- Down to His Death - Ernest Cross

1907 - Aug 7 - Down to His Death

Chicago Boy, Over come WIh Cramps, Drown While Bathing in the Lake Last Week

Feebly calling for help Ernest Cross, a bright 18-year old CHicago boy, sank to enternal sleep in the waters of the lake last week Wednesday afternoon. In the bried report in last week's citizen it was stated tht when the paper went to press the doctors and their volunteer assistants were deperately working over the unconscuoius yout to revive him, but with little hope of success. An hour and a half of the unremitting use of every known means convinced them that the task was without results and that the victim was beyond help.

Dr. James Cross, the young man's father, reched Culver on the following monring, accompanied by Mr. Amien, mother of Leroy Amien with whom Ernest had come to Culver on the Monday preceding. The body was taken to Chicago on the evening train.

Ernest and Leroy had been fast friends for a number of years. Ernest was employed in the wholesale department of marshall FIeld & Co. and Lery with Butler Bros. Ernest was just out of the hospital after an operation for appendiccitis, and Lake Maxinkuckee was selected as a favorable place for his recuperation. The boys had a room in the pleasant home of C. G. Replogle and were taking their meals at Oliver Morris'. It was a singular coincidence that at the dinner table, two hour before his death Ernest jokingly remarked to Dr. Parker: "I may gove you a case before long". Dr. Parker was the physician who was summonded to the lake shore to take charge of the limp form of Ernest when it was brought from the water by Arthur Morris.

Ernest went into the water agains the advice of his friend Leroy "The air is too cold and you are not strong", said Leroy.

Half-way between the sailboat pier and the steamer pier, about 75 feet from the shore and where the water was 7 feet deep, Ernest called for help, but his friend thought it a jest until a second call came in so earnest a tome that it could not be mistaken, and then Ernest sank. Leroym abd Harry Hutchinson of Clinton, Ind., pushed a boat from shore and went to the spot, Ernest meantime appearing once for an instant above the surface. Hutchinson leaped into the water and secured a hold on the drowoning boy, but burndened by his clothes and the struggles of Cross he was compelled to save himself by swimming to the pier, Aimen having, in his confusion and distress, returned to shore with the boat. Lee Hunter backed the Crook launch to the spot, but not being a swimmer found his efforst useless

Attracted by the cries of the people who were gathering on the shore, Arthur Morris, manager of the boat house, and his assistant Ray STevens, unloosed a boat and rowed to where they were told by some one the boy had gone down. Morris had meantime removed a portion of his clothing and made a strong dive, byt was unable to see the object of his search. Several attemps were similarly unsuccessful, and then commenced the work of trying to locate the boy. zfinally a faint reclection in the roily water gave a clue and a boat hook thrust down fastened itself in the bathing suit of the boy and he was brought to the surface. Twenty-five minutes had elasped, and in the weakened physical condition of youn Cross death no doubt ensued soon after he sank.