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FRANCIS CAMPION, 22, LOSES LIFE IN MARATHON SWIM IN LAKE ON SUNDAYDisappears During Squall and Loss Not Discovered Until Checkup at Two Rivers—Max Kuhlka, One-legged Swimmer, Only One to FinishThe marathon swim, from the piers here to Two Rivers, nf a rpcratta program, ended in tragedy Sunday after-the Two Rivers harbor piers shortly before three o clock.• Coast guard boats, motorboats and fish tugs scurried out ouickly from the harbor to make a vain search for Campion, quicKiy 11 cwimmer of experience and a prominentplst few years. But althoughthe search was continued un-tiLdark,.jioJracejof.thei missing swimmer was found ®Jong ttiie course between here and Two R! era. It ia believed that Campion was overcome by the sudden SQ'1”1 and hi the confusion that ensued while the two coast guard boats and one other croft were roiutiding up the swimmers his , plightnot discovered. t-h.v'Contlnue Search Todaywaukee swimmer was cont^---_toda?V the safA?%tf afe,6;si- but ui^e.S’hilSPSS^..rftc-. ^ntpibn had .!£»f0,The squall on the lake drove all of the swimmers save one. to the boats. He was Max Kuhlka. 01Waukesha, a one taMMg who conUnued on to finish the JaeSv He was the only one of the11 'men and one woman 'vho started, to finish. The race started at 11:30 o’clock Sunday noon and Kuhlka finished the 5.6 mile grind at 2:40 o’clockthe beach when seized, they think, thus getting-out of the- zone cover-, ed by the coast guard. Cramps are an almost Inevitable accompaniment of distance swims, they said. Every swimmer in the race sata that at some time or other during the contest he had had a cramp, but an ordinary muscle cramp can be kicked out during the water without danger U the swimmer.• Reports Feeling Fine During the first milo of the race■mg in? lusi u*no r,Camplor/'pulled wteatty *head of-/ 4 fiolC and was among the firstfh a mireUncertain How Campion LostllliM nuo .nuivuo . « , I•Wwn the sauall struck. About a mire oat* *—■'guard boat approached him and Captain Miller asked him how he was feeling. . ''Getting along ' fine, feeling great, he smiled back with a wav* of his hand.Summary of Race The following Is the summary of the swimmers, and the time eachleft the water: ...... _ •Francis Martwick. Phillips. Wis., 11:50 a. ra.; Reggie Leplnske, Mil-______v- _ .... nrx. .1uncertain now ---- i*Coast guurtin.en.lu»hpe«wim-i Zaldel. Milwaukee, Wis., i2:16boats thafaccom^nied the swim mers along the course were uncerolooa the course were uncer- in.; -uuui ovmwuti, vvu. taTftS rain an^he high seas terWolsschsi ge;;■ NecedahZaidel. Milwaukee. Wis.. 12:15 p. m.: Math Schroeder, Cedarburg, ----Herbert Dre^er, ______aiftd, ilt;»jvu-ui rX*8’’1:00 p. m.; George Alberts. Wau-wautosa, Wis.. 1:15 p.. m.: Stanley Ziem. Milwaukee, Wis., 1:20 p. m.; Mrs. Mae Lunsten Milwaukee,call. but no Wis., 2:10 p. m.; Max Kuhlka’ (‘wfnrieb)fWaiikesha; Wie.r^i.-50-p-m.that'the squall kicked up. Hie vlnd and sea made It impossible to hear a call for help. One or .the jwimmera said after the race that ie thought- he- hcard “ • hf no^The'^quafl scattered the field ofiwlmmers In all directions. Low ..... ................n the trough of the waves, they Franc|8 -Babe Campion, the un ost their course, and the coast fortunale swimmer, was a promi .....“TP over a Aiae ~ * m c f o in nil hrftnrhoR oswim was•eather conditions which prevent-* -----*—*- — nllt;•earner uvuuiv«v«.j .....— -d the use of rowboats which had een provided to accompany each wlmroer. • The water at Two Riv-rs was so rough that Captain MJ1-r of the coast guard refused to How the rowboats to go out. The leven swimmers who came for the ace. however, insisted upon maK-ig the attempt. For two hours ie race was delayed, until a west ind sprang up ana measurably bated the sea.- Meantime thevlmmers themselves Ahad agreedat If coast guard boats would ac impany the race they would In st on going Into the water. Cap-ifler ain Miller agreed to go with the vimroera with two boats, and \nt iuiuiem .. in. ------ew of the improving weather thece was finally started, Just beThe entire field of swimmers had ime from c-itslde to make the ce: all were athletes In good con-tion and refused to be denied ter having come long distances r the event. Campion ,a husky x-footer, was among those who ughed at the fears of the coast inrds.Rowboat Driven From Course It Is noteworthy that the only wboat that accompanied a swlm-er—ono pulled by Frank Lund-en, husband of the only woman vlmmer In Ahe race, was blown r off its course during the squall, spite of the fact that Mr. Lund-en is an expert-, seaman. Mrs. indsten swam six miles, and was lally taken from the water a mile id a half off the Two Rivers har-r pier. The entire course of the ce is 5.6 miles. .Before allowing the swimmers toiefore allowing the swimmers to rt Captain Miller gave them eful Instructions in the interestsafety. They were instructed, case of distress, to wave their is above the water, so that the;, even over uieir own yiuico‘cf'fhl61 RF4°i'?hUr*t “‘Besides Ms parents ho is surviv-2ly during he 16 tnlnulea that. ed fay fQUr broth IvPBlle Roy83ua11.£1 ^hn Lugene and Russell, all of Milwau-ed up the sudd.n sea, were the , d , slaters. Mrs. Graceuu inai v..«—»~.his loss was not discovered un final checkup was made at the h of tio raceWas Prominent Athleteenrolled at Wisconsin uuiverauj Madison, where he planned to re enter in September’as a Junior. He was counted on by Coach Glenn Thistlethwatte at Wisconsin as one of his most promising linemen this fall. He played a guard in football both In his high school and varsity days.Twenty-two years of age, Campion weighed 190 pounds, and was in the pink of condition. He had won many honors in long distance swimming meets in and around Milwaukee. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Campion, 3704 W. Hilda street, Milwaukee, and came to Manitowoc for the marathon swim In a car driven by Arlie Schardt, well known Milwaukee instructor.Campion starred in both football and basketball at South Division high, Milwaukee, and In 1925 and 1926 wai a choice for guard on the all-city high school football teaip, picked by coaches and sports writers at Milwaukee. He entered Mar-swim as th« ka, oi ers c(urn ai luunnunoc. nc cmumquette university after finishing his high school career and was a mem-ber of the freshman football team and made the varsity team in his second year. A year ago he enrolled at,Wisconsin and worked out with the freshman candidates last fallHis untimely death la a sad shock to his family and hosts of friends. A brother, Leslie, who came here last, night from Milwaukee, said that Francis had been allworked up ov.er returning to Wisconsin In the fall, where hituuoiu iu mo ion, • i1 lt;i -e was to be enrolled as a junior. He had two years of competition ahead of him on varsity teams at Madison. Was Active Church Worker The deceased was an active church worker In the circles of the Berean Presbyterian church at Milwaukee. Ho was president of the Berean Dramatic club connected with the church and had ap-s above the water, so that the Kat,evd-Saf’i5^'{LH5Strlg!,^i !hIlrC2?d* atU'mfrn^On* com? also Pre8,dent of the Christian En-rd boat fed the way, to glveTh, connected with thetimers their direction and Vu'’K..,ua. aaM fhn, Francis’^'rVTu 'fo rkee0DC?Cntothe a ““'ng mamhon awlm mlakeonPSundky *to S !n°'StfZS thrown profeau! gggg? lt;*e SuperiorBesides his parents ho is surviv .,7' ' .J,, an- ,..ara (ho EiURtJUB MUU XVUbbUII, HII Oled up the sudd 11 sea, vvere the kee and twQ slaters Mr8lt; Graceliners out of s ght of the coast Bcrnau of We8t AIllB and jewej atd boats. It was In that brier homeid that Campion disappearedStart Dragging Operations This morning the two coast guard crews with a 250 foot net1 of tic race. guard crews with a 250 foot nettier swimmers after the nice hooked up between them started of tie.' opinion that Campion dragging operations along the seized with r suddbn stomach course followed by the swimmers He mz Mxe beaded Xfli j'.estfiidwi ia iba bfiae QL Xiadlanlined being cis M waukthe b kept t motor the lal the s\v All ! boats lake, blnocu beach object Sherlf: from t joined visited Campi and bpassinEDIIMIWEI Thoraa displa; his co Dr. : old In after i Llewel sons, £WE8* fever,out ofHe Howo his co take r collapt ous.Chai his fat feeling Mr. terday and dl bers c Howesympti:ht’brig!BESoul/
Newspaper Details
Manitowoc Herald News
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, US
Mon, Aug 03, 1931
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Badgerlink
WI, USA 09 Nov 2016
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