Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-14
KING RECALLS OLD
RIVER INCIDENT
HISTORY OF BARGE RECENTLY
DUG OUT OF RACE RELATED
BY OLD RESIDENT

The history of the barge which was
recently dug out Of the head race by
water works employees after having
been buried in the mud for many
years, is told by James King, who re-
calls the details of how the craft was
made as we'll as it's sinking. The story
as related by Mr.. King follows:
Editor Courier: II
In your issue of August 25, 1916, l
read an account of the finding and
raising OF river barge at or near the
| mouth of the head race and as many
theories appeared on the surface as to
how the sunken derelict happened to
repose peacefully in the mud at the
bottom of the Des Moines river, take
pleasure in giving you the exact cir
cumstances as to how the old freight
er came to be there. The barge was
built by James Kelly of Ottumwa and
used by him in the stone and lime
trade between the city and his quarry
at Rock Bluff. The barge was con-
structed by two men, one Of whom
was E. M. Turk, father of George
Turk, now Of Montana, and man
named John Guthrie, who lived on
West Main street. .-.. .,@
The lumber was purchased from the
Walker lumber yard, then, think, In
the rear Of the city hall, and the hard
ware was bought from the firm of
Egan & Harper Jim Light hauled the
material to a point on the river bank
just south of where Morrells Ice
house now stands. The barge was
there made and floated by the two men
herein named. The barge was built in
the summer of 1875 and was used by
James Kelly in the transportation Of
building material from his quarries up
stream. Some of the stone was used
! by H. P. Bell & Son in the construc-
| ton. of the first abutment at the east
end Of the east dam, which was under
mined and worked out by the terrible
| rain storm of December 81, 1876, and
New Years day, 1876.
The barge went to the bottom near
the mouth Of the head race in a severe
windstorm in the summer of 1876. It
was loaded with cargo OF cut and
rough stone to be used in the con-
struction Of the first Lincoln school
house on Court street and also lime
to be used for city trade. John An
thony, now dead, and John Wilcox,
now division superintendent on the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad, were
the two men in charge Of the barge
and its cargo when it went to the bot
tom and both men barely escaped be.
ing drowned when it capsized in the
windstorm. ii
I was working at my trade (stoDbI
cutter) for James Kelly, when tte
barge was made in rs and was cuttiK
stone for Kelly on the Lincoln sch4l
when the barge was lost In 1876. II
took an active part in the constr T.
ton Of the barge and it was bJlt
along the same lines as were be
barges of the King Sand & Drege
Co., of Leavenworth, Kan, in no
and 1871, those barges being usedto
transport sand and gravel from XIX
apoo slough above Fl Leaven1th
and opposite the old town of Wepn,
Mo-, to Leavenworth City. !.
During the construction of the Hge :
in question, one Of the carpe}ers
broke ship augur while boring polt
hole in one of the gunnels and CANT
Reed assured me that the old biKas
found still imbedded in the gtnel I
when the post norton was hel re- 8
Gently by the water companyem-
ployes. Mike Caughlan. a stone liter e
and retired farmer living southwt OF
the city was working for Kelly the
time and perhaps may remembI the
circumstances.
In your issue Of August %, INV
version given by w. S. Wards to
the same barge Mr.. Wards stafnent II
as far as the sinking of bab be- s
longing to the former water ctpany t
is concerned, while Doc McCusas In v
charge is correct, but his veHn as Q
I to the barge in question bel the h
McCue barge is wrong. Thef Cue b
barge was Of the deck patternfd not 81