The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-08-11
Drowned At THE GREAT FALLS
fity Treasurer Elliott Loses His Life
While Bathing Below the
Mighty Cataract.
Not in the Water More Than Ten
Minutes-Caught in the
CndertOW.

the Great Falls and in fishing a little
lower down the stream. The party was
composed of Mrs. T.. r. Gates, Miss Eva
Rohrabacher, City Treasurer p. j. Ell
Holt, c. A. R%ohrabacher and his son
Rufus. They crossed the Fifteenth
street bridge and approached the at
t~ractive region under the great 100 foot
fall from the north side, 1t was their
intention to linger for a while before
this gorgeous natural spectacle, and then
proceed down the river about four miles
where the rest of the day was to be
passed fishing.
Mr.. Elliott was the life of the party
during the morning, and it was shortly
before 9 o'clock when the falls were
reached. Several logs and ties were
n found on the shore, and Messrs. Elliott
md Rohrabacher. senior, used them to
construct "a raft. With this craft they
made u voyage close up under the falls,
Ind about half way across the river.
making the return journey in safety.
Both mad got IA little wet On the raft,
and Mr.. Elliott proposed that they take
q swim. Taking off their shoes aud
Bookings, and keeping on only Their
trowsers and shirts, they started out,
#helping themselves over the rocks by
{ floating a short piece Of plank.
III The course taken by the swimmers
was almost the same as they had crulsed
over with their raft. After he had gone
few rods Mr.. Elliott threw away his
blank and struck out for the center of
me river, swimming along quite close to
4H 4ha ,lashinn Snruv ,f the falls Mi
Rohrabacher being a heavy man, was
still making his way against the stiff
current over the sharp rocks, which we're
hurting him at every step. The whole
tragedy was over IN less than ten min
utes. All over before anybody realized
that it had begun.
The watchers on the shore kept their
eyes on the swimmers. Not a voice
could be heard for the roar of the mighty
torrent, but he becKoned his hand to
them, and they answered back by way
ing their bandkerchiefs. The watchers
Jaw that he was carried rapidly across
the stream to the vicinity of the big
fault near the center Of the falls. There
he seemed to sink very deep and for a
moment disappeared. The watchers
were alarmed and tried to signal to Mr..
Rohrabacher, who would doubtless have
lost his life also had he gone on much
further. But he started back toward the
shore, when he found himself So much
exhausted as to be alarmed for his own
safety, and realized vaguely that some
thing had happened to Elliott. Tho lat
ter was seen once more by the anxious
and now terrified persons or the shore,
and was then drawn down to his death
by the terrible undertow of the orient.
Rufus Rohrabacher ran to a lutting
point down the stream IN the hope that
the current might carry the body in that
direction, but he had only the meian-
choly satisfaction to see it floating down
in a swift current some distance from
the shore. The elder Mr.. Rohrabacher.
although completely exhausted when he
reached tho shore, having been saved BY
clInging to his plank. joined his son in
the search down the stream.
1t was $40 o'clock when Mr.. Elliott
went into the water and ut $50 his dead
body was floating from under the falls.
Before he took TO the water he was jok-
ing with the party and emptied pockets
of all their valuables. giving them to
Miss ltohrabacher to keep for him. lie
tore up several letters and threw them
into the water and remarked as he
handed his watch. 1T is Just twenty
:,
minutes PiS' y. lie iien saiE,
low IN say Roou p!e pelore 90
anu rlu"scu in.9 tho stIea".; inoso
WIZ Wv iae' MpluH ne "t'eIc" '''"' Nc'o
Mr.. and Mrs. Fairchild arrived at the
lali7 TniIo 'ir uis' sva1Cn " tno noaS
Mas nctus nav, !" n omd,oJ ~ 49,,
Tue SHORE WHY MI hpuIapsIiel mon.
Iol nelr. ihc niiuioris -, no l1iiG,.
pal's MGle ~ tpu.t'eec!y unner.ou y
me aIcl'ont '"",s 'IS W. "
.ea,e tue hGenc. NJ N, Non' " epnie
.drnleIs VIM wsro ouss hear ny an" VI
lo,ou Io""lo " - 1nr! Muutn &c
toner tIe pou!, nr 'i.eI ndsteneu 10
.oMn W n''i'' 'h' '"'''es al" Secu'' nec-
essafy alu. .;.,
Iescuo parry VI apout 'hirls per
.n was eoon va 'du srouno, "nu n'
ahG eNPio9lon u yhanllte .ne ppu!'
~nlcn nau eyiueni'y noogeu On the po..
1on was I h' an anu Was recSsereo apout
Il "a ast saa ,n' br ""n Nh ~ p "ho