Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-14
" oman and
Son Drown
In Flood

Nldsiu lSiuliby AVN yN''N
Especial Telegram. 1.-The crest OF
the Colorado flood i'll the Platte
river claimed two victims here late
TODAY when Mrs. H. c. Gillespie,
about 81, wife of Union Pacific
freight conductor, and her son, y,
were drowned.
Mrs. Agnes Hamilton, sister OF the
dead woman, was dragged from the
mud and quicksand bayou just IN
time to be saved.
Alter searching for three hours
the body of the title boy was found
at 7 o'clock tonight. The searching
men were still working at 9 i'll quest
of the mothers body.
The two women and one OF the
children of each had gone to the
river just alongside the new Hamil-
ton-Hall county state bridge. From
the excavation made for the long ill
on both sides Of the bridge proper,
a fairly deep bayou had been formed,
Boy Falls into Water.
When the river was low the bayou
contained only few feet OF water.
But more sand had been removed
recently and the river was quite high.
From the disconnected facts so far
CLEANED. it appears that upon arriv-
ing at this picnicing ground, the lit
tie boy had undertaken to wade. The
flood had washed the former sloping
sides away and after only few steps
the boy went in over his head. He
had not yet learned to swim.
The mother of the lad frantically
plunged i'll after him. all her cloth
ing on. Mrs. Hamilton, noting both
in distress, yelled and Thurston Da-
vies, Lyle Crow and a third boy
named Eberl, who were on the bridge
proper, quarter of a mile away, ran
to their aid.
Mrs. Hamilton, in the meantime.
had plunged into the water after her
sister had also had gone down.
Find Woman by Diving.
The lads finally found Mrs. Ham
ilton by diving and brought her to
the shore. Eberl was sent to the
city, six miles away, for pulmotor.
Davies and Crow worked diligent-
" for an hour and saved Mrs. Ham
ilton. Immediately other men of the
vicinity arrived and undertook to
search the eddying bayou. After a
SQUAD of fremen arrived half a score
of men were in the water safeguard
cd by ropes: later graphing hooks
and wheel hayrake were tried, thus
far without results.
The grief-stricken husband, who
knew, nothing of the tragedy until
an hour later, was awaiting the re-
suits on the banks, with relatives
and friends.
Warning Issued.
Lincoln, June l3.-(Special: y
Warning of immense property loss
and probable loss of life in the
Platte river lowlands i'll Nebraska
was voiced in a bulletin issued by
George E. Johnson, secretary Of the
state department of public works.
The chief danger from the Colo
RADIO flood rushing toward Nebraska
is on the main line of the Union
Pacific railroad and on its North
Platte branch. East of the city. OF
North Platte where the two branches
of the Platte river meet, the Hood
water will sweep down at minimum
velocity of 10000 cubic feet per sec
ond, according to Johnson's estimate.
From present indications based on
reports from Colorado, the Hood
which will reach Nebraska in a few
days will be the greatest in history.
Here's what Johnson says about 1t:
Floods on Way.
"In going over the reports on the
river discharge of both the North
and South Platte rivers, ] find that
there is about $4,000 second feet
1900 second feet flowing into the
| 1900 second feet flowing into the
reservoir, which indicates that the
maximum food on the North Platte
river will not be less than 7,OOO
second feet.
| "There is also 1900 second feet
in the South Platte river at North
| Platte and 22.0O0 second feet at Fort
Morgan, Colo. =,
"These two floods will reach North
Platte within few days.
"The highest flood that we have
any record of was in 1917, which was
! 10000 second feet. The above tlg,,
ures would indicate that we vii
have flood of not less than 5O,oVo
! second feet in the Platte river. :,
Every precaution possible should
be taken to guard against disaster
| 80. >..,..,r aoodS