Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1911 — HOW DOWNER WAS DROWNED IN THE KANKAKEE RIVER. [ARTICLE]

HOW DOWNER WAS DROWNED IN THE KANKAKEE RIVER.

Ml Lw? Ste^Arter 11 Straggle ta Resent Him. Kankakee Valley Review. Ock Cyphers, Henry Downer and Adolph Pewestorff composed a party last Saturday evening who wept coon hunting and expected to spend a lewhours indulging in the sport that is loved by so many in the Kankakee valley. When about two miles up the river the dogs treed a coon and the hunters proceeded to fell the tree When the tree fell the coon rushed across the river on the ice, pursued by the dogs, and the three hunters followed. When aboiit the crater of the river Mr. Pewestorff broke through the ice, or stepped Into an air hole, and Just as he fell -into the water, Henry Downer caught hold of his coat and both went into the water. Cyphers caught hold of Mr. Pewestorff’s hand, but could not assist him out: as the ice was very shallow. Mr. Pewestorff reports that Henry Downer caught hold of the lantern which Mr. Pewestorff was carrying at the- time when he and Downer brdke through the ice at the edge of the air hole. The lantern was broken in the struggle, leaving the handle in Mr. Pewestorff’s hand. In the meantime Mr. Cyphers was doing his utmost to save his companions. Twice did he appear at the opening in the river with limbs from trees and twice did the men, Pewestorff and Downer take hold of limbs reached to them by Cyphers, which gave way and left the men in the water. Finally Cyphers succeeded in getting a limb from a tree and assising Pewestorff out of the water onto the ice. Cyphers then rushed down the opening to where he heard Downer splashing in the water, but before he reached him, Downer said, “Ock, I’m a goner,” and sank to the bottom. The body was .recovered about ten o’clock Sunday morning by a party of friends, who dragged the river with hooks. The remains were brought to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cyphers, where the drowned man had made his home for several years. Cyphers had considerable difficulty in getting Mr. Pewestorff back to town, on account of his clothing being frozen stiff. He finally succeeded in getting as far as the residence of James Hall, by which time Mr. Pewestorff was almost exhausted, and it was sometime before he recovered his normal condition.

Mr. Pewestorff is a member of the Chicago fire department and for some time has been in poor health, and a few weeks ago came to Thayer with his family, having been advised that the country air would help him, and be went coon hunting Saturday" evening for the sport. Henry Downer was bom July 27, 1874, and departed this life December 4 days. He leaves a father, two brothers and a host of friends to mourn their loss. His mother died when he was a small boy. Since then he has lived with Mr. rad Mrs. Paul Cyphers, until God called him to that great beyond, there to meet his mother. The funeral was held at the residence of Mr. rad Mrs. Paul Cyphers, of Thayer, where he has made his home for the past fifteen years. The remains were laid to rest in the Roselawn cemetery, the services being conducted by Rev. Charles Pitzer, of Thayer.