Joseph Laskowski, alias Joseph Smith Drowning  

1923 - JulY 11 — One man was drowned and two narrowly escaped when a boat was capsized on Lake Maxinkuckee last Sunday morning.

CHANGE SEATS IN ROWBOAT ONE IS DEAD Carroll County people who were at Culver , Sunday, bring back a story of the death by drowning of Joseph Smith, of South Chicago, in Lake Maxinkuckee and the narrow escape from dirowning of a woman in the Smith party. The row boat overturned as the occupants were changing seats. Four physicians and the swimming staff of the Culver summer school using the Shaffer mtehod and p ulmotor worked for two hours in a vain effort at resuscitation. Smith had come up the lake with several hundred excursionists under the auspices of the Dembinski singing society of South Chicago - Delphi Carroll County Citizen Times, Saturday, July 14, 1923, Delphi, Indiana

and Flora Hoosier Democrat, Saturday, July 14, 1923, Flora, Indiana:

LOCAL PERSONS, ON OUTING AT LAKE, SEE MAN DROWN

Mrs. Joe McCune and sons, Fred and Byron and Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Brown spent Sunday at Lake Maxinkuckee. While there they witnessed the drowning of an Ea,st Chicago man. The horrible incident occurred when the drowned man and two companions were attempting to change seats in a boat.

and > Knox Starke County Republican, Thursday, July 12, 1923, Knox, Indiana:

DROWNING AT Culver SUNDAY

Joseph Laskowski, alias Joseph Smith, age 42, of Chicago, was drowned in Lake Maxinkuckee Sunday, when he fell into the water while trying to exchange seats in a rowboat with his wife, causing the boat to turn over. Another man in the boat, whose name has not been ascertained, rescued Mrs. Laskowski, swimming 200 yards to shore with her.

Laskowski's body was recovered by a crew from the Culver Summer Naval School and every effort made to resuscitate him, but to no avail.

and Delphi Carroll County Citizen Times, Saturday, July 14, 1923, Delphi, Indiana

CHANGE SEATS IN ROWBOAT ONE IS DEAD

Carroll County people who were at Culver , Sunday, bring back a story of the death of Joseph Smith, of South Chicago, in Lake Maxinkuckee and the narrow escape from drowning of a woman in the Smith paity. The row boat overturned as the occupants were changing seats.

Four physicians and the swimming staff of the Culver summer school using the Shaffer method and p ulmotor worked for two hours in a vain effort at resuscitation.

Smith had come up the lake with several hundred excursionists under the auspices of the Dembinski singing society of South Chicago.

and the Culver Citizen 11 Jul 1923 Wednesday:

One Man Drowned; Two Were Saved


Row Boat is Capsized

Local Divers Found Man Under Water After He had Been Ther One Hour

One man drowned and a narrow escape for two was the result when a boat capsized on Lake Maxinkuckee last Sunday morning about 11 o'clock.

Joe Laskowsky, boiler maker of South Chicago was the victim of death while Mrs. Jabryszak and Frank Rydzensky were the rescued persons. All victims of the accident were partied of an excusion from So. Chicago which was here Sunday.

It seems that the three people decided to take a little ride in a row boat. After they had gone away from the shore about 100 yards, Mrs. Jabryszak decided to chage her postion in the boat. She stood up and started to walk to the front and as she was a rather heavy woman, the boat completely turned over. The three struggled in the water for some time.

Tried to Bing in Two

The one one of the three that could swim was Frank Rydzensky. He knew this fact and immediately took hold of the other two persons and tried to get to shore with them. He had progressed only about 100 feet when he discovered the load was too much for him and the was sinking.

About this time, Laskowsky lost consciousness and went under. Shrtly after that, two men in a boat picked up Rydzensky and Mrs. Jabryszak and took them to the shore.

The woman was unconsciou and had to be given treatment with the pulmotor before she gained consciousness. These tow people were rushed to the Chasnelle hotel where the remained in bed for the remainder of the day.

However, Laskowsky had sunk and failed to return to the surface of the lake. Several swimmers of the crowd along the shore got in boats and went all over the place where the body was supposed to have gone down. The were unable to locate the body

Sent For Expert Swimmers

In the meantime, local people realized that expert swimmers had to be had. They immediately sent for help at the acasemy. Col. Noble, Lt. Pritzloff and Lt. McCussick responded quickly. They obtained a row boat and proceded for the place where the body was supposed to have sunk.

They covered the water throughly and it was some time before Col. Noble discovered the body of Lakowsky floating about 6 feet under the surface. Both lieutenants went after the body but it was Lt. McCussick that brought the body to the surface.

The men brought the body to the landing just west of the Mickel and Mack Boat house where a crowd of physicians and first aid specialists were waiting.

The man was thenput through the most rigirous treatment that could possibly have been given with the aid of a pulmotor. The corwd worked on him for about two hours before they realized that there was no possible hope of recovery. Th man had been under the water for the greater part of an hour and was too far gone to be revived.

Mr. Lakowsky was married but had no children. His wife was on the banks of the lake at the time of the disaster. He also had a brother who was in the excursion party at the time.

His body was taken to the Easterday undertaking parlors where iit was prepared for burial and returned to Chicago with the excursion parth which left Sunday night on the special train.