The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-07-20
JAMES IND : WILLIAM KELSEY
VICTIMS OF WATER.
SAD ENDING OF SCOUT CAMP
Elder Brother Steps OFF Sand Bar and
Goes Down-Younser Boy Gives
His Life In Vain Effort to
Save His Brother.

ABOUT quarter OF mile east OF the
Glendale bridge northeast of town.
Jerrel Venable, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Fret Venable, who came near shar-
ing the fate of the two Kelsey boys,
and Gene Oakley were witness to the
drowning but were powerless to give
assistance. None of the boys in the
party could swim. The boys were
members of a. camping party of Boy
Scouts, who left town Friday after
noon for an outing along the banks
OF the stream ~ ... ...
.. Boy Scouts in Camp. .@
Troop Three, of the Oskaloosa Boy
Scouts, left yesterday afternoon at
three o'clock for Glendale" to camp,
rc~ro eoi"g by auto. aud a few riding
on bicycles. Upon the arrival at the
river, a suitable place for camping
Was found, and under the supervision
Of Lincoln Porter, the older boys
pitched camp, and secured fire wood.
Four Of the younger boys of the group
could not restrain themselves, and at
once set about to fish. A spot almost
quarter of mile up stream from
camp appealed, and here the boys
fished for a time. g..
AS the day was hot, the water looked
so cool and inviting, they stripped and
tried wading along the sloping sand
bank and found 1t so delightful that
they ventured further in. James
Kelsey was leading the waders, when
suddenly as If stepping into a hole,
he slipped into the water, almost drag.
giug Jerrel Venable with him. Young
,Venable, knowing that he could not
swim and aid the drowning boy, sue.
ceeded in breaking the hold, and
reached the bank in safety. The
younger brother, William, started
calling for help, then rushed blindly
into the water. in an attempt to res
cue the helpless brother. To William
also befell the fate of the elder broth
er and sliding off the ledge he sanl
from sight, None of the boys were
able to swim.
-----,rs- -5-.. Witnesses Unable. to Help. H.,
BY the time that help had arrived
from camp, the rescuers saw one
form, and only one, go down for a last
time. Help from up the river, and
from town was called, and in a short
time many were in the river in boats
diving and searching for the two
boys.
The city patrol carrying life saving
equipment, seines, graphing hooks
and other apparatus. made a quick
run to the scene of the accident.
A little over an hour after the drown
ing James Kelsey, older of the two
was found by Homer Stanley, fireman
of Oskaloosa fire department. The
water was at once drained from his
body and work in an attempt to bring
back life, with the pulmotor, began
DR.. B. o. Jerrel, DR.. Jim Cournyer
Constable Art Shaw, Chief of Police
James Lawrence, and others worked
with the lifeless form for nearly two
hours in a frantic attempt to restore
respiration. At nine o'clock, signs
of life failing to appear, the doctors
and helpers reluctantly gave up theiI
>. task, and the body was taken tn tow
to the Cheesman undertaking parlors,
ors:.s Second Body Not Recovered.
20" In the meantime, many good swim.
mers had stripped and were swim
ming about the water looking for the
body OF the younger brother. vii.
liam. The large net brought from
town was stretched across the river,
. below the hole, ii and the river was
dragged and swept In, fruitless search
sn At the point of drowning, many
deep holes are in the rivers bed. and
. swimmers and divers, looking for the
body, say that they we're unable to
touch bottom in many places. 1t is
feared that Williams form has slipped
down into one of these and is being
held by brush or under current.
The search continued until late in
the night, by the light of bonfires
built along the banks of the river, and
headlights from many automobiles
also furnished light With these
lights, men in boats, and swimming
covered every part of the stream for
several hundred feet in each direction
from the spot of drowning.
Young Venable. who was present al
the time of the accident, says that the
boys were wading in the shallow wat
er along the sand bank, when James
Kelsey, who was just in front of him
suddenly slipped and disappeared
from sight. Coming to the top he
grabbed Venable and almost dragged
him down in his frantic efforts to
save himself Venable. who is oil
slight build, and who says he could
not swim, realized that only another
victim would be added should he ven
ture out to rescue the drowning boy
He finally succeeded in breaking Kel
sey's grip and returned to the shore,
Vain Effort to Save Brother.
William. who was standing near
and saw his brother going down. cried
for help. Then obeying the impulse
of brotherly love, he ran through the
water to the dying brother. He, too
fell at the step off and was lost Oak
ley. who was on the bank, and Vena
Bile ran back to camp. crying for hell
and saying that the two Kelsey boys
had been drowned. At once those
in charge of the camp rushed to the
scene and began endeavors of rescue
Young Runyon. with the party. says
he saw one form suddenly appear on
the top OF the water. then sink from
sight. not returning again. This was