Tragedy On Lake Monona
On July 26, 1900, Ellen Jane Rupp “Jennie”, Fannie Dunn, and Nellie Dunn were being rowed back to Madison by Alexius Baas at 11 p.m.
There were occasional tragedies. The first year one of the girls in Slightham’s dining hall was scalded by boiling water.
On July 26, 1900, Ellen Jane Rupp “Jennie”, Fannie Dunn, and Nellie Dunn were being rowed back to Madison by Alexius Baas at 11 p.m. when their rowboat was struck by one of the lake steamers, the Tonyawatha, and the four were thrown into t he water. Ellen Jane “Jennie” Rupp drowned. “Lex,” the oarsman, saved both of the Dunn sisters.
He claimed he did not see any lights on the Tonyawatha; crew members insisted the lights had been on.
The first tragedy at Lakeside occurred Wednesday night, in the drowning of Miss Ellen Jane “Jennie” Rupp, daughter of Margaret Theresa Murphy Rupp and Anthony Albert Rupp, steward at the Park hotel, and the narrow escape of three others, Miss es Fannie and Nellie Dunn and Mr. Alexius Baas. The accident occurred about six or eight rods from the end of the pier at Lakeside . The four young people were in a row boat, just starting for the city, and were crossing the line of the pier when they were struck by an incoming steamer and the boat overturned. All except Miss Rupp succeeded in grasping the side of the row boat as they rose to the surface, and were rescued.
There were only two people on the steamer, Wm. Smith, the engineer, and young Hyland, who handles the tiller. They say they saw nothing of the …. read more
