Howard Pierce |
| Posted 2019-09-13 by Pat R |
| San Diego Union (San Diego, California) Friday, December 9, 1921, p. 1 Play Cave At Old Town Collapses And Takes Life Of 12-Year-Old Boy Two Companions Give Alarm And Frantically Try to Remove Earth; Pulmotor Fails to Resuscitate Three 12-year-old boys, Hugh Dwyer, George McAlmond and Howard Pierce, were playing near their homes in Old Town, yesterday afternoon. "Let's make a cave," suggested George. "All right," chorused the other two, and the three getting some old tools went up on the hill just this side of the Old Town bridge "to build a cave." The work went on rapidly and the boys soon had quite a fair-sized hole dug in the side of the hill. About 4:30 o'clock, Howard went into the cave to finish the work for the evening, the boys having made plans to go back today to complete their cave. As Howard was working in the back of the cave, the roof suddenly fell in and buried the little fellow under four feet of dirt. Hugh and George, who were standing outside the cave when the roof caved in on Howard, shouted for help and frantically started to dig the dirt away. Dr. T. M. MacLauchlin, a resident of Old Town, was summoned by the first grown-up persons who arrived at the scene of the tragedy. Patrolman Frank Connors, who lives at Old Town, also was sent for, as was the pulmotor at the emergency hospital. Patrolman George Wilson, who came with the motor and Dr. MacLauchlin worked over the boy for several minutes, but as he had been buried for more than 20 minutes before his body was uncovered, all efforts at resuscitation failed. Howard lived with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Pierce, and his two brothers, Verne and Claude, at 4270 Taylor street, Old Town. Coroner Schuyler Kelly, at the request of the boy's family, had the body sent to the Johnson-Saum undertaking establishment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ San Diego Union (San Diego, California) Thursday, December 15, 1921, p. 2 Pierce--At North San Diego, Dec. 8, 1921, Howard Pierce, son of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Pierce and brother of Verne and Claud Pierce of North San Diego; a native of California, aged 12 years, 6 months, 8 days. See Also: Find A Grave |
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