Ernest C. Biddle was drowned at Second lake shortly before 6 o'clock Monday evening. He dived from the second diving board, fifteen feet above the water, struck his head on the bottom, about ten feet below the surface, came up once, and then sunk. His body was in the water about ten minutes; by the time it was rescued it was impossible to save his life.
Mr. Biddle was a boilermaker, not quite 33 years old, and lived at 1016 West Twenty-fifth street. He had been a resident of Cheyenne for six years. He was employed at the Union Pacific shops, and recently had been working for the Cheyenne Steam bakery. He is survived by his wife and three children: Marian, 9 years; Edward, 8, and Bobby, 7 months. All but Marian were at the scene of the drowning; the little girl is visiting her grandmother in Denver.
Everybody got busy in remarkably quick time. Some began diving for the body; others towed out an old rowboat for use as soon as the body could be brought up, while still others hurried over to the onlooking autoists and asked them to go to the nearest phones and get doctors and the city pulmotor.
From the first Mrs. Biddle suspected the truth. She had seen her husband go down and had failed to see him come up again. Carrying her babe in her arms, she made frantic appeals for a rescue. Other women persuaded her to allow them to take care of the child, but they were unable to quiet the wife and mother. Several times she started down the pier, only to be turned back by swimmers.
William Dineen, Jr., Frank Booker and others assumed charge of the undertaking. Francis Arneal was the first to touch the body, but he was unable to retain his hold. It had drifted about ten feet from where the man went down. Others finally got it to the surface and into the boat. From there it was taken to the pier and then to the shore.
Mr. Biddle was in fine humor as he prepared for his swim. Gleefully he ordered his hesitating son, Edward, to get undressed and into the water. Laughingly, he discussed the possibility of a fate which, unknown to him, was even then awaiting him.
Mr. Biddle's father. John Biddle, lives at Wellfleet, Neb., as does a sister, Mrs. James Ledbetter.
This was the second drowning accident of the year here, and Mr. Biddle was the third victim. Clifford McMichaels and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen went down at Lake Minnehaha July 4. This was also the second accident of its kind since the beach was opened last year Early in the 1919 season Joe Marschick went to his death.
Excerpts from © Wyoming State Tribune no. 172 July 20, 1920, page 3
Mr. Biddle was a boilermaker, not quite 33 years old, and lived at 1016 West Twenty-fifth street. He had been a resident of Cheyenne for six years. He was employed at the Union Pacific shops, and recently had been working for the Cheyenne Steam bakery. He is survived by his wife and three children: Marian, 9 years; Edward, 8, and Bobby, 7 months. All but Marian were at the scene of the drowning; the little girl is visiting her grandmother in Denver.
Everybody got busy in remarkably quick time. Some began diving for the body; others towed out an old rowboat for use as soon as the body could be brought up, while still others hurried over to the onlooking autoists and asked them to go to the nearest phones and get doctors and the city pulmotor.
From the first Mrs. Biddle suspected the truth. She had seen her husband go down and had failed to see him come up again. Carrying her babe in her arms, she made frantic appeals for a rescue. Other women persuaded her to allow them to take care of the child, but they were unable to quiet the wife and mother. Several times she started down the pier, only to be turned back by swimmers.
William Dineen, Jr., Frank Booker and others assumed charge of the undertaking. Francis Arneal was the first to touch the body, but he was unable to retain his hold. It had drifted about ten feet from where the man went down. Others finally got it to the surface and into the boat. From there it was taken to the pier and then to the shore.
Mr. Biddle was in fine humor as he prepared for his swim. Gleefully he ordered his hesitating son, Edward, to get undressed and into the water. Laughingly, he discussed the possibility of a fate which, unknown to him, was even then awaiting him.
Mr. Biddle's father. John Biddle, lives at Wellfleet, Neb., as does a sister, Mrs. James Ledbetter.
This was the second drowning accident of the year here, and Mr. Biddle was the third victim. Clifford McMichaels and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen went down at Lake Minnehaha July 4. This was also the second accident of its kind since the beach was opened last year Early in the 1919 season Joe Marschick went to his death.
Excerpts from © Wyoming State Tribune no. 172 July 20, 1920, page 3
Ernest C. Biddle was drowned at Second lake shortly before 6 o'clock Monday evening. He dived from the second diving board, fifteen feet above the water, struck his head on the bottom, about ten feet below the surface, came up once, and then sunk. His body was in the water about ten minutes; by the time it was rescued it was impossible to save his life.
Mr. Biddle was a boilermaker, not quite 33 years old, and lived at 1016 West Twenty-fifth street. He had been a resident of Cheyenne for six years. He was employed at the Union Pacific shops, and recently had been working for the Cheyenne Steam bakery. He is survived by his wife and three children: Marian, 9 years; Edward, 8, and Bobby, 7 months. All but Marian were at the scene of the drowning; the little girl is visiting her grandmother in Denver.
Everybody got busy in remarkably quick time. Some began diving for the body; others towed out an old rowboat for use as soon as the body could be brought up, while still others hurried over to the onlooking autoists and asked them to go to the nearest phones and get doctors and the city pulmotor.
From the first Mrs. Biddle suspected the truth. She had seen her husband go down and had failed to see him come up again. Carrying her babe in her arms, she made frantic appeals for a rescue. Other women persuaded her to allow them to take care of the child, but they were unable to quiet the wife and mother. Several times she started down the pier, only to be turned back by swimmers.
William Dineen, Jr., Frank Booker and others assumed charge of the undertaking. Francis Arneal was the first to touch the body, but he was unable to retain his hold. It had drifted about ten feet from where the man went down. Others finally got it to the surface and into the boat. From there it was taken to the pier and then to the shore.
Mr. Biddle was in fine humor as he prepared for his swim. Gleefully he ordered his hesitating son, Edward, to get undressed and into the water. Laughingly, he discussed the possibility of a fate which, unknown to him, was even then awaiting him.
Mr. Biddle's father. John Biddle, lives at Wellfleet, Neb., as does a sister, Mrs. James Ledbetter.
This was the second drowning accident of the year here, and Mr. Biddle was the third victim. Clifford McMichaels and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen went down at Lake Minnehaha July 4. This was also the second accident of its kind since the beach was opened last year Early in the 1919 season Joe Marschick went to his death.
Excerpts from © Wyoming State Tribune no. 172 July 20, 1920, page 3
Mr. Biddle was a boilermaker, not quite 33 years old, and lived at 1016 West Twenty-fifth street. He had been a resident of Cheyenne for six years. He was employed at the Union Pacific shops, and recently had been working for the Cheyenne Steam bakery. He is survived by his wife and three children: Marian, 9 years; Edward, 8, and Bobby, 7 months. All but Marian were at the scene of the drowning; the little girl is visiting her grandmother in Denver.
Everybody got busy in remarkably quick time. Some began diving for the body; others towed out an old rowboat for use as soon as the body could be brought up, while still others hurried over to the onlooking autoists and asked them to go to the nearest phones and get doctors and the city pulmotor.
From the first Mrs. Biddle suspected the truth. She had seen her husband go down and had failed to see him come up again. Carrying her babe in her arms, she made frantic appeals for a rescue. Other women persuaded her to allow them to take care of the child, but they were unable to quiet the wife and mother. Several times she started down the pier, only to be turned back by swimmers.
William Dineen, Jr., Frank Booker and others assumed charge of the undertaking. Francis Arneal was the first to touch the body, but he was unable to retain his hold. It had drifted about ten feet from where the man went down. Others finally got it to the surface and into the boat. From there it was taken to the pier and then to the shore.
Mr. Biddle was in fine humor as he prepared for his swim. Gleefully he ordered his hesitating son, Edward, to get undressed and into the water. Laughingly, he discussed the possibility of a fate which, unknown to him, was even then awaiting him.
Mr. Biddle's father. John Biddle, lives at Wellfleet, Neb., as does a sister, Mrs. James Ledbetter.
This was the second drowning accident of the year here, and Mr. Biddle was the third victim. Clifford McMichaels and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen went down at Lake Minnehaha July 4. This was also the second accident of its kind since the beach was opened last year Early in the 1919 season Joe Marschick went to his death.
Excerpts from © Wyoming State Tribune no. 172 July 20, 1920, page 3
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