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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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Door County Advocate
September 20, 1918


           WM. P. LARSON DROWNED
           
           Details of Accidental Death Last Week
            Wednesday of Keeper of Racine Reef
              Light Station.
              
           Last week we gave a brief report of the
         drowning on the afternoon of September 4,
         of Lightkeeper WILLIAM P. LARSON, in charge
         of the station on Racine Reef. Additional
         particulars have been received by friends
         here as follows:
           On the day of the accident there was a
         30-mile breeze blowing out of the North-
         east and the second assistant lightkeeper
         had gone ashore with the motor boat be-
         longing to the station. MR. LARSON was
         anxious to go ashore also and finally 
         decided to make the trip in a 15-foot
         rowboat. The first assistant keeper tried
         to persuade him not to try it on account
         of the big sea and the small boat, but
         he was determined to go and left the
         station about 3:00 o'clock p.m. He had
         only rowed about 150 feet when a breaker
         boarded his craft and washed him over-
         board. The first assistant threw life
         preservers, buoys, etc., toward him, but
         he had hung on to a preserver that he
         had in the boat and had it under one arm.
         The current was strong from the north'ard
         and he drifted about a quarter of a mile
         southwest of the station before he dis-
         appeared.
           The Racine coast guard station was
         signalled and the crew arrived in a 
         short time. They found the boat about
         a half mile southwest of the station
         and the missing man's coat was still 
         in it. No trace of him however, could
         be found and after searching for over
         two hours it was given up. One of the
         life buoys came ashore at Kenosha and
         a report was circulated that the body
         came ashore at Waukegan, but this is
         probably untrue as the coast guard
         station or police station at Racine
         had not been notified.
           MR. LARSON had been used to the lake
         waters all his life. He was an except-
         ionally strong swimmer and an excel-
         lent boatman and had a contempt for
         the danger he was in every day, in fact,
         did not seem to realize that he was in
         any danger when on the lake in rough
         weather.
           Deceased is survived by his wife and
         14-year-old boy. He was well known in
         this county, his father having been
         keeper of the Range lights at Baileys
         Harbor some thirty years ago, and he
         having been a boy there at that time.
         He also entered the service and his
         first place as keeper was at Sheboygan.
         From there he went to Waukegan, thence
         to Pentwater and when the Pentwater sta-
         tion was discontinued he was assigned
         to first assistant at Racine. This 
         spring he was given the berth of keeper
         at Racine Reef.
           SAM. JACOBSON, assistant keeper at
         Menominee, has been assigned to take
         charge of the station at Racine and
         entered upon his duties last week
         Thursday.
         
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