Smith Zimmermann Heritage Museum

“World War I, the war to end all wars, was over November 11, 1918 ; the flue bug was gone. This was a beautiful, warm day, big crowds at Lake Madison Chautauqua grounds. With basked after basket of food, many families decided to celebrate the Fourth of July at Lake Madison.” J. Ervin Boyd.

This was the mode of the day that promised happiness and ended in tears and sorrow; mourning and loss. This was the 4 th of July, 1919 .

According to the Madison Daily Leader, July 5, 1919 …

As a fatal ending to one of the greatest Fourth of July celebrations ever held at Lake Madison, at which between ten and twelve thousand people from this section of the state and also from Iowa and Minnesota, were in attendance, an appalling disaster with a large list of dead resulted when a launch owned by J. A. Erickson went down with thirty-two people on board, shortly after eleven o’clock last night.

There were two gasoline launches plying the lake all day carrying excursionists on pleasure trips. One of these is a new boat and put on the water by parties from Chester and it was this one that struck out for the scene of disaster immediately after coming in to the pier with its last load of sightseers. The other craft, also gasoline propelled, and known as “The Reliance,” was the hapless victim of a tragic fate. With her load of Thirty-two people, among whom were a dozen or more children and several young folks whose ages ranged around 14 to 17 years, the Reliance left the pier shortly after the pyrotechnic display began on the lake between the hotel and the house devoted to the use of bathers. All was gaiety and joy on the ill-fated boat and no mind had any other thought than of keen enjoyment in the anticipated trip. An ideal evening, placid waters and the festive scene of celebration, all contributed to the great delight on the part of those who had not taken a ride on Lake Madison in years.

Onward the Reliance went, headed directly across the lake and towards a point of land a mile or so to the southeast. Skirting along the shore with its human freight, the boat encountered a sunken tree that lay directly in its path and 80 to 100 feet from land, creating panic and consternation among the passengers. Ben Olson, the engineer, and Mr. Erickson, the boats owner, perceived at once the terrible predicament they were in and did their best to keep the engine in operation.

The July 5, 1919 Sentinel newspaper reported....

People on shore had heard screams from the craft, which was not lighted, and thought that the passengers were just having a good time. The boat was equipped with a headlight but it was not being used because it had the tendency to blur the water. The engineer was steering the gas engine-powered boat toward Chautauqua Park. The phonograph as playing and passengers were singing. As they neared the park, the pilot, Ben Olson, directed the path out of the regular course so the passengers had a better view of the fireworks.

The Reliance cut the waters, not far off the southwest shore, between what is now Best’s Point and Hilde’s Sand and Gravel firm. The passenger’s view of the fireworks was excellent and they were all looking up at the display.

The Chautauqua crowd was alerted when a young boy, Jay Phillips of Winfred , South Dakota, a passenger on the boat, swam to the southwest shore and ran to the County Poor Farm. A call was made to the Grandview Hotel. The dance was stopped, the accident reported and swarms of people ran to the shoreline. The report spread rapidly and boat of all kind took off on their rescue missions. Cars lined the shores of the lake and directed their car lights toward the scene of for guidance of the rescue boats.

All told, nine young people lost their lives that fateful 4 th of July at the Lake Madison Chautauqua. The Lake County Coroner’s Jury met in Madison and they returned a verdict of Death by Accidental Drowning and they did not seek responsibility.

Survivor Stories

“We heard them yelling and hollering…we thought they were cheering the fireworks. Later we realized it was a scream for help.” Melvin Pickard. Melvin and his mother and father were standing on the shore. His sister, Ruth, had made it on board, but there hadn’t been room for Melvin and his parents. Two hours later, Melvin and his parents saw the body of Ruth being brought into shore. Melvin explained later that toward dawn he had to go home to milk 21 cows and do chores. His parents stayed to wait for authorities and make funeral arrangements. During the long night, Melvin, his family and others were headquartered at the Red Cross tent that had been set up for the July 4 th emergencies.

Across the lake, Martin Greenberg was a houseguest of Oscar Nebel who lived on the west end of the lake. He had taken his sister on his boat for a better view of the fireworks. His was the closest boat to the wreckage and he began ferrying exhausted survivors to the south side shore. He is credited with saving nine people.

A group of Boy Scouts, who had been passengers on the Reliance, had swum to the shore and busily built a bonfire to warm survivors brought in. They had stripped to their underwear; remembering their Boy Scout training, they shed their heavier clothing after being tossed into the water. Scouts and other survivors gathered driftwood for the fire. A man tore black checks from a checkbook whose inside pages were still dry to use as kindling.

Mrs. J. O. Lee (Gladys) of Colman , South Dakota, said she was with a group of young people from the Wellman community, northeast of Rutland (pictured on the left). “A man next to me handed me a life belt, and I asked him how to put it on, and he helped me.” We all went down together, I reached out and grabbed someone’s wrist, but I let go, thinking I would hold them under water and they would drown. I hit something with my heel, and then got out of the water…I was rescued….”

Mrs. Merle George of Madison was one of the lucky ones. “I was 21 at the time of the accident and couldn’t swim a stroke. My sister was lucky enough to get a life jacket which we hung onto until help arrived from the Chautauqua grounds.