Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-06-01
THE FREE PRESS
GRANGEvILLE, IDAHO.
FRIDAY, 4: JUNE IL io'i'
DROWNED IN LOLO FORK.
n Graphic Description Of the
Death of HaIlaDt and GdMb!e.


KoosKIA, Idaho, May 25, 1894.
ED. Press,
Grangeville, Idaho.
On Saturday evening. May ~,
the body of Loyal c. hallam, one
of the two men drowned April l3
in the north fork of this river-the
Middle fork of the Clearwater
was recovered, and on the next
day, Sunday, May 20, it was bur-
led. Mr.. Hallam, in company
with Harry Gamble, William Wal
ker and Henry Brey, left the forks
of this river 90 miles above here,
on a trapping and prospecting ex-
petition up the north fork, on the
30 of March. They carried their
supplies in canoes, and portrayed
around the worst rifles. When
about 25 miles up the river one OF
the boats was wrecked and part OF
their outfit lost. A few miles fur
ther on the other boat was swamp
ed and everything lost but their
guns, bedding, 80 pounds OF Hour
and an ak. Shortly after this mis-
fortune they turned back on the
return trip. Before going far the
last canoe was wrecked and they
were compelled to pack their stun
on their backs. At q point about
"a or % miles above the mouth of
the fork and at the lower end OF
the Black canyon, so-named by the
Carlin party, they built a raft,
flashing it together with ropes.
This was on Friday, April 13. Di-
rectly after launching it, they ran
into a rifle and struck a rock.
Hallam and Gamble were in front
and were thrown off into the seeth-
ing water. Walker and Brey chung
to the logs, the raft swinging round
and lodging on another rock, upon
which they climbed. Perched on
it they saw their unfortunate COM
panions come to the surface some
40 or 80 feet below the rifle and
float off, apparently making no
effort to help themselves. About
a couple of hundred yards below
was another rifle and Hallam and
Gamble disappeared in it and
nothing more was seen OF them
Both were powerful men and ex-
pert swimmers and it is supposed
that when they were thrown into
the rifle they were either stran'
gled or so injured as to be unable
to help themselves. A large hunt
ing dog belonging to Brey was
thrown off the raft at the same
time as the men and he was never
afterward seen. Walker and Bre.
after two or three hours work sue
ceeded in loosening couple of tn
raft logs and tieing them togethe
with such ropes as they could i'm
provise from their clothing. o.
these, with the help of paddl
which they saved, they manage
to reach the bank before strikin
rifle below. In the meantime tn
other logs swung loose from tn
first rifle and when they appeare
below the next rifle the blanket
guns, etc., which were tied to thel
were gone. Two half-grown dog
belonging to Gamble could not
COTTON off the rock in the first ri
tie where they had crawled an
had to be left there. Brey ar
Walker landed on the east bank
the river. The accident occurrt
about 4 o'clock and once asho
they built a fire and camped f
the night. The next day, Apl
IA, they made some six or sew
miles along the shore and reach'
a point opposite the camp of thr
prospectors, named V. s. Bresslt
James Welch and Charles Lamph
from Elk City. The latter m
ferrIed them across the river Al
kept them until the next day.
the 10th Walker and Brey walk
to the cabin of A. G. McI4ain,
miles, a couple of miles above t
forks, and on the following d
got down to the post-office
Kooskia.
For the last three weeks
river has been raising rapidly a
is now within two feet Of all p
vious high high water marks. L
is filling the river with drift ant
has been anticipated that the b.
les of the drowned men would
brought down. On last Saturt
rs James Winn and William d.
son were coming along the II
above the post-office they noti
some clothing caught in a pile
drift along the bank. Investi
ton resulted in finding the b.
of Mr.. Hallam. Decay had
set in but the face was swollen
yond recognition and the hair
beard was almost all gone.
clothes were well-known, howe'
and the body was easily recogni
by the men, to whom he
well-known.
It was not considered necess
or even practicable to wait for
rial until the coroner could be
tilted, as the body, once out of
ice-cold water, would rapidly
cay-besides there was no quest
a;ther as tn the identify or