18 –38-39

lornajarrettblanchard July 26, 1929

–38-39 Blanchard tally of MI and WI drowning deaths from sources noted below.

Michigan (20-21)
–21 Daily Independent, Murphysboro, IL. “21 Michigan Beach Patrons Drown Sunday.” 7-29-1929, p2.
–21 July 28 (Sunday)
–20 July 28, “…by drowning in the Detroit area and other parts of Michigan Sunday.”

Wisconsin ( 18)
–18 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
–16 Statewide, July 26-28.
–10 July 28 statewide. Drownings “in Wisconsin Sunday…”
–3 Pine River, 5 miles from Merrill. Three boys who could not swim.
–1 Silver Lake. Drowning, fell off a dock; Herman Ludwig, 8.
–4 Sturgeon Bay, 3 miles north of, Lake Michigan. 3 girls and a man.
–1 Twin Lakes near Kenosha. Unidentified drowning victim.
–1 Watertown, Rock River beach. Stanley Reckus, 18, stepped into a hole.
— 6 July 27 statewide. Drownings “in the two-day heat wave.”
–1 Beloit area. Sugar River. Drowning; Roland Palmer, 17, of Rockton, IL.
–1 Grand Rapids, Slayton Lake, July 27. Drowning; Adam Vance, 33.
–3 Prentice. Joseph Sheff, 40, Roland Anderson, 25, trying to save Richard Carlson, 7.
–1 Racine, stone quarry, July 27. Drowning; Harold Peterson, 21.
— 2 July 26 statewide.
–1 Milwaukee, Lake Michigan, July 26. Drowning; John Kesso, 17.
–1 Mukwanago River, July 26. Drowning; Harold Bernstein, 23, of Chicago.

Narrative Information

July 29, MI: “Twenty-one of the thousands of Michigan residents who sought relief in waters over the summer’s most scorching weekend were drowned Sunday. Fourteen Men, Five boys and girls and a woman were among the drowning victims.” (Daily Independent, Murphysboro, IL. “21 Michigan Beach Patrons Drown Sunday.” 7-29-1929, p. 2.)

July 29, WI: “(By the Associated Press) At least ten persons were drowned in Wisconsin Sunday [July 28], bringing the total number of deaths attributable to the three day heat wave to twenty-five. Six persons were killed in auto accidents. On Saturday [27th] four persons were drowned.

“A picnic three miles north of Sturgeon Bay ended in tragedy when three girls and a man, who attempted to rescue them, were drowned when they stepped into deep hole while bathing. The victims were Anna Maas, 19, Carol Smith, 13, Mildred Smith, 15, all of Kaukauna, and William Wachholz of Brussells, Wis. Rosemary Holtoman, 14, another member of the party, was rescued by Stoffey Hugenrogh, Sturgeon Bay. Wachholz’s wife and child were on the shore as he went down.

“Three boys, none of whom could swim, lost their lives in the Pine river, five miles from Merrill. They were Lawrence and Louis Berbeck, 19 and 14 years old, and Jacob Isaacson, 20. They, too, stepped into a deep hole. It was to guard against such an accident that they had linked arms, agreeing that if one of them stepped into a pit, the other two would be able to keep him from going down. Their arms were still linked when their bodies were found, more than three hours after they sank.

“Stanley Reckus, 18, of Chicago was drowned when he stepped into a hole at the Watertown beach on the Rock river. Another Chicagoan, Herman Ludwig, 8, was drowned at Silver Lake when he fell off a dock.

“The day’s ninth victim lost his life in the Twin Lakes near Kenosha.

“The body of Harold Bernstein, 23-year-old Chicago druggist, was recovered from the Mukwanago river late Sunday. The youth was drowned Friday when the strong current sucked under the boat in which he was riding.

“Among the other fatalities reported Sunday was a triple drowning at Prentice on Saturday night. Joseph Sheff, 40, and Roland Anderson, 25, lost their lives there in a vain attempt to save seven-year-old Richard Carlson. The bodies were recovered.

“Still another drowning reported Sunday was that of Roland Palmer, 17, of Rockton, Ill., who was drowned near Beloit Saturday. He was swimming in the Sugar river….” (AP. “Ten Drown In Wisconsin Waters On Sunday…” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, WI. 7-29-1929.)

Sources

Alton Evening Telegraph, IL. “Heat Drives Mercury Up To 100 Mark…Drownings Numerous.” 7-29-1929, p. 2. Accessed 5-29-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/alton-evening-telegraph-jul-29-1929-p-2/

Associated Press. “Grand Rapids Man Drowning Victim.” Escanaba Daily Press. 7-28-1929, p. 1. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/escanaba-daily-press-jul-28-1929-p-1/

Associated Press. “Racine Man Is Drowned While Bathing In Quarry.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 7-27-1929, p. 1. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/janesville-daily-gazette-jul-27-1929-p-1/

Associated Press. “Seven Die During Badger Heat Wave.” Escanaba Daily Press. 7-28-1929, p. 1. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/escanaba-daily-press-jul-28-1929-p-1/

Associated Press. “State Briefs.” Ludington Daily News, MI. 7-30-1929, p. 7. Accessed 5-29-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ludington-daily-news-jul-30-1929-p-7/

Associated Press. “Ten Drown In Wisconsin Waters On Sunday…” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, WI. 7-29-1929. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/la-crosse-tribune-and-leader-press-jul-29-1929-p-1/

Associated Press. “Torrid Wave Causes 4 Deaths in State.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 7-27-1929, 1. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/janesville-daily-gazette-jul-27-1929-p-1/

Daily Independent, Murphysboro, IL. “21 Michigan Beach Patrons Drown Sunday.” 7-29-1929, p. 2. Accessed 5-29-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/murphysboro-daily-independent-jul-29-1929-p-6/