located about a quarter of a mile from the McNichols house.
Wednesday evening, the trio, as has been their custom, went to the pond for a dip after a hard day's work in the fields. With them went Murrell, 7. The four stripped and entered the water on the west side of the pond, which is shallow for a few feet. Reconstructing the tragedy from the story told by Murrell, the younger boy suddenly began to struggle in the water and the father who could swim only slightly, went to his rescue. He had no more than reached the side of the lad until he too went under. Pearl called to his little brother to run for help and unhesitatingly plunged in after the others. He could not swim at all, it is understood. In a moment, he too had gone down, leaving a terrified little fellow dressing with all haste on the bank.
Just then, a party, including Mr. and Mrs. Harry Palmer and son and a nephew of Creston and Warren Reid Cook and Mrs. H. R. Klautsch arrived at the pond through the pipe line grounds. Murrell apparently failed to see them and raced for home. The bathers thought he had run because he had seen the women in the party.
Mr. Palmer and the boys entered the water and swam about for a few minutes until they were startled by the appearance of Lois McNichols, 16, daughter and sister of the victims. She screamed that her father and brothers were drowned. Murrell had returned with her and pointed out a place near the dam where he thought the men had last gone down.
All of this occurred within the space of a few minutes and happened about 7:15 p.m. While the men dived in vain hope of finding the bodies, the women drove to the pipe line buildings and telephoned to Osceola for help. In a few minutes there were numerous cars on the scene and a boat and grab hoods were brought. Dragging operations went on near the dam and finally someone saw the three piles of clothing on the opposite bank. Wm. Miller took the little boy to the other side and asked him to throw a rock to about the place where he had last seen his brothers and father. He tossed a pebble out about twenty-five feet and said that was just the spot. Miller walked out, incredulous that they could have gone down so near the shore line. As he reached the spot indicated, he suddenly went down. He swam to the surface and then dove but was unable to reach the bottom. The bottom shelves off from about three feet to more than twenty at that point. It is the bank of the old gully from which the pond was constructed.
The boat was brought and with the rescuers standing on the edge of the shelf, they casty the hooks over the edge and in a few minutes felt one of the bodies. At 8:30 the body of Pearl was brought to the surface and rushed to shore where under the direction of Dr. H.E. Story and Dr J.N. Goodman, artificial respiration was carried on until the last hope of life was gone. Twenty minutes later the body of Burrell was dragged out and 45 minutes more elapsed before the rescuers were able to lift out that of the father. The bodies were placed in an ambulance and brought to this city where they were prepared for burial.
Services were conducted by the Rev. I.S. Caldwell of the M.P. church assisted by Rev. F.C. McCallon. Burial was made in Maple Hill Cemetery.
The victims of the tragedy leave to mourn their loss the mother and seven children, Mrs. Mary Viola McNichols and Lois, Leona, Lora, Murrell, Mildred, Edith and Arthur.
Not in so many years has the community been so stirred as when it was learned that the trio had gone down in the murky water of the reservoir and that early rescue attempts had been futile.
Just what deeds of heroism were done in the few minutes that the trio struggled in the deep water will never be known. Certain it seems that the father and one son both gave their lives in fruitless, heroic attempts to save the other.
The pond covers some two or three acres and is located on the McNichols farm. The Great Lakes Pipe Line Company leased a plot of ground from McNichols for the construction of the reservoir for water with which to cool the huge engines which pump the gasoline through the pipes. A dam was thrown up across a deep gully and the impounded water is 25 feet deep in places. It is located about a quarter of a mile from the McNichols house.
Wednesday evening, the trio, as has been their custom, went to the pond for a dip after a hard day's work in the fields. With them went Murrell, 7. The four stripped and entered the water on the west side of the pond, which is shallow for a few feet. Reconstructing the tragedy from the story told by Murrell, the younger boy suddenly began to struggle in the water and the father who could swim only slightly, went to his rescue. He had no more than reached the side of the lad until he too went under. Pearl called to his little brother to run for help and unhesitatingly plunged in after the others. He could not swim at all, it is understood. In a moment, he too had gone down, leaving a terrified little fellow dressing with all haste on the bank.
Just then, a party, including Mr. and Mrs. Harry Palmer and son and a nephew of Creston and Warren Reid Cook and Mrs. H. R. Klautsch arrived at the pond through the pipe line grounds. Murrell apparently failed to see them and raced for home. The bathers thought he had run because he had seen the women in the party.
Mr. Palmer and the boys entered the water and swam about for a few minutes until they were startled by the appearance of Lois McNichols, 16, daughter and sister of the victims. She screamed that her father and brothers were drowned. Murrell had returned with her and pointed out a place near the dam where he thought the men had last gone down.
All of this occurred within the space of a few minutes and happened about 7:15 p.m. While the men dived in vain hope of finding the bodies, the women drove to the pipe line buildings and telephoned to Osceola for help. In a few minutes there were numerous cars on the scene and a boat and grab hoods were brought. Dragging operations went on near the dam and finally someone saw the three piles of clothing on the opposite bank. Wm. Miller took the little boy to the other side and asked him to throw a rock to about the place where he had last seen his brothers and father. He tossed a pebble out about twenty-five feet and said that was just the spot. Miller walked out, incredulous that they could have gone down so near the shore line. As he reached the spot indicated, he suddenly went down. He swam to the surface and then dove but was unable to reach the bottom. The bottom shelves off from about three feet to more than twenty at that point. It is the bank of the old gully from which the pond was constructed.
The boat was brought and with the rescuers standing on the edge of the shelf, they casty the hooks over the edge and in a few minutes felt one of the bodies. At 8:30 the body of Pearl was brought to the surface and rushed to shore where under the direction of Dr. H.E. Story and Dr J.N. Goodman, artificial respiration was carried on until the last hope of life was gone. Twenty minutes later the body of Burrell was dragged out and 45 minutes more elapsed before the rescuers were able to lift out that of the father. The bodies were placed in an ambulance and brought to this city where they were prepared for burial.
Services were conducted by the Rev. I.S. Caldwell of the M.P. church assisted by Rev. F.C. McCallon. Burial was made in Maple Hill Cemetery.
The victims of the tragedy leave to mourn their loss the mother and seven children, Mrs. Mary Viola McNichols and Lois, Leona, Lora, Murrell, Mildred, Edith and Arthur.
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