The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-07-30
CARL MATT|SON is
DROWNED IN RIVER
STEPS INTO DEEP HOLE AND u
UNABLE TO SWIM.
COMPANIONS ARE HELPLESS,
Reached Him in Time But Were Too
Exhausted to Get Him Out
Youngest Son Of James
Mattson.

| Carl Mattison, aged nineteen years,
la son of James Mattison, residing at
No. 107 College Avenue, was drown
ed in Skunk river on the George
Nash farm, about one mile northwest
of the Glendale Mill shortly before
Ieight o'clock Friday evening. The
body was recovered by a searching
lparty at six o'clock this morning and
brought to the McCurdy morgue in
the city.
Young Mattison has been engaged
on the George Ruby place, near the
lriver since last week in company
with Willis Thatcher, companion OF
about his own age. Some one pro-
iposed going to the river for swim
last evening. Mattison aud Thatcher
Iwere joined by Glen, Arthur and Har-
Try Cameron, Henry Ross and Charles
Nash. The boys entered the water at
a point where the water was some.
lwhat shallow and started to wade
ldown stream with the current. All
lof the boys could swim to some extent.
Mattison was in the rear of the 9th
Iers, and separated from them by sew
leral yards. The boys suddenly step
lped off into a hole and found them
lselves in deep water. They thought
nothing OF the matter and continued
Swimming on down with the current.
Mattison was not looking for the hole
land went under. The boys turned to
see their companion struggling in the
water near the place where the step
off" commenced They turned and
swan rapidly as possible back to the
boy and succeeded in reaching him
and sustaining him in the water for
some little time.
| The rescuers were worn out with
their struggle against the current and
they were practically exhausted. Will
Ills Thatcher and Glen Cameron reach
led Mattison first and were able to
hold him up in the water. He did
not struggle to any great amount, but
the boys were unable to cling to him
as they were both distressed and prac-
Itically exhausted. The other boys of
the party now came up and engaged in
1.-THE struggle and Charles Nash reach
ed out and tried to give assistance to
Thatcher and Cameron, who seemed
to be going down. Some way, the
|boys do not just know how, Mattison
slipped from their grasp and went
down. All were struggling and strang-
ling. They were then in such a condi-
tion that they had all they could do
to get out themselves. Mattison was
past helping himself by this time and
he went to the bottom of the pool in
ten or twelve feet of water.
| No Help At Hand.
| The boys gave the alarm as soon
as possible and people fastened to
the locality. No boat was available
and no one seemed to know what to
do. The night was dark and practi-
cally nothing could be done by those
at the river, as they had nothing with
which to accomplish any rescue work
Young Thatcher in his effort to save
Mattison went down twice. He strug-
gled to hold the boy and grasped him
by the hair, but the body slipped from
him and Thatcher himself was strang
ling and helpless in the deep water
But for the timely work of one of the
Cameron lads who pulled Thatcher
out, it would have been a double
drowning.
| The boys after giving the alarm Sc.
cured help from the neighborhood and
assisted by boat worked the stream
all night until the arrival of George
Andrews and party, but they could
not locate the body. Mr.. Cameron,
father of the boys, was with them dur
ing the night, and just as the body
was found he had secured the SER
vices of a man to dive for the body.
Mr.. Mattison, the father, was noti-
fled of the circumstances but this was
some time after the occurrence. He
was as helpless as the others at the
river, but later he telephoned to Con-
stable George Andrews in the city to
organize a party of workers, get i'm
Iplements and hack and bring the
party to the river. Mr.. Andrews Sc
cured w. f. Rogers and conveyance
and they managed to get some hooks
made in a hurry and secured some
poles and lines. Gathering together
a small force of helpers they started
for the river. Mr.. Andrews was not
called until eleven o'clock p. M, and
all arrangements had to be made, i'm
plements secured, party gathered to-
gether and with all the annoying de-
lays the rescuers reached the scene
of the drowning about daylight and
commenced work. The body was
found and brought to the surface
about six O'Clock this Saturday morn
ing, after two hours work The body
was first located by Supt. F. w. Else
OF. the city schools, who came to the
place some time before daylight. and
started In the rescue work with the
others. He struck the body with his
pole and called Mr.. Andrews atten-
tion to the fact Mr. Andrews in an
other boat pulled his hook through
the place indicated several times with
out result. and then. most fortunately.
the hook caught In under a finger of
the clenched hand OF the dead boy,
and the body was easily brought to
the surface and lifted into the boat,