The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-07-01
CARRIED OVER THE
DAM AND DROWNED
WARREN LAFFoLLETTE LOSES
LIFE IN SKUNK RIVER.
ENGINE ON HIS BOAT FAILED
The Body Was Under Water for ov
err an Hour and All Efforts to
Restore Life Were in
Vain,

Skunk river just below the water
works dam. Mr. Laffollette had been
up the river in his motor boat and
was crossing from the north side of
the stream just above the dam to,
dock his boat. When he was within.
about twenty feet of the south side,
his engine went dead" and before he
could start it his boat was being
swept sideways over the dam 4 man
who saw the accident says Warren
attempted to get out OF the boat while
it was on the dam, but nthe flow of
water was so swift that he was car
ried over into the whirlpool with his
boat. He was apparently carried down
between the boat and the dam, be-
| ing held down by the boat or a snag,
for after he first went down nothing
more was seen of him until the body
was rescued about an hour and half
later. e. .-q
| Help was Immediately called. En-
ployes of the pumping station rush
ing to the banks of the river saw the
boat turn over in the water about
sixty feet from where Laffollette went
down. BY this time the crew from the
city hall had arrived with their ma
terial for dragging the river.
Lines were stretched across the
river and boats were sent out in the
current below the dam. The river was
dragged from one side to the other
without success until about eighteen
minutes after six, they came to the
spot where the boat was seen to have
turned over and there found the body.
They brought the man to the shore
and at once started to work with him.
After working out the water they APP
piled the pulmotor which the city re-
Gently purchased. Effort was exerted
to bring forth signs of the return of
life by Health Officer Washburn and
DR.. e d. MCLEAN. The body was
Wrapped in hot cloths and cared for
! in all possible ways but without avail.
After an hour and a half of vain eff
! fort to restore life the body was
brought to town by coroner L. M.
Cheesman and taken to his undertak-
ing parlors.
This sad taking away of life SO
well known has been blow to many
friends and aCquaintanCes who SYM
tpathise with the family in their time
of bereavement The accident hap
pened so suddenly that those along
the river bank fishing could hardly
realize what was taking place before
ltho unfortunate man and boat had
gone over the dam.
Warren Laffollette, better known
as "Wad" has been very familiar with
water He was "a water bug" so that
! in spite of the terrible boil" below
the dam, had some accident not hap
pened to him as he was going down
he probably would have escaped. 1t
| is thought by some that he was car
ried down underneath the boat and
/ held for some time, for the boat was
a heavS. affair lined with metal and
propelled by a two hundred pound
engine. It would naturally take some
time for a body to be washed by the
undercurrent from under such a
heavy weight This probably accounts
for the body not being seen by anyone
from the time it entered the water
until found by the searchers.
Mr.. Laffollette is we'll known in
this city being the onlyNson of Esquire
| w. Laffollette. He was a former let
ter carrier of the local postoffiCe. He
was printer by trade and for many
years was with the Herald, and at the
time of death was engaged with the
John II. Perry print shop.
| Funeral services were conducted
Monday afternoon from the late home
mo. S12 G avenue West at two O'clock
lp. M. Rev. Alexander McFerran Off
ciating. Interment was made in For
est cemetery. ,..- e-
Efforts to Save Life.
Immediately following the telephone
information of the accident at the
fire department some apparatus kept
at the place, graphing hooks, rope
weights, lines, etc were loaded in the
service truck of the Central Auto
Garage and Repair Co. which was i'm.
Immediately in waiting. Doctor A. l..
Washburn in charge of the pulmotor,
| Fire Chief l. H. McCracken in charge
of the hooks, fireman VIM Pyle, of
| ficer Eph Allender and ex.chief A. L.
Stoler had place in the car with HON.
er Stanley, driving. In just six min
tutes after leaving the fire department
the REQ truck stood at the river dam.
/ the scene of the accident.
The body was recovered by Chief
MCCracken and Frank Strouse, who
were dragging the bottom at point
about one hundred and fifty feet east
of the dam. The hook caught in the
trouser, leg of the drowned boy and
the body was brought to the surface.
Doctor A. l.. Washburn was one of
the most energetic workers in, the eff
fort at discovering the body and to
restore consciousness Almost before
the car reached the river the doctor
was ready for the water and he sur
Iprised everyone who Witnessed his
daring by his ability to get about in
the water. Protected only by line Sc
cured about his body and handled by
fire chief .McCracken, he swan direct.
ly into "the boil'' below the dam and
dove to the bottom exploring the i'm
mediate vicinity Of the dam but find
ing nothing.
r. NJ. Wells Witnessed Accident.
TN Wells of Oskaloosa, who was
sitting on the ''crib" at the south end
Of the dam, fishing. was the only Wit
ness. To the accident. After waiting
for the body TO reappear that he
might lend aid he ran 10 the water
works to give the alarm. As he re-