OBIT: George FISHEL, 1919, Wellsville, York County, PA

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Newspaper Unknown
Handwritten "5-26-1919" on obit


Went to Death in SIght Companions

George FISHEL Drowned in Big Conewago Creek Near the Picketts

Was Bathing at Time

Seized with cramps while bathing in Emig's mill dam on the Big Conewago creek, 
near The Pickets, shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon, George FISHEL, 
aged 19 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. O. H. FISHEL of Wellsville, went down and 
drowned before help could reach him. Men of the neighborhood tried first-aid 
methods until York police officials arrived with the city lungmotor and pulmotor 
and they, too worked long and eagerly, but their efforts were unavailing The 
young man had been in the water too long for human aid to benefit him.

Young FISHEL, accompanied by John WENTZ, Frank STOLL, Lloyd LINEBAUGH and Dewey 
REINEICKE, all of Wellsville, went to Emig's mill in Robert Wentz's automobile 
to spend the afternoon. They proceeded to don bathing suits and went into the 
water, FISHEL and several of the boys could swim. FISHEL was said to be, in 
fact, a good swimmer. All went well until FISHEL swam across the dam and was 
returning, when he was seized with cramps and called for help. At the same time 
he dived for WENTZ, but the latter fearing a death grip, apparently, got out of 
his way and FISHEL went under. The others raised the alarm and soon several men 
of the neighborhood came upon the scene. Rueben DETTER and George A. LINEBAUGH 
were on shore at the time and they summoned others.

Robert FLUHRER, of York, came along in his automobile about this time and he 
hastened to get boats and hooks. He and Jacob KLINEFELTER got into a boat and 
Reuben DETTER in another boat and in fifteen minutes FLUHRER had hooked the body 
out of about nine feet of water. They took the body ashore and rolled it on a 
barrel and used every method they knew to resuscitate FISHEL. In the meantime, 
W. D. BROUGHER, of Wellsville, who had been notified, called up the York Police 
headquarters and asked them to bring the pulmotor out. Chief of Police BUTTORFF, 
Motorcycle Officer RILEY, Frank STEVENS, Jacob BALTOZER and Frank FICKES hurried 
to the scene by automobile with the pulmotor and lungmotor and for more than an 
hour they worked with the body, but had to give up at last in failure.

Justice ARTZBERGER, of Dover, held an inquest on the porch of YOUNG'S cottage, 
and the jury found a verdict of accidental death by drowning. The jury was 
composed of Robert KLINE, Henry LINEBAUGH, Reuben DETTER, and George LINEBAUGH, 
all of the Pickets, and Charles SHAFFNER, Wellsville, and Fred KLING, Dover. The 
body was taken back to Wellsville in the machine in which the young man rode to 
the dam. FISHEL is survived by his parents and two brothers and a sister. A 
brother, William FISHEL, is in the American army of occupation now in Germany.

 

Additional Comment: Birth est. 1900.  When contacting contributor, please 
indicate p. 27.