Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-31
RIVER TAKES A LIFE.
Roscoe Morton, Aged I6, browns
at Foot of East Seven
teenth Street.
WITNESS THE TRAGEDY
Attempts to Swim Past Sand Barges
and Becomes Ex-
hausted.

With scores standing by and no one
to offer a helping hand, Roscoe Nor
ton struggled with the current of the
Mississippi at the foot of Seventeenth
street last evening till his strength
was exhausted and then with one
ldespairing cry sank to rise no more.
The drowning was one of the most
| tragic that ever occurred in this vi
cinity. The victim. who was 16 years
of age and the son of Wylie Morton,
the colored porter at McCabe * Co.'S
store, went in swimming with n
number of other boys of his own age
from the sand barges that lie above
Seventeenth street. The steamer c.
w. Cowles lay just below taking on
an excursion of colored folks.
Happened About $3.50.
1t was about $50 when young Nor
ton waded out above the upper barge
and began to swim down stream The
water was deep. but he appeared to
have confidence that he could make
the circuit of the barges and return
safely to land. After he had passed
the first raft. however, he appeared
to become exhausted and as he was
being borne by the second one he set
up cry for help. Ii was nearly dark
and his face could not be plainly seen,
and for a time il was thought that he
was in fun.
Before he had gone far. however,
those standing on the barge realized
that he was in earnest and an effort
was made to aid him. There was
nothing at hand that could be thrown
to him, so three of those who were
stripped, Fred and Eddie Miller and
Frank Wright, started to swim to |
him. One had nearly reached the |
side of the drowning lad when a man |
shouted Look out for the current |
and the rescuers. becoming alarmed |
for their own safety, turned back.
Fight for Life.
BY this time Roscoe was fighting |
to keep his head above
water and was not making any at
tempt to swim toward shore. while |
his cries were heartrending. The |
current. which sets out from shore |
below the barges, began to carry him
away and he passed probably 20 feet |
from the side of the Cowles. The peo-
pie on the boat ran to the side and |
stood awe-Stricken. no one attempting |
TO throw out a line or life preserver.
or take other means of rescuing the |
lad. Some. it is said. endeavored to |
launch a skiff that was on the boat, |
but were unable to do so in time.
Finally. after having been carried |
over a hundred feet by the current. |
the strength of the lad gave out. and |
with n last appeal for help. he sank.
An instant later his head reappeared, |
but he uttered no sound, and thenihe
went down for the last time.
Search for Remains.
His disappearance broke the spell
that seemed to have rested upon the
spectators and they at once set out
to recover the body. Graphing hooks
were rugged and a number of men.
including a crew of naval reserves
that was drilling on the river. work
ed till late at night without success.
This morning the search was re-
sumed. being carried ON mainly by
members of the naval reserves. Up
till noon the work was done with
graphing hooks, but the search hav-
ing still been unsuccessful dynamite
was tried. Late this afternoon this
method had also been unproductiye
of results. l.. S. McCabe has offered
reward of $25 for the recovery of the
body.
Two years ago the drowned lad
graduated from the Eighth grade at
the Lincoln school with high honors.
and since that time he has been en-
ployed at McCabe's. His regular
habits, industry and unassuming
manner won him friends on every
hand and he was soon recognized by
his employers as youth of unusual
promise.
Another Has Narrow Escape
4 short time before the drowning
Harvey Golf. another boy who was in
the water, came near being drawn be-
meath the wheel of a boat that was
tied up at the levee and was saved by
members of the crew who, seeing his