D. E. Davidson boats

The first picture is from a clipping in the "Daily Commercial".  Sadly the date is off the paper, but I believe the write up was about 1932.  It tells about my grandfather's boat explosion in Lake Griffin.  I thought this would be a good time to put pictures of two of D. E. Davidson's other boats.  One was named Crusader lll and the other boat was named Louise, after his wife, Louise Harrison Davidson.  Hopefully, you will get both of these boat pictures.

The below is the best I can get from the newspaper article.

 

Two Severely Burned and Boat Destroyed Following Explosion  D. E. Davidson Performs Heroic Feats Trying To Save Relative   W. V. Wethers of York His Guest   Both Take to Water and Young Boy Rows Them to Parks Camp

 

D. E. Davidson and his brother-in-law, W. Vance Wethers of York, near Ocala were severely burned Saturday shortly after noon when a gasoline explosion on the big cabin cruiser belonging to Mr. Davidson hurled them both against the wall of the cabin.  Mr. Davidson was burned about the face, hands and arms while Mr. Wethers injuries were confined largely to his legs and face.  The boat burned to the ???

 

The two were on a fishing excursion and were anchored in the bonnets across Lake Griffin from Leesburg. Shortly afternoon Mr. Davidson became tired of Fishing and climbed in the big boat and blew the horn for Mr. Wethers. When the latter came on board he mentioned that he smelled gasoline.  Mr. Davidson took ???? forward {finding} instead of (saying) "the cockpit was dry as a bone."   With anchor up he stepped on the starter and in an instant he was hurled to the roof of the cabin, striking his head a severe blow.  Mr. Wethers was thrown sidewise against the cabin wall. 

 

In an instant flames enveloped them.  Mr. Davidson went after fire extinguishers and life preservers, but the fire had gained too much headway and the extinguishers were worthless.  Mr. Wethers went overboard but was unable to swim and became entangled in the bonnets. Mr. Davidson, displaying a type of heroism that is rare, went back into the flames and came out with a ladder which he placed on the life preservers and in that manner brought Mr. Wethers into the row boat trailer.  It was during this time his hands and arms were badly burned.

 

After they were in the small boat the big gasoline tank exploded and the cruiser became a furnace.  A young son of Mr. Brown who operates a fishing camp on the lake, heard the explosion and came to their rescue but it was a long trip to land, especially as the injured men were unable to row.  Finally they reached the Parks Fishing Camp out from Lady Lake about 2:30 in the afternoon.

                                                       

Just as they landed, Sheriff-elect W.B. Gibson drove up with some visitors he was showing around.  He took the injured men in his car and rushed them to the Holland Hospital in Leesburg where first aid was given.  Mr. Davidson was taken home and Mr. Wethers remained at the hospital until relatives came from York for him.  At last account he was getting along all right.

 

Yesterday morning Mr. Davidson was sitting up and while he was suffering intensely he was cheerful and expressed his great delight that he didn't have his usual crowd along.  It has been his custom to take a number of ladies on these fishing trips and he declares he shudders every time he thinks of what might have happened had the accident occurred during one of these excursion.

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