A Daily News article dated Nov. 26, 1921, tells the tragic story of two men who lost their lives trying to save others.

James Harvey Stewart and his two sons, Edgar and Merlo, were attempting to clean out a gas tank where there had been a buildup of gas. Edgar volunteered to crawl into the tank. Upon entering, he began to feel faint.

Hearing his brother scream for help, Merlo dove into the tank and rescued him. However, Merlo then became overwhelmed with the noxious fumes. His father dove into the tank to save him, but neither of them made it out alive.

– “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.