The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1915-05-21


dents which has occurred in this
city for many years occurred
late Thursday afternoon when
Clark Irvine, the 10 year old son
of Mr.. and Mrs. J. p. Irvine was
drowned in the st. Joe river
short distance from the city. In
plain sight of a number of par
ties along the river and almost
within reaching distance of his
father the boy, after raising twice,
finally sank in the muddy water of
the river at a point just in front
OF the family residence.
In company with his father and
two younger brothers Clark was
assisting in picking up driftwood
at the dock near his home. He
and his father were in a flat-bOt-
tom row boat about five feet from
the dock when Clark suddenly
lost his balance in trying to
catch a drift-log which was rap
idly going past him, and fell in
to the water His father made
frantic efforts to throw some
thing to his sons assistance as
he knew that the boy could not
swim, but the oars were caught
and a small rope which was
thrown the boy failed to catch and
after raising twice, sank, and at
a late hour last evening, despite
the heroic efforts of large num-
ber Of local people in dragging
the river, the body had not been
recovered.
The accident occurred on the
north side of the ST. Joe river
just across from the Milwaukee
Lumber company's pumping sta
tion and practically in front of
the Hcacock house where Mr.. and
Mrs. Irvine have been living for
some months. The mother and
other children were i'm close proX-
unity to the scene of the accident
and hurried down to the dock TO
assist in the search for the boy
and as minute after minute went
by with all the efforts of the
searchers unavailing it was in
deed a most pitiful sight to see
the frantic mother wringing her
hands and almost beside herself
with grief while the other mem
bers of the family were grouped
around her on the dock, weeping
bitterly and anXiously watching
the water, it being nearly a half
hour after the accident before
the mother could be persuaded to
go up to the house.
Clark Irvine, the drowned boy,
was 5 years of age, the eldest of
five children and was a model
son in all respects, as while at
he was an Industrious worker
and helper around the home, in
fact his being engaged i'm assist
ing his father to gather wood and
cOnfine it in a small boom being
the cause of the accident. AT
schoo he was a member of the
seventh grade, a good student and
a boy that was generally liked
both among his playmates and
teachers as we'll and it is with
deep sorrow that the people of
ST. Maries heard the sad news of
the fatal accident.
The point where the accident
occurred is rather shallow and the
river bottom is heavily covered
with bark, logs and other debris,
making the work of dragging for
the body additionally hard as
many times hopes were raised
knly upon a CAREFUL bringing Ia
the surface to find that it was
merely piece OF log that had
been caught. Nevertheless. the
search was kept up by a large
crew of men with several boats
until a late hour Thursday even
ing but without avail. Owing
to the heavy rains of the past
few days the st. Joe river is al
present the highest of any time
this year and the current, which
is ordinarily sluggish at this