1936 — June 19, outboard motor boat capsizes, children drown, Lake Gardner, ME  —    12

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-17-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  13  Lawrence Daily Journal-World, KS. “Children’s Lives Lost.” 6-19-1936, p. 1.

—  12  Gettysburg Times, PA. “Children Drown as Gust Capsizes Boat.” 6-20-1936, p. 2.

—  12  Lubec.mainememory.net. “The Gardner Lake Tragedy.”

—  12  Syracuse Herald, NY. “Mass Funeral Planned for 11 Children.” 6-21-1936, p. 5.

Narrative Information

June 19: “Marion, Me., June 19. (AP) – Thirteen Lubec children, visiting Lake Gardner for a picnic, drowned today when an outboard motor boat capsized. Two others in the craft were saved.” (Lawrence Daily Journal, KS. “Children’s Lives Lost.” 6-19-1936, p. 1.)

June 20: “Marion, Maine, June 20 (AP) – Twelve children, happy as they celebrated the last day of school, drowned in Lake Gardner here Friday when a sudden gust of wind capsized the outboard motorboat in which they were riding.  Four of their companions and the Rev. Calvin London, were waved.  All came from near Lubec. The bodies were recovered before dark.

“The drowned children, whose ages ranged from 9 to 16 years, were:  Daniel McCurdy, Evelyn and Aaron Mahar, Ramah Knowles, Frank Reynolds, Roland Eaton, Doris Small, Glen Morey, Christine Sleight, Merle Lewis Jr., Jerome Kinney, Verne Dinsmore. The four saved are: James Mahar, Miriam Kelley, Leah Wilcox, Barbara Tyler.

“The Wilcox and Kelley girls kept themselves afloat by thrashing about furiously in the water until rescuers arrived. The Tyler girl swam one hundred yards to shore.

“The children were members of a picnic party organized in observance of the last day of school. They came from No. 5 East and No. 5 West elementary sections of the West Lubec section.

“Beverly McCarthy, 12, who observed the admonition of her mother before she left home not to go in a boat, was among those who witnessed the tragedy. She said that as the craft moved outside of a peninsular protecting the picnic beach it was struck broadside by a gust of wind. Two of the boys were playing in the stern, unmindful of danger. As the other boys moved to the back of the boat, apparently to separate the scuffling couple, the stern went under water. Then, the child related, the wind seemed to heave the bow up from the water, and the children and Mr. London were thrown into the lake. Consternation swept over the children wading on the shore, who, with teachers and parents, were helpless to assist the victims.

“There were more than one hundred in the party. The teachers were Loraine Ramsdell, Ruth Small, Stella Burhoe and Eileen Mulholland. Miss Burhoe, stripping herself of her outer clothing, plunged into the water and saved the Kelley girl. Not a boat could be found on the shore with which to go to the assistance of the struggling group. The panic-stricken children grasped at each other in their vain efforts to save themselves.

“Mr. London, who is 70 years of age, was taken to his Lubec Ridge home by a neighbor soon after he left the water.  He was overcome with grief and exhaustion.”  (Gettysburg Times, PA. “Children Drown as Gust Capsizes Boat. On Happy Excursion Celebrating Closing of School in Maine.” 6-20-1936, p. 2.)

June 20: “Lubec, Me., June 20 (AP) – Mourned by all of Eastern Maine, 11 young Lubec school children who were drowned in Marlon Lake will be buried with joint funeral services tomorrow.  The funeral of another will be held Monday. Sympathetic people of this little fish-packing town joined today with grief-stricken parents in arranging the funerals.  The services will be held at West Lubec Cemetery with the Rev. Kenneth L. Cassens of Monticello, former pastor of Lubec Ridge Baptist Church, officiating…

“Mr. Cassens was one of a horror-stricken group which saw 16 children tossed into Gardner Lake yesterday when a motor-driven dinghy capsized. He plunged into the water and saved two of the four children who survived the tragedy. 

“The only other survivor was Calvin Lundin, 56-year-old Lubec Ridge cripple, who operated the boat. The craft had been taken to Marion to provide pleasure rides for 100 children who observed the last day of the school year with a picnic….

“Dr. O. F. Larson of Machias and Dr. J. A. Mac Donald of East Machias, medical examiners, both described the tragedy as accidental.

“The children, members of a boating group of 16, were riding around a lake bay near Gardner Beach, one half mile from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer School, when strong wind and movement of some of the boys to the stern caused the boat to ship water and finally capsize.

“Calvin Lundin, 56, Lubec Ridge cripple, operator of the boat, was among those who survived.  He swam ashore. ‘I was trying to give the children a good time, as I did last year,’ said grief-stricken Lundin today. ‘I saw the boat was too full and the wind was breezing so I tried to turn around and she rolled under.’….

“Country Attorney Oscar Dunbar investigated circumstances of the drowning.” (Syracuse Herald, NY. “Mass Funeral Planned for 11 Children. School Outing Tragedy on Lake Gardner Held Accidental.” 6-21-1936, p. 5.)

Sources

Gettysburg Times, PA. “Children Drown as Gust Capsizes Boat. On Happy Excursion Celebrating Closing of School in Maine.” 6-20-1936, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=14278285&sterm

Lawrence Daily Journal-World, KS. “Children’s Lives Lost.” 6-19-1936, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=170599961&sterm=lake+gardner

Lubec.mainememory.net. “The Gardner Lake Tragedy.” Accessed 2-9-2013 at: http://lubec.mainememory.net/page/716/display.html

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Mass Funeral Planned for 11 Children. School Outing Tragedy on Lake Gardner Held Accidental.” 6-21-1936, p. 5. Accessed 2-9-2013 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=40299427&sterm=lake+gardner