The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1915-03-19
DROWNED MANS
BODY HAS NOT
BEEN FOUND
Former Range Resident, May
Have Met Death Shooting
RAPIDS of Link River.


Adolph Cornell, employed by the
Virginia Store company, has returned
from Klamath Falls, Ore, where he
went to investigate the death Of his
brother George Cornell, who was
drowned in the Link river rapids
March 8. The remains have not yet
been recovered but when they are will
be shipped to this city for burial.
George Cornell is well known on the
Range. He is survived by his brother
Adolph, a sister, Mrs. James Larson,
Of Mesaba avenue, and his mother,
Mrs. Peter Burke, of Hibbing.
A Klamath Falls newspaper gives
the following account of the accident:
George Cornell, for two summers
captain of the steamer klamath and
last summer operator of gasoline
launch on Upper Klamath Lake,
was drowned in the rapids in Link
river yesterday afternoon, between
and 4:30 o'clock. He started down
the rapids in a canoe and since then
has not been seen. A wire netting was
stretched across Link river at the
bridge last night by Coroner Whitlock
and his body may be lodged against
the netting this morning. His hat, his
overcoat, paddle and canoe have been
found.
cornell was last seen by Sid Frs
zer struggling in the rapids Just
above Wilson's Island, but after he
went down was never seen again.
Frazer was standing on tho bank
and first noticed Cornelrs paddle
floating down the river. His hat
was caught while floating down the
river and his canoe was found lodged
against the bank on the east side Of
the river near the old power house.
His overcoat was in the boat.
"That he might save a walk Of
about quarter of mile, Cornell left
John Linman's boat landing at the
head Of Link river in his canoe and
intended to float down the river and
land just below the headgates Of the
reclamation service canal and then
walk to town, according to what he
told Linman. He had been working on
his gasoline launch on the Upper lake
in the afternoon. Whether or not he
landed as was his intention is mat
ter of uncertainty. Many believe he
did not but drifted so far down the
stream before he started for shore that
he lost control of the canoe and was
hurled over the rapids by the swift
current.
"A man whom he believes was
Cornell was seen to land a boat near
the place Cornell said he would land
and at about the same hour by A. l..
Wishard, who was some distance from
the point. He says this man got
into his canoe shortly after landing
and went out on the river again: Wis
hard was only passing by and does
not know whether or not the man he
saw was Cornell or whether or not this
man went over the rapids. Most
people do not believe that Cornell
would have gone out on the river
after landing.
"That Cornell attempted to shoot
the rapids in his canoe is considered
very unlikely by Johnnie Hubbard,
the drowned mans closest friend.
Hubbard and Cornell had joshed
many times about shooting the rap
ids for the benefit Of a moving
picture company, but Hubbard says
they were never in earnest. He says
further that the canoe in which Cor
nell started from Linman's landing
was in poor condition and that Cor
nell had often remarked that it was
not capable of standing the knocks it
would sustain in going over the rapids
He SCOTS at the theory that Cornell
would deliberately have attempted ia
shoot the. rapids in a boat so badly
damaged.
George Cornell was about 80 years
old. He is survived by a mother in
Tower, Minnesota, and by relatives
in various other places. He was q
member of the local order Of Elks
and man highly esteemed by all whe
knew him."