Added by BL Hughes: Two Ashland Residents Drown as Car Sinks Through Ice at Lake Winnipesaukee. Third Member of Fishing Expedition Survives. Three Ashland residents, Leo Gingras, Frank Blanchard and Maurice Fifield left Ashland last Friday morning for Lake Winnipesaukee on a fishing expedition. While speeding across the ice, just above Bear Island, they struck a sunken reef. The driver, Frank Blanchard, applied the brakes but was unable to bring the car to a stop. Gingras, who had felt uneasy ever since they had entered onto the lake, had his door partially open when the car began to sink. He jumped out and at the sound of his voice, two fishermen nearby, Harry Johnson and Arthur Sargent, also Ashland residents, came to his rescue with a rope. They were able to haul him onto solid ice and took him back to their bobhouse. They waited near the spot where the car went down hoping against hope that the other two might fight their way clear. However, nothing but air bubbles. The bodies of Blanchard and Fifield were recovered on Sunday by Fred Wallace of Somerville, a professional diver. It is understood that for the past five days previous to the accident, veteran fishermen at the lake had been warning against driving automobiles onto the ice, which, owing to the comparatively warm weather which had prevailed all winter, is unsafe for heavy cars.
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Frank S Blanchard was born in Ashland October 2, 1875 and has made this town his lifelong residence. He was employed at the time of his death by the Ashland Continental Paper Bag Co in Ashland. Funeral services were held at his late home on Winter Street Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, with Reverend Emmett Russell officiating. The members of the Order of Knights of Pythias held their services at the funeral and burial was at Green Grove Cemetery. He leaves a daughter, Mrs Edith Downer, and a son Darrell.