The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-08-26
ACCIDENT MARS
RIVER CARNIVAL
Two Mt. Pleasant Women Drowned
at Burlington.
SAD ENDING TO SEASON OF JOY
Jumped Into the Stream When the
Fireworks on Second Barge Ex
ploded, and the Remains
Are Not Recovered.

Burlington, Ia, Aug. 21.-1he day
OF merriment came to sad ending
last evening, about ten o'clock. The
old river, which annually levies heavy
toll, again claimed two victims. The
Carnival of Fire, which was set up on
a second barge farther out in the
stream, well over to the Illinois shore,
was exploded by spark from the
fireworks, and Fred Bouyia's boat,
which was lying alongside, caught fire.
Several of the passengers leaped over.
board Mrs. Marshall Jordan and
Mrs. l. ID. Conover, of Mt. Pleasant,
who plunged into the stream, were not
seen again. One of the ladies is said
to have been fair swimmer. The
news of the disaster travelled like wild
fire, but in the vast multitude there
were few who were able to give authcn-
tic information, while all sorts of ru-
mors flew about At one time it seem
ed that all had been saved, but at a
later hour it became a certainty that
the river had again levied toll, and
members of the Launch club and
others Immediately began the search
for the bodies.
grt,fs. The Accident. 49,
Fred Bouvia's boat with eighteen
alongside the barge, which was an.
chored well over toward the Illinois
shore Mr. ]. Daily, who with his lit
tie son was sitting in the bow of the
boat, noticed something wrong on the
barge, and cried out, Fred, there's a
spark on the barge" Fred Bouvia
Immediately started his engine, but
at the same. moment the explosion oc.
cured and the lire was communicated
to the curtains and the roof of the
boat. Bouvia was badly blistered
about the arms, but stuck to his post
called out to everybody to keep cool
and started to shore. The fire on the
boat was extinguished with little diff
ficulty. He saw several persons jump
overheard, and Immediately stopped
the engines, so that any who might be
holding to the hull would not be shak
en- off. A few minutes later, believing
everybody safe, heApalled out for the
shore, where the passengers poured
out before he mad an opportunity tc
count them, and he believed that al
were safe.
Worst Is Realized.
But he was mistaken. Two of hi
passengers had not been recovered
Mr.. and Mrs. Marshall Jordan and MIR
and Mrs. |. ConoYer, of Mt. Pleasant
were enjoying day in the city anc
had taken passage in the Bouvla
launch. When the explosion occurred
they both jumped overheard before
their husbands could restrain them
Messrs. Jordan and Conover lmme
diately plunged in after their wives
and Mr.. Jordan seems to have gotter
hold of Mrs. Jordan but she was swep
out of his grip and in a few moments
he also would have lost his life, If hi!
friend Conover had not made the
launch and pulled him aboard.
After they had been landed, the two
young men searched through the vas
crowd in the hope that their wives
might have been rescued, but after
long and fruitless search they wee
compelled to believe the worst.
A Third Victim.
It became known to certainty TINS
afternoon that there were three VIC
tins of last nights tragedy, when the
body of Edward J. Lee, aged ~, oil
Burlington, was recovered near the
scene. ''. ..'..." '.''. So.
The launch was not damaged and
reached shore safely, with the surviv-
ors. The accident occurred in the
presence of 10000 people, who were
witnessing the river fetes. Only a
small portion realized the tragedy, a
majority of the people imagining 1t
n mart of the evenings program.