The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-02
GO. ENGINEER
LOSES HIS LIFE
:. "A. RoMMEL GOES TO DEATH IN
icy WATERS or DEs MONIES
HIS FELLOW WORKER ESCAPES
Men Engaged In Attempt to DlsIodse
Ice Gorge Above Gately Bridge.
Charles Thomas Rescued
From Top Of Tree. CO.,.


exposure and both John Ruggenburger
and Gilbert Reynolds, rendered i'll are
the results of efforts put forth Satur.
day by the board of Supervisors to
Jislodge the ice pack in Des Moines
River that exists from point west OF
Giyin, seven miles southwest of Os.
Kaioosa, a distance of four or five
miles up the stream, causing threat.
ening flood for miles above the six
mile prairie" ..'
County Engineer Rommela was
drowned when the boat in which he
and Charles Thomas, a county EN-.
ploye were engaged, was overturned,
sank, and the men were left to the
ENERGY Of ire flood and the torrent of
ice filled waters. Mr.: Rommel handi,
capped and encountered with a heavy
fur coat was unable to extricate him
sen and chilled and benumbed by a
sIprevious bath in the icy waters he
Nconld not reach a place of more than
Knomentary safety. He was soon rem.
lered unconscious and losing his hold
Nlpon a drift to which he chung, with
t,niy head and shoulders above the
waters, and sank to his death beneath
the food. .,. .n,.. Do. .., .....
Rescue work was made impos.
sible by the nature of the conditions
surrounding the locality and Mr..
Thomas owes his life to the nerve, re.
sources and reckless courage of an
eighteen year old boy, Roy c. Ellis.
son of Rod Ellis of the Givin neighbor.
hood, who risked his own life in a
daring rescue accomplished in the
dead of night, after eleven O'Clock p,
m. Thomas was brought safely away
from his extremely trying predica.
ment. punched on limb in the top OF
a swaying, none too staple willow
tree. But. even then, the plucky
youth was unable to get his charge
to shelter and they had to spend the
entire night on little island, ere.
ated by the high waters near the
scene of the accident
]. John. Ruggenberg and Gilbert Rey.
nOlds who were on the island had
been assisting Thomas and Rommel
with the explosives and had estab.
lished a sort of supply base on the
island on account of its nearness to
the lower end of the ice gorge. They
also had boat, such as ii was, but
it was "unseaworthy' and could not
breast the current of the flood that
separated them from the scene of the
men in distress. They were unable to
reach the persisted men and it was on.
Nv after much labor and perseverance
that they conveyed the intelligence
to the people along the distant banks
of the river that some one was in
distress and help sorely needed. IN.
deed, so great was the roar of the
rushing water and the ice grinding
through the trees that Thomas him
self had difficulty in attracting the at.
tention of the men on the island, less
than one hundred feet distant. Nor
was it possible for those along the east
bank of the stream to know what had
happened as the food fully half mile
inland from the scene of the accident
and a thick timber shuts out all pos.
sible view from the shore.
Rommel was in the water twenty
minutes to half an hour before he be-
came unconscious and was swept
away, but no one was able to reach
him. Thomas held his position in the
tree, although slowly perishing from
cold from about four or half past four
O'Clock until near eleven o'clock D. m.
When rescued by young Ellis, he was
rapidly becoming numb and must have
soon have lost control of himself
When taken into the rescue boat, his
hands had lost all sence of feeling
and feet and legs below the knees
we're encasei in ice. His clothing was
frozen stiff upon his body and he had
chilled and was shaking in every
joint and limb. 1t was only with SUI.
rrenn effort that he summoned suf-
ficient strength and will power TO as
sist in his own rescue.
And 1t was by narrow chance that
he was taken away at ALL He could
not have survived the night. Although
never losing hope and courage, he
knew he was approaching the place
where he couh not longer endure He
was becoming drowsy and did not
care what happened. He never lost
faith however that somehow, someone
would rescue him and yet he cast
about to free himself He at one time
all but made up his mind to cast aside
sweater, shoes and trousers and make
an effort to swim to the Island ,aless
than one hundred feet away, hut his
experience In the Cold water con-
WINGED him that he could not make It'll
against the swift current. running atl
least estimate, fifteen miles an hour.
When he saw poor Rommer clinging
to the drift, his head and shoulders
dropping lower and lower, he was all
but in the act of throwing aside his
garments ana swimming to the aid of
the drowndlng mans He was convinced
of the fdtilityE 6f this course, yet he
was determined tto make the effort at
the risk OF his own 1ife He was
shouting instructions to the two men
on the island and when he turned 10 !
look at Rommel again his head had |
beneath the water and IT
was all over. aM@ s,&t N
Members of the board of supervise
ors had been beseiged all week by I
residents along the Des Moines river !,
in Mahaska to make an effort to re. (
lieve the food situation through the
use of dynamite. The board had en-
!deavored to contract with parties ex.
perienced in the use of explosives TO
lemolish the pack and relieve the.
up waters above the JAM
They had been driven and harrassed I