The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-22
KEoKUKIANs TO RESCUE
Mr.. and Mrs. James A. Porter in
Their Launch, Saw Woman and
Children and Took
Them or.

an, her three children, and a sons
friend. and In which a Keokuk man
played the part Of the hero, saving
the woman and two little children
from the experience of spending the
night on the island across from the
old distiliery, just above Warsaw.
The near-tragedy occurred last Fri
day. A party Of five composed of the
Memphis woman, her son and daugh-
ter, aged about fourteen and twelve
years, an older son about twenty-five
years old, and his friend applied at
one of the boat houses on the levee
for row boat.
That was the last that the boat peo-
pie heard of the party or the boat.
Although vigorous search has been
made for the boat it has not been
found.
The scene changes now to the long
island in the river just across from
the old distillery, which is a little
above Warsaw It is 500 o'clock in
the evening, and the sun soon will
set. Then there will be nothing but
the great black expanse Of the Missis-
sippi to look out upon. (This line is
original but not copyrighted) A
woman is seen pacing up and down
the shore of the island, the waves
splashing against the rocks at her
feet
Here's where the Keokuk man and
his wife play the part Of rescuers.
keokuk Man to Rescue.
James A. Porter and his wife de-
cided to take advantage of the high
water last week, and took their big
cruiser launch out for little trip
down the -Mississippf to the mouths Of
the Des Moines andyup that river ALT
tie ways. On the return they decided
the water was high enough to make the
ctutes on the Illinois side Of the river.
This is navigable only in high water.
So they started up the channel be-
tween the island and shore.
AS they neared the island they
heard woman screaming, and saw
her frantically waving and reckoning.
There were two small children with
her, and the Porters decided it would
be best to land and find out what was
the trouble. That there must be
some serious trouble they had no
doubts, and so, the nose of the big
launch was swung in to the island.
The woman was hysterical when they
landed, but they managed to get her
Gained down enough to tell her story.
She told Of hiring the boat and
coming down to the island. She said
that her son and his companion had
taken the row boat some time ago and
had started down the river. They had
not come back and she feared they
were drowned The Porters were i'm
plored to help her find the lost mem
bers Of the party.
Party Is United Again.
They gladly lent their aid, and
loaded the woman and two children on
board. The trip to Warsaw was
quickly made where the son was
found. He said that he had sent his
up the railroad track to
hail his mother and tell her they
would send a launch after her. They
claimed that their boat had tipped
over and was lost. The companion
evidently grew weary of we'll doing.
for he was found asleep, according
to the story told. Anyway there Is
place where the track runs close
enough to the waters edge to allow
en- hail the island
With the rescued party on board,
finally, the Porters were going to
bring the crowd to Keokuk. But they
asked to be taken to Alexandra, say
ing that it was late then, and that
thew could just as well catch their
train from Alexandria, as they were
from Memphis. Mr.. Porter obliging-
" took the party over to the Missouri
side and left them at the depot.
He was offered quarter by one OF
the men in token Of their apprecia-
ton.