Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1915 — DELOS WOODWORTH DROWNED IN RIVER [ARTICLE]

DELOS WOODWORTH DROWNED IN RIVER

Little Son of Mr. and Mrs. True D. # Woodworth Fell From Bridge Friday Afternoon

DIVER SEACHES FOR BODY Futile Search By Volunteer Workers Lasted Almost All Night and Was Resumed at Early Hour Today— Crowds Lined River Bank Hoping # To See Body Dragged From Swift Current —Prayers Ascend Frown Many Homes That Waters Will Surrender Victim—'Boat of Searchers Capsized and Narrow Escapes Followed. f

Delos Woodworth, 11 years old son of Mr. and Mrs. True D. Woodworth, was drowned in the Iroquois river Friday afternoon at about 5 minutes before 3 o’clock and his father almost lost hds life in an effort to rescue the drowning boy, not knowing at the time that it was his own son. At 1 o’clock this Saturday afternoon, Fritz Belhouser, a professional diver, aided by “Eddie”, a professional helper, with a score of volunteer workers, is searching the bottom of the swift cunent, while the banks of the river are lined with sympathetic friends who are murmuring silent prayers or indulging in earnest hopes that the body of the little boy may be recovered. Business in Rensselaer today is almost paralyzed and the community has not been so tom with grief for a long time. A bright little boy, the only child of his parents and a general favorite in the community, has been taken and the grief-stricken parents are near collapse because the body can not Be found. The circumstances attending the accident were: Friday afternoon Mr. Woodworth was delivering ice and at the home of Trustee H. W. Wood, on the north bank of the river at College avenue. He went into the house and put a cake of ice in the refrigerator. His little son was with him and as the father went into the Wood home ran to the bridge. As Mr. Woodworth emerged from the house only a moment later he saw a body struggling in the river. He sadd to Mrs. Wood: “There is a boy in the river and I don’t know whether he is swimming or is in danger.” Just then the body turned over and the feet protruded from the water. Mr. Woodworth ran to the river bank and jumped in. He had' on heavy clothing and heavy shoes and could not swim. He almost reached the body by the force of his jump and by being buoyed up by the current but then he was swept under. As he came up he called for help and Floyd Hemphill, a good swimmer, who works at the Donnelly planing mill, heard the cry. He sprang into the river and by careful work towed Mr. Woodworth to the bank. Louie Ramp and B. K. Zimmerman were at the planing mill and heard the call and saw “Casey” pull the man to shore. None of them knew there was a boy in the river. Mrs. Wood had.gone to the telephone to call for aid and in an incredible short space of time there were twenty or more men in bathing suits searching for the body. The search continued throughout the afternoon and until after 2 o’clock at night. Poultry and other wire fencing was stretched across the stream at three or four places, swimmers worked down the stream for two or three miles, boats were used, a raft made, a chain drag with hooks was made and many devices tried. Finally a string of boats anchored to each side of the river by ropes was foamed. Each boat contained two men and each man had a rake or a hook weighted with gas pipe. The boats were slowly lowered down stream and a good search made but without re-

suits. The search continued until 2 o’clock. As the men were being transferred from the boats to the shore one of the boats capsized. There were four men in # it, namely, Frank Geitzemauer, Victor Bowsher, Leon Lange and Reed, the latter a traveling sign painter. All but Lange had narrow escapes and for a few seconds there was a wild scene in the dark river at a point where the current is very swift. Reed and Bowsher were calling loudly for help and Geitzenauer was struggling to the shore by holding to the rope which was stretched across the river. Bowsher held to the capsized boat and W. J. Wright and Landy Magee in separate boats followed him and finally rescued him. Reed managed to reach shore without aid and Geitzenauer fainted and relaxed his hold on the rope at the -edge Of the river. He was pulled in and restored after hard work. There was same doubt for quite a while as tg whether all had been saved and the roll call occupied some time. Di*. Paul C. Cumick made three dozen sandwiches and Mrs. B. F. Barnes sent hot coffee and cakes to the workmen and on the side of the river between 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning the exhausted workmen partook of a lunch and received strength for their return bo town. They had gone only to the John Kohler farm less., than a mile down the river. At the same time Mrs. H. W. Wood, Jr., was serving coffee and sandwiches to other workers. In the meantime through William B. Austin, of Chicago, arrangements were made with the harbormaster to have a professional diver conte here to search for the body. The diver arrived on the 1:38 train but did not bring his equipment. He later arranged to have it brought to him and with the aid of an assitant and others the search was taken up at the point where the body was last seen. The diver has his full equipment and remains under the water for a long time, being supplied with air from a pump on a raft constructed on four skifts. He entered the water at just 12:30 and at the hour this account is written, 1:30, had searched to the cemetery, going over every foot of the stream. The crowd has not decreased since he entered the water and many are here from other towns, including a number from Remington. The towns of Foresanan and Brook have been notified and also the dredge boat below Foresman and every vigil has been adopted that seems likely to recover the body. \