Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-16
GEORGE L. COOK, OF DELTA,
MEETS DEATH At LEGRAND
MILLS SUNDAY.
CAUGHT BY UNpERroW
WHILE IN FOR SWIM
PuImotor Called Into Service, But Man
Had Been in Water Too Long to 30
Revved-6ody Taken to Tama and is
Dumped Out Of Wagon When Team
Runs Away.

noon when George Leroy Cook, aged
/ 20. of Delta, Keokuk county, was
drowned at LeGrand mills. Comrades
vainly attempted to help him when
they knew he was drowning, and a
pulmotor was rushed TO the scene III
an effort to restore life. Cook had been
in the water too long to make the
pulnotor of any value.
/ With several of his companions. all
j employed by the Iowa Railway ahd
Light Company at the LeGrand camp,
! Cook went to the river to spend the day
| fishing. At about 2:30 a few of the
| men went in bathing. entering the wa
! ter from the little stone island below
I, the dam. Cook went into the water
| dressed in his shirt, overalls and SOCKS
| which. when he became exhausted,
| hindered him in helping himself.
! Caught by Undertow.
! Around both sides of the little island
| is a swift current, and where the ed
! dies join below the island is a deep
! hole Undertow apparently caught
/ Cook and pulled him into the deep wa
/ ter He struggled TO get out, and
| two of his companions attempted TO
| help him. One had hold of the drown
! ing man. when he had gone down
twice. but as he, too, became fatigued.
and had been pulled under the water
! by Cook. shook himself loose in order
! to save him self.
| Send For Pulrotor.
| Dr. NJ NJ. Evans, of LeGrand. was
! summoned shortly after Cooks body
| had sunk. He reached the river within
| few minutes ard. seeing that the
] body was not going to be recovered
soon. telephoned Manager Charles
| Munson. Of the Iowa Railway and
Light Company. for the company's pull
motor Mr.. Munson secured DR.. Nelson
Merrill and, bearing the pulmotor.
made the run to the mills, distance of
nine and one-half miles in fourteen
minutes Three minutes later. or about
fifteen minutes after Cooks body had
been recovered. the pulmotor was at
work a, producing artificial respira-
ton in the mans body. The pulnotor
worked well, but the body had been in
/ the water fully thirty five minutes, and
F! too long for the pulmotor to bring any
! signs Of pulse in the dead man.
(! Miss Body Once.
I
from this city, who lined the river at
/ the mills Sunday. took part in attempt
/ ing to recover the body. Once, fifteen
minutes after Cook had gone down.
] several men in an old boat, armed with
/ long handled rake, used by the mill
, owners to clean debris from the hume.
had hold Of the body. The boat con-
! tanning rescuers was overloaded, how
rsaH
( The rake teeth lost their hold, and the
! body again sank. Had Cooks BODY
! been brought to the surface at that
drag it is more than likely that lie
could have been restored.
Former Sailor Receivers Body.
W. H Groat, former sailor in the
| United States navy, was the one who
finally brought Cooks body to the sur
! face. Groat is employed at the same
Iowa Railway and Light Company
camp of which Cook was member
The members Of the camp are en-
ployed in stringing the high tension
power line from Tanaa to this city and
have established a camp in LeGrand.
the poles now having been set to d
point about mile east of LeGrand.
\ Team Runs Away; Dumps Body.
L After the efforts to resuscitate Cook
had been abandoned, the BODY was
turned over by Coroner F. H. Boucher
to the young mans comrades, who de-
cided to take il TO camp, and then TO
Tama, where Cook had been making
his home for the past year.
A team of mules and a lumber wag-
on were used to convey the body to
camp. When about opposite the stone
crushing plant the mules became
frightened at a passing motorcycle
and started to run away. The driver
let go the lines and jumped. the 9TH
ers in the wagon sought safety on the
ground. The dead body was dumped
out along the road after the wagon
tongue fell and overturned the wagon.
The mules ran about thirty rods.
Coroner Holds No Inquest.
Dr. Boucher, the coroner, investigated
the details of the drowning thoroughly,
and decided an inquest unnecessary.
The body Of the dead man was con-
veyed to the Harrison & Youngman
undertaking parlors at Tama where
1t was prepared for burial. and from
where. today. the body was sent to
Delta for burial. The funeral will be
held at Delta Tuesday afternoon
Cook, who was a barber, had beer
employed at Tama by Carl Yerkes fol-
about year. He entered the en-
ploy of the Iowa Railway and Light
Company about week ago. Cook is
survived by his widowed mother. Mrs
Ida Cook. and two brothers, Clayton