Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Jacobus, Harry 1909
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net September 2, 2012, 4:56 pm

The Ionia Standard, Friday, July 9, 1909

Harry Jacobus and Claude Dumont went to Long Lake Friday morning by train.  
They were to stay over the Fourth, and Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Hawley were to go up 
Tuesday, for an extended stay, having rented the W.L. Kidd cottage.  Mrs. 
Hawley is the mother of young Jacobus, and he was to get ready for them and 
remain with them.

The story of the accident is somewhat disconnected, but it appears that the 
two boys were engaged in putting up a stand for the sale of various articles 
to people who might come to the lake to celebrate on Saturday or Monday.  They 
had brought around some lumber in a boat to the point selected, a short 
distance east of the Hall boat house.  While at work on the stand, the boat 
drifted away and young Jacobus waded out after it.  Suddenly he disappeared, 
and was seen no more.  This seems the more strange as he was known to be an 
excellent swimmer, and can only be accounted on for the supposition that he 
stepped into one of the deep holes known to be along this part of the lake, 
and was seized at the same time with a cramp.

If these holes are spring feeders of lake and the water is colder than the 
general body of water it might account for the cramp.  Mr. Ashby, long a 
resident on the lake, says that one of the holes in this vicinity has been 
sounded to a depth of over 50 ft. and that it is straight down like a well.

Efforts were at once made toward rescue, but they were entirely unavailing, 
and up to the time of going to press the body had not been located.  The 
accident occurred about 11:30, and the people here were apprised by a telegram 
from Shiloh, the message being received there by telephone from the lake.  
About one o’clock T. R. Buck took Mr. and Mrs. Hawley and Dr. Hoag to the lake 
in his auto.  Other autos went up from here later, none of them having 
returned up to 4 p.m.

Harry Jacobs was a promising young man of about 17 years of age, and the sad 
event is not only a shock to his parents but to the community, and especially 
to his intimates among the young people, with whom he was very popular.

Claude Dumont came home Fri. evening from Long Lake, and his version of the 
sad drowning of Harry Jacobus, his companion, is substantially as given in the 
printed story on Friday.  The boat they had rented was adrift about 50 feet 
from shore when the boys noticed it.  Claude suggested to Harry that he “run 
to the boat house and get another boat,” but Harry said, “it’s only about 
fifty feet; I’m good for it,” and removing most of his clothing, plunged into 
the water.  Claude’s back was turned to the lake while he was busy sawing a 
stake to be used in setting up the tent, and on hearing a gurgling sound he 
turned around and saw about 8 or 10 inches of one of Harry’s forearms as it 
was disappearing from sight.  Dumont is not a good swimmer, and he cried out 
for help, but it was some minutes before Ben Hall and son arrived, and they 
shook their heads when shown where Harry….(portion illegible)…and dragging was 
resorted to, but without avail until today.

The boys had given up their intention to conduct a refreshment stand, for 
which purpose they went to the lake, and they had agreed to return to the home 
city on Saturday morning.

A telephone message was received by C. H. Bradley at 3 Sat. afternoon, 
announcing that the body had been recovered, and asking him to come at once.  
He left a few minutes later.  No particulars were given, but from other 
sources it is learned that the body was found a short distance north and east 
of the place searched yesterday.  Searchers have been going over the ground 
carefully and thoroughly all of today, using a length of gas pipe to which 
fish hooks were attached.  These caught in the clothing for a short time 
before the message was sent, and the body was raised to the surface.


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