# 1 - - printed in The Enterprise, July 16, 1915

DOROTHY RAUCH DROWNED; FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OF E.C. RAUCH

WAS FORMERLY A BLAIR GIRL

WAS BATHING IN WILLAMETTE RIVER AT SALEM, OREGON, WITH SEVERAL OTHER GIRLS

Friends of the E.C. Rauch family who went from Blair something more than a year ago and are living at Hood River, Oregon, received Salem and Portland, Oregon papers a few days ago containing an account of the drowning of Dorothy, the youngest of three daughters, in the Willamette river, at Salem, while in bathing on the 4th inst. The Salem Statesman had the following account of the fatality:

Heroically attempting to rescue Miss May Rauch after she had stepped into a deep hole on the Polk county side of the Willamette river, Miss Dorothy Alice Rauch, of Salem, aged 14, and Miss Maude Smith, of Lebanon, aged 25, lost their lives Sunday by drowning. The tragedy occurred at 5 p.m.

Miss Ruth Rauch, a sister of May and Gretchen Brown, also of this city who were members of the party of five who had gone across the river just south of the center street bridge to wade, also plunged into the treacherous water hole at the river’s bank in an endeavor to save Miss May and had not outside aid arrived, undoubtedly all five young women would have perished.

Hearing the calls for help, John Tait and George Manning, who were on their way across the river in a row boat to go swimming, hastened to the scene. With difficulty they succeeded in dragging Misses May and Ruth Rauch and Miss Baron in safety to the bank, but by this time Miss Dorothy Rauch and Miss Smith sank exhausted. Manning when he first leaped into the water, caught hold of Dorothy Rauch’s collar, but the fabric tore apart and the young woman sank. Manning then seized one of the other girls and pulled her to the bank.

Soon after C.K. Dennison, William Betchel and a number of others arrived and after diving a few times rescued the bodies of the two girls. Physicians and members of the fire department who had been called used the pulmotor in efforts to resuscitate the victims, but to no avail. Miss Rauch was in the water about ten minutes while Miss Smith’s body was recovered 20 minutes after she sank. --- Salem, (Ore.) Statesman

# 2- - The Tribune, July 14, 1915, also published the same account as above and added this paragraph:

The Rauchs will be remembered by the citizens of Blair. Mr. Rauch acted as express agent here for a number of years, and the two elder daughters, May and Ruth, having taught here for a number of years. The sympathy of their many friends goes out to them in their hour of bereavement.

# 3 - - from The Pilot, July 14, 1915

We are in receipt of clippings from the Portland and Salem, Oregon papers containing accounts of the death by drowning of Miss Dorothy Rauch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Rauch, formerly of this city, in the Willamette river at Salem on the afternoon of July 4th. May, Ruth and Dorothy Rauch and two friends, Maude Smith, a guest of the Rauch girls for the day and Gretchen Brown were in wading. Miss May stepped into a deep hole made by a dredger the week before, and called for help. Her sister, Dorothy, was the first to respond and lost her life in her heroic effort to save the life of her sister. One after another became involved in the effort to save those in water over their heads. Some parties in motor boats came to the rescue and got May and Ruth Rauch and Gretchen Brown out alive, but the two others were drowned. Pulmotors were used, but life was found to be extinct. The funeral was held at the new undertaking parlors of Webb & Clough in Salem on Wednesday the 7th, and was largely attended, even a session of court was suspended during the hour of the funeral. Special floral pieces were sent by the girls’ glee club of the Salem High School, the B.P.O.E. club, the Salem Campfire Girls and the Albany Elks’ lodge. Mr. Rauch was agent for the American Express company here for a number of years and is now temporarily employed by the same company at Hood River during the fruit season. Misses May and Ruth both taught out there the past year. Dorothy was 14 years old and was a freshman in the Salem High School. The grief-stricken family have the heartfelt sympathy of their many friends in this city.