Note: John followed his father from his home in the Midwest to Washington, D.C. which was developing rapidly in many ways and offered newcomers a chance to be a part of all of it. His father did very well in the business world. John was doing well as an electrician employed by the U.S. Government at the Senate Office Building.
The following was excerpted from an article that appeared in the Washington Post on June 29, 1908 about Johns death:
John drowned close to the Potomac River below Alexandria, Va. in Broad Creek (Ft. Washington) Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C. The evening before he died they had tied their boat up in the creek and the following morning he dove into the water and swam a long distance from the boat. Upon trying to return to the craft, he vanished under water. His mates upon hearing his cries for help started the engine and sped to the area he was seen at but could not find him. At least one person went into the water and still could not find him. They marked the spot with poles stuck into the creek bottom and sped up the river to Alexandria to get help. They reported the matter to the police. They in turn contacted the D.C. police who then had the harbor precinct send their launch to the sight where John was last seen above water. The story said there was little trouble in retrieving Johns body; it was taken to the D.C. morgue but was soon given to a local funeral home. Most folks felt that he cramped up prior to drowning though it's unknown what the death certificate stated.
Only a few months prior, John and 2 friends bought a sailing sloop and converted it into what was known then as an auxiliary yacht. It had just been launched a week before. And this was its maiden voyage, a cruise intended to take them to Colonial Beach, Va. near George Washingtons place of birth and a resort many said was the 'Las Vegas' of its day in many ways.
John had only been in the area about a year. Last summer he was working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Norfolk, Va. assisting with coal experiments that were ongoing. He would later make his way to D.C. where he resided with his dad and stepmother and sister. He was a member of some fraternal groups. Though self-taught as an electrician, he was known to have taken some correspondence courses in that field.
Perhaps the saddest part of his demise was that he was to have been married in about a week. To a young woman Miss Julia Hanna he had known since they were children and grew up near each other in Crawfordsville, Ind.
The following was excerpted from an article that appeared in the Washington Post on June 29, 1908 about Johns death:
John drowned close to the Potomac River below Alexandria, Va. in Broad Creek (Ft. Washington) Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C. The evening before he died they had tied their boat up in the creek and the following morning he dove into the water and swam a long distance from the boat. Upon trying to return to the craft, he vanished under water. His mates upon hearing his cries for help started the engine and sped to the area he was seen at but could not find him. At least one person went into the water and still could not find him. They marked the spot with poles stuck into the creek bottom and sped up the river to Alexandria to get help. They reported the matter to the police. They in turn contacted the D.C. police who then had the harbor precinct send their launch to the sight where John was last seen above water. The story said there was little trouble in retrieving Johns body; it was taken to the D.C. morgue but was soon given to a local funeral home. Most folks felt that he cramped up prior to drowning though it's unknown what the death certificate stated.
Only a few months prior, John and 2 friends bought a sailing sloop and converted it into what was known then as an auxiliary yacht. It had just been launched a week before. And this was its maiden voyage, a cruise intended to take them to Colonial Beach, Va. near George Washingtons place of birth and a resort many said was the 'Las Vegas' of its day in many ways.
John had only been in the area about a year. Last summer he was working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Norfolk, Va. assisting with coal experiments that were ongoing. He would later make his way to D.C. where he resided with his dad and stepmother and sister. He was a member of some fraternal groups. Though self-taught as an electrician, he was known to have taken some correspondence courses in that field.
Perhaps the saddest part of his demise was that he was to have been married in about a week. To a young woman Miss Julia Hanna he had known since they were children and grew up near each other in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Note: John followed his father from his home in the Midwest to Washington, D.C. which was developing rapidly in many ways and offered newcomers a chance to be a part of all of it. His father did very well in the business world. John was doing well as an electrician employed by the U.S. Government at the Senate Office Building.
The following was excerpted from an article that appeared in the Washington Post on June 29, 1908 about Johns death:
John drowned close to the Potomac River below Alexandria, Va. in Broad Creek (Ft. Washington) Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C. The evening before he died they had tied their boat up in the creek and the following morning he dove into the water and swam a long distance from the boat. Upon trying to return to the craft, he vanished under water. His mates upon hearing his cries for help started the engine and sped to the area he was seen at but could not find him. At least one person went into the water and still could not find him. They marked the spot with poles stuck into the creek bottom and sped up the river to Alexandria to get help. They reported the matter to the police. They in turn contacted the D.C. police who then had the harbor precinct send their launch to the sight where John was last seen above water. The story said there was little trouble in retrieving Johns body; it was taken to the D.C. morgue but was soon given to a local funeral home. Most folks felt that he cramped up prior to drowning though it's unknown what the death certificate stated.
Only a few months prior, John and 2 friends bought a sailing sloop and converted it into what was known then as an auxiliary yacht. It had just been launched a week before. And this was its maiden voyage, a cruise intended to take them to Colonial Beach, Va. near George Washingtons place of birth and a resort many said was the 'Las Vegas' of its day in many ways.
John had only been in the area about a year. Last summer he was working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Norfolk, Va. assisting with coal experiments that were ongoing. He would later make his way to D.C. where he resided with his dad and stepmother and sister. He was a member of some fraternal groups. Though self-taught as an electrician, he was known to have taken some correspondence courses in that field.
Perhaps the saddest part of his demise was that he was to have been married in about a week. To a young woman Miss Julia Hanna he had known since they were children and grew up near each other in Crawfordsville, Ind.
The following was excerpted from an article that appeared in the Washington Post on June 29, 1908 about Johns death:
John drowned close to the Potomac River below Alexandria, Va. in Broad Creek (Ft. Washington) Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C. The evening before he died they had tied their boat up in the creek and the following morning he dove into the water and swam a long distance from the boat. Upon trying to return to the craft, he vanished under water. His mates upon hearing his cries for help started the engine and sped to the area he was seen at but could not find him. At least one person went into the water and still could not find him. They marked the spot with poles stuck into the creek bottom and sped up the river to Alexandria to get help. They reported the matter to the police. They in turn contacted the D.C. police who then had the harbor precinct send their launch to the sight where John was last seen above water. The story said there was little trouble in retrieving Johns body; it was taken to the D.C. morgue but was soon given to a local funeral home. Most folks felt that he cramped up prior to drowning though it's unknown what the death certificate stated.
Only a few months prior, John and 2 friends bought a sailing sloop and converted it into what was known then as an auxiliary yacht. It had just been launched a week before. And this was its maiden voyage, a cruise intended to take them to Colonial Beach, Va. near George Washingtons place of birth and a resort many said was the 'Las Vegas' of its day in many ways.
John had only been in the area about a year. Last summer he was working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Norfolk, Va. assisting with coal experiments that were ongoing. He would later make his way to D.C. where he resided with his dad and stepmother and sister. He was a member of some fraternal groups. Though self-taught as an electrician, he was known to have taken some correspondence courses in that field.
Perhaps the saddest part of his demise was that he was to have been married in about a week. To a young woman Miss Julia Hanna he had known since they were children and grew up near each other in Crawfordsville, Ind.
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