The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-06-09
DROWNED IN The RIVER
Boat capsized With Two Men Sun
day Morning and One of Them
Was Drowned.

Was Drowned.
Out at the river at Whites mill
Sunday morning at $3.50 occurred the
first accident where one has been
drowned ny being drawn into the
falls, although many narrow escapes
have happened there in the past,
Everyone will remember how near
Fred Taylor came being brownies
there three years ago.
Two men, Ole Swenson and Frank
Rogers very carelessly got into a fiat
boat and without any oars, with
nothing but an old broom and a
small minnoW net, pushed themselves
out into the river. They were
warned by some men on the opposite
side Of the river that they were in
danger and to go back but they did
not heed the advice and soon found
themselves in the swift back current
which runs back to the falls on each
side of the river and on the west side
it is very swift where they we're
drawn in. The boat was Immediate
ly caught and sent rolling and tumbl-
ing over and over in the seathing
mass of water. One OF the men,
Frank Rogers, in some way was
thrown out OF the suction caused by
the falls and managed to get to
shore. But the other, Ole Swenson,
hung to the boat and was seen to be
thrown over and over 1t is supposed
that his head was either struck by
the boat or against the dam and that
he was partially stunned. Everett
White at his home near by heard the
cry s'some one is in the river and
rushed to the scene just as the man
was thrown away from the falls, and
hastily removing some Of his clothing
he made a desperate attempt to swim
to the drowning mar but just before
reaching him he went down and the
river being very high aud the water
being so very dirty at this time of
the ear it was impossible to see him.
1t vas about as minutes after he
went down out of sight before the
body was found.
Before White reached the scene
several men on the shore threw a
rope to Swenson and arged him tt
grasp it, and although it dropped
within two or three feet Of him, lie
did not take advantage of the oppor-
tunity to save his life. de was a
good swimmer and could easily have
reached the shore but he paid little
heed to the men on the bank when
they shouted for him to swim Or take
the rope. The only reply he made
was 10 shake his head.
The body was brought to Mitchell
to Boyce's undertaking parlors and
in the afternoon was taken to the
home OF his parents northwest OF
Mt. Vernon.
Ole SWetison was a young man. "a
years old and was unmarried. His
brother, a cousin and b%rother-in-
law we're in the party but all seemed
to be unable to do anything to save
the man. The river is very high
and there is a large volume OF water
pouring over the dam, making it
dangerous to get near the falls, ever
the most expert swimmer might not
be, able to get out. This SAD affair
would probably eve have occurred
If the members of the party from Mt.
Vernon had not been drinking and
nearly all Of them were more or less
intoxicated. Rogers, whom we UNI
delstand is from the city, was intox-
icated and by his talk afterwards the
reporter would Jndge that he did not
know what he vas saying.
The drowned man, we understand,
had been drinking some but whether
he was intoxicated, we do not know.
Swenson. with the Mt. Vernon
party, went out to the river the
night before and spent the night in
the grove.
We believe that there are many
who may draw a lesson from this in
cident as to how a Sunday may be
and should be spent at the river.