Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-07-02
CITY IS IN MOURNING
OVER RIVERS TRAGEDY
Four Lancaster People Drowned
Near CassviIle Friday.
Were Members of a Camping Party on
Dietrich Island Near Old
Dewey Farm.

Oh the civil war was the O0aLn OF
four of it's citizens, DR.. r. Fl. Kinney
and three young women, Helen
Godfrey, Lenora Edwards and Myrtle
Judd, in the Mississippi river, last
Friday afternoon, at what is COM
monty called Dietrich Island, few
miles up the river from Cassville,
where they were members Of a camp
ing party. This island is located
near the farm once owned by Gov.
Nelson Dewey, the first governor of
Wisconsin. who with others in an
early day invested heavily in real es-
tate there with the expectation that
Cassville might be made the state
capital, but his hopes were blasted
and his fine home was destroyed by
fire. The cottage on the island was
built q number of years ago by DR..
Godfrey and other Lancaster parties.
The party Of young folks consisted
of the three young women above men
toned and three young men, Roy
Fischer, Clarence Markert and Lloyd
BROKER all of this city. They were
chaperoned by DR.. and Mrs. Kinney,
also Of Lancaster, and we're accom-
panied by Mr.. and Mrs. Newell
Garner, of Minneapolis, Mrs. Garner
being DR.. Kinuey's sister. They had
only started upon their vacation We'd
nesday afternoon and expected to re-
main week or ten days. The boys
had all three gone to CassviIle after
provisions and Mr.. Garner was fish
ing short distance up the river from
the camp.
The four Who met their death in
such tragic manner had gone out
into the river, near the shore, wear
ing their bathing suits, and when last
observed were splashing around in the
water and having good time. They
had their big fiat bottomed boat
anchored to the shore of the island
and were clinging to its sides or
wading in its vicinity with joy and
laughter.
After watching them awhile Mrs.
Kinney had gone into the cottage
with the two little children, who
were complaining Of the heat, to
bathe their hands and faces and cool
off a little herself. She heard screams
from the river but thought it was only
an evidence Of the fun the young folks
we're having in the water. Later she
noticed that could hear them no
longer and went out again onto the
river bank. The boat was still there
but none of the party could be seen.
She called but got no response.
Becoming alarmed she called to a
man who was clam fishing not far
away, to whom she explained the
situation, and he at once began
searching the river while she sum-
moned Mr.. Garner. There was a
deep and treacherous hole in the river
near where they had last been seen
and within few moments the dead
body of DIR. Kinney was found in this
hole, just few feet from the shore,
caught upon a snag. where the water
is about fifteen or twenty feet deep,
with strong undercurrent. This
has long been known as treacherous
and dangerous spot-in fact drown
ing is said to have occurred there
some eight years ago. The body of
Miss Godfrey was found in an upright
or standing position within a short
time after that of DR.. Kinney, and
in almost the same place, but Miss
Edwards was not found until an hour
or more later and Miss Judd last,
almost two hours later. The latter
had drifted under some limbs and
brush in the bottom of the hole and
the graphing hooks had evidently
passed over it a number of times
without catching upon her clothing,
Those who are familiar with the
river pronounce this particular place
to be very changeable and full of
danger. The current is such that it
is claimed the water may be only two
or three feet deep there one day the
hole filed with sand and rubbish, and
the next day may have washed out
ten or fifteen feet deep or more, but
upon this fatal occasion seems to have
been at it's worst.
Exactly how the catastrophe &C.
Cured will never be known, but the
most probable theory is that one of
the young women, while wading,
suddenly stepped off into water that
was beyond her depth and that DIR.
Kinney, who was good swimmer
rushed to her assistance. She may,
in her fright, have chung to him as