I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on the website FindAGrave.
I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.
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| Isidore Gold |
If you have been reading my prior tales, it should be easy to figure out what attracted me to these two lonely graves in the Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard Cemetery. I am always drawn to graves with photographs, and I am always saddened by the deaths of children. I can't imagine anything more horrible than a young life cut short. I can only imagine the grief of the parents. My sadness grew when I saw that both of the children -- brothers Isidore and Solomon Gold -- died on the same day. I always assume multiple deaths at that time period were either automobile accidents or house fires. That was not the case here. What I found instead was equally tragic and ennobling.
The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 05 July 1926, Monday:
Six persons were drowned, two of them while making attempts to save others, and another narrowly escaped death over the week-end in waters near the city.
The drowned were:
Isadore Gold, 11 years old, 738 Reservoir Street.
Solomon Gold, Isadore's brother, 7 years old.
William C. Trabert, 16 years old, 619 North Montford avenue.
Jesse Deck, 25 years old, Smithburg, Md.
James Darnell, 16 years old, Hyattsville, Md.
Margaret Broadfoot, 12 years old, 219 Clarendon avenue, Pikesville.
Isadore was drowned yesterday morning when he jumped from a rowboat into the waters of North Creek in a fruitless attempt to save his brother, who had fallen overboard. Several hours later the Trabert youth was drowned when he became exhausted while swimming in Rock Creek.
Girl Dies While Wading.
The little girl, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George S. Broadfoot, was drowned yesterday while wading with Leona Horner and Ruth Hammond, playmates, at Whitehall Beach, near Annapolis. It is believed she stepped suddenly into a hole as she disappeared beneath the surface and did not reappear.
As they saw their friend sink from sight Margaret's two playmates called for help. The child's father rushed to the scene and waded into the water. Unable to swim, his attempt to reach the spot where his daughter sank were unsuccessful.
With the aid of grappling hooks the Essex police recovered the bodies of the two brothers. They were brought to the city and will be buried today. Efforts to located the body of the 16-year-old youth had proven futile at a late hour last night. A request that Police Headquarters send the police boat and grappling irons brought the response that the boat was out of commission.
Boys Go Rowing.
Isadore and Solomon, accompanied by their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Gold; their two brothers, Philip and Louis, and several friends, went to a house on North creek, near the Bay Shore trolley bridge, early yesterday to spend the day. Soon after their arrival the boys went rowing with Bernard Schnapper, 12 years old, 432 North Carey street, and Morris Sistol, 12 years old, 2010 East Fayette street.
When they were about a mile from the house and approximately 100 yards from shore, Solomon feel from the bow of the craft. Knowing that his younger brother could not swim, Isadore, according to his two companions, jumped overboard to try to save him. Both sank immediately and did not reappear. The water at that point is fifteen feet deep.
Others Call For Help.
The other boys in the boat called for help, but the persons who were near by on the shore, it is said, disregarded cries in the belief that it was a hoax. When no one answered the boys rowed ashore. They told of the accident and efforts to recover the bodies were begun.
After the parents of the brothers had been informed of the drownings and the bodies had not been located, the Essex police were notified. Sergt. Claude Funk and Patrolmen Max Engelberth, Joseph Lawson, Westly Hughes and Edward L. Benoff located the bodies.
Bodies Brought To City.
After being pronounced dead by George W. Carson, coroner at Essex, the bodies were brought to the city. The younger boy was in the third grade of Public School No. 61 and the older was in the eighth grade of Public School No. 79.
The Trabert youth was drowned shortly after noon. Accompanied by his sister and brother and several friends he was spending the day on the creek. A good swimmer, he was in deep water when he was seized with cramps. Before persons on shore could reach him he sank and did not reappear.
Becomes Exhausted.
Joseph Trabert, William's brother, made an effort to save him, but became exhausted before he reached the spot where the youth had disappeared. Joseph was rescued by his brother-in-law, Theodore Trody. Efforts of persons living in the vicinity to recover William's body failed.
Mr. Deck was drowned while attempting to save Calvin Myers, 729 West Fayette street, who was swimming in Back river near Foos shore. Mr. Myers was brought to the shore by other bathers, but Mr. Deck became exhausted and sank before any one could reach him.
The body was recovered by Miss Isabel Berger, of Allentown, Pa. Attempts to revive the man by means of artificial respiration failed and the body was brought to the city.
Drowns While Swimming.
Darnell lost his life late Saturday night near Edgewater Beach, South river. He was one of a party of youths from Hyattsville who were being entertained by Mr. and Mrs. William S. Sandilands, of that town. Search was begun for the youth when the party prepared to return to Hyattsville. The body was found in eight feet of water. It is believed that Darnell dived into shallow water, was stunned when he struck the bottom and drowned before he could revive. At an inquest held in Annapolis a verdict of accidental drowning was returned.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Carl Darnell, of Hyattsville.
Four Escape Burning Launch.
Two men, a woman and a boy were picked up by the crew of the Ericsson liner Lord Baltimore after they had escaped in a rowboat from their launch when it caught fire about a half a mile off Sparrow's Point late Saturday night.
Those rescued, all of whom live at Dundalk, were Emil Lehtonen, wife wife, Ellen; their son, K. Ronald Lehtonen, and Laurence Lehtonen, Emil's brother.
The party was fishing when gasoline from the engine caught fire.
The burning launch attracted the attention of Capt. Melbourne Willis, of the Lord Baltimore, and a rescue was soon effected.
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| Solomon Gold |
It is said that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your brother. Young Isidore displayed that very love for his younger brother Sol. I doubt anyone could say anything to console the grief of their family, but hopefully over time Isidore's courage proved a comfort and inspiration to them. It did to me. I started this series of blogs to tell stories like this one, which do not deserve to be lost in the mist of history.
Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one...
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3
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