St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-03
HE WORE BLADDERS,
Knute Nelson's Great Float
: ing Feat Of Six Years
Gone By.
A Globe Reporter Examines
the Water Where It Was
Wrought.
Great Political and Small
Physical Results of That
Tragedy.
Inevitable Conclusion That
Knute Had Bladders on
His Feet.

On the 18th day of October, 1886, the
following special was printed in the
news columns of the GLOBE:
ALEXANDRIA, Minn., Oct. u.-Hon. Knute
Nelson was found floating in the middle of
Lake Victoria about 8 O'Clock this evening.
His watch had stopped at seven minutes to 2,
consequently he was in the water fully an
hour. just hoY the accident occurred is
Still mystery. Physicians think he had
slight stroke OF apoplexy and fell into the
water, but as he is still at this writing II
O'Clock, unconscious it is impossible to
state. His cries were heard by q man named
Christian Hanson, who went to his rescue.
Hanson found Mr.. Nelson's boat on the
shore. 1t had drifted fully quarter of a
mile. Mr. Nelson was powerful swimmer.
but how he managed to keep afloat for an
hour is wonderful. He now lies in very pre-
carious condition. still unconscious but the
chances are in his favor for recovery.
Nearly six years have passed into his
tory since the famous plunge of Knute
Nelson, so graphically described in the
above paragraph. During all that long
time the distinguished statesman from
Douglass county has been plunged into
deep obscurity, appearing only once.
when, in the campaign of 1890, he was
trotted out to stultify himself and take
the back track on the tariff question.
What peculiar properties the water of
Victoria lake must have! After that
famous swim. Nelson found it entirely
impossible to take the stump in the old
Fifth district against Ames and in his
own behalf, though there was no CAN
Ai6of0 in tho fold oraincf hi"colf
a result, Ames carried the district and
came within an ace of being elected.
Ever since that memorable bath, Nelson
has been In bad OdOr with his truly.gOod
party, and it is only now. when that
party is in sore distress, that it comes to
him and implOreS the Scandinavian vote
as a last resort.
In the vicinity of Victoria lake 1t is
the general belief that Nelson floated
about in the water for at least six hours.
and that any less exposure could not
have prevented him from doing his full
duty III supporting the McGill ticket.
They believe in that country that all
| Victoria lake has to do is to receive and
support the bodies of such Republican
POLITICIANS as choose to throw them
selves upon its mercy. When such
man as Nelson cOndescends to leap upon
its bosom. the lake duly appreciates the
honor and tenderly nurses him as long
as necessary.
| L took fishing rod and sought the
neighborhood of Victoria lake to see for
myself and the world what manner of
I lake this was where so heavy a
body as full-fedged Republican
politician could float so long and
with so little physical and so
great political results. The Great
| Northern train passes within hundred
| yards of the exact spot, but does not
| stop. so the traveller is compelled to go
to. Alexandria, and then retrace his
7 this side. There is a beautiful chain of
/ lakes there, and reasoned that if [
Gould not unravel the MYSTERY of the
| floating of Nelson, / could at least have
a good days sport with the fish
| with which the lake abounds. Geneva
beach is located on narrow isthmuS
lying between Lakes Geneva and Vic
toria, and is altogether lovely spot.
Mine Host Lets0n. who is about the
| only Democrat in Douglass county, has
put up a fashionable hotel upon the
neck of land. and, when the mosquitoes
are not particularly bad, it is delightful
spot. Mr.. Letson would not commit him
self on the subject of Nelson's bath, ,espe-
cialiy as to its duration, but volunteered
to point out the exact SPOT, as located by
| tradition. No one could be found who
| had a kodac view of the little event,
| but it has passed into the folk lore Of
the county, and the passing tourist is
| regaled with the story just as pilgrims
of the Rhine are told of the spot in the
eddies of that rlppling stream where
| est tower of the castle of Breitenstein-
OF some other place. One could stand
upon the back porch of the Letson hotel
if it had one-and throw stone into
the water where Nelson is believed to
have plunged; and cursory observa-
tiOn of the exact spot revealed nothing
extraordinary or mysterious. 1t looked
| just as pure and innocent as though it
had played no part in the dark and
dubious tragedy of 1856. Sunshine and
shadow chased each other over the placid
water. and an occasional pike poked
| its nose above the smooth surface,
probably looking for revisit of the
Alexandrian statesman, but that was
all. got a boat, manned by the best
| oarsman at the dock, and we pulled
over into Lake Victoria. The lake is
shaped like horseshoe, and it was
about in the center of the upper or
western arm that the Nelson tragedy
occurred. 1t was but a short pull. and
in ten minutes the light boat reached
| the spot, and, losing headway, rested
motionless OH the limpid water, right
where Nelson had done the floating.
The water was about fifteen feet in
| depth, and so limpid that the bottom
was clearly visible. But it seemed COM
mOnpLace everyday water, and gave no
evidence of having any peculiar powers
of buoyancy. The boatman was sure
this was the identical spot that wit
| messed the remarkable aquatic exploit
of the Douglass statesman, but could
give no sound reason for his confidence.
He did not know what Knute was doing
| at the time or how he came to make
the somersaulJ into the water.
| In short, he could give nothing of the
CORY details; but he was ready to make
affidavit that this was the spot, and that
| Knute was in the water at the very
least thirty minutes. l studied the
aqueous situation for a time and then
fell to fishing. This was far more satis-
/ factory than abstruse calculations re-
garding the floating capacities of even
/ so great man as Knute Nelson, and
the results reflected more credit on the
| locality. 1t chanced to be pike hole,
and the way the fish bit was eXhilarat-
ling. Those pike probably had nothing
to eat since they tried the body of Mel
/ son, which they doubtless found highly
unpalatable, and they tackled my mill
nows in truly refreshing style. In the
excitement Of pulling out the numerous
seven-pound pike l forgot all about the
ious to the very existence of Mel
son. We pulled back into Lake Geneva
and thence to Lake L'Homme Dieu
aud found as good bass fishing as could
be desired by the heart of the most en-
thusiastic fisherman, and at night