Fleeing Torrid Heat, 5 Daring Death, Saved

When Sunday's torrid heat precipitated an avalanche of humanity upon the Wilmette bathing beach the corps of life guards were kept very busy rescuing venturesome amateurs from the deeper waters beyond the sand bars. Five persons in all were dragged from the borders of the Great Beyond through the vigilance of W. H. Summers, C. G. Mitten and William Rich. In no case were the names of those rescued recorded, but in each warning was given to keep within the "lifeline" established for the protection of those who are unfamiliar with the water and their own limitations. E. C. Cazel, 1055 Linden avenue, in effecting the rescue of one "stranger" was rewarded with a good ducking. "Never again!" says Cazel, member of the firm in the Wilmette Pharmacy. It happened that a score of young men were frolicking around the big raft which was floating just at the edge of the deep water. On one side of the raft the water was shoulder deep for the average bather while on the other side it was over his head. There was one in this frolicsome party who was not an average swimmer, but an adventurer. When five of the party conspired to tip the raft and slide all the others off, this individual found himself in very deep water. Cazel, on the raft, saw this fellow struggling desperately far below the surface in his efforts to reach the top. It was evident that he could not make it. So Cazel went to the rescue.

Got a stranglehold
While it is difficult to explain but easy for those acquainted with the frantic girations of a drowning man to understand, Cazel soon realized that he was getting the worst of it. The fellow had a throttlehold on his neck and at the same time was sitting on his shoulders. Though more nearly "all in" than the rescued, Cazel with true Teutonic deliberation, walked on bottom till he reached shallower depths where he could get his head our of water. Once there, he persuaded his tenacious friend to loosen his hold and shift for himself. The stranger faded away into the thousand or more other bathers where he was unnoticed for the rest of the afternoon. Another bather made Summers some excitement when he swam far out beyond his depth and then made frantic efforts to get back to shore. Hearing his calls for help, Summers went to his assistance. "Thanks," said the swimmer blandly, "I was just afraid I might give out before I got back there in the shallow water." "Nothing like preparedness," said Summers; "but next time take your tryouts in shorter distances and don't start a panic before you know you aren't going to make it."

Confiscated their clothes
But the really exciting diversion of the day was the searching for the secluded spots which insurgent bathers had selected as the hiding places for their clothing. These bundles of apparel, some of feminine daintiness and others of a scant few pieces of masculine attire, were found in the most interesting places. Some were hung in the tops of trees, displaying a shrewd ingeniousness on the part of their owners, while other resourceful young men engaged the services of their lady friends to sit on the contraband bundle of their belongings and thus hide it from the prying eyes of the police. But let it be observed that "watchful waiting " on the part of the police, in this case at least, ferreted out all these caches and the repentant owners, some very irate, had to come sooner or later to the box office and plead for their property. The rough seas of Saturday prevented the erection of the high-diving stand in its accustomed place from which it was dislodged and washed ashore by the tempest of last week. It was found impossible to repair the damage wrought by the wind and waves in time to get the ponderous structure in place for Sunday. But the work was completed Monday and the tug, which originally hauled it into place again dragged it seaward and made everything ready for the big rush on Sunday next.

Filmed the Water Sprites
In view of the absence of this popular piece of beach apparatus the high diving stand at Gage's pier, constructed by private individuals July [damaged] was the Mecca for those swimmers who demand something more for the afternoon's sport than splashing about the placid shallows with the women and children. This pier has been almost deserted by the crowds for weeks past, or since the opening of the new beach. Another innovation which caused decided thrill among the two thousand bathers who swarmed the beach Sunday afternoon, was the taking of a series of motion picture films of the fairer sprites who frolicked with Neptune. Edward F. Kelley of 1133 Elmwood avenue was the photographer and it is commonly reported that the films will be shown at the Village theater soon. George Cunneen, assisted [damage] Guernsey Clarke, Monday afternoon rescued a drowning man who sat exhausted just beyond the outermost raft. With a friend Ernest Cazel was again in the neighborhood of the near-drowning, but this time he was beaten out in his first aid efforts by his friend. The The rescued this time got a strangle hold on the rescuer and both went to the bottom for the count--almost, had it not been for Cazel's energetic efforts in summoning assistance. Cunneen and Clarke heard the call and promptly dragged the two men from the water. Both were in an extremely exhausted condition and had to e given vigorous treatment in Superintendent Summer's first aid tent on the beach. Doctor Hecht and Conley were both on the scene and supervised the treatment.