The Lamoni Chronicle
August 18, 1904

HEATHMAN and SEYMOUR, on the bank, seeing the men sinking called for them to hold to the seine, but neither did so. PARKHURST and YOUNG let go their end of the seine while the men on the bank drew it slowly through the water, expecting WILLIS and HAMMER to seize upon it, but they failed to grasp it, and it was finally drawn from the stream.

PARKHURST swam to where WILLIS had gone down thinking he would rise again. As he failed to do so and as HAMMER continued to rise and sink, PARKHURST made for the bank, returning to HAMMER with a dead willow, upon which HAMMER seized and was drawn safely to the bank. Mr. HAMMER describes his condition as being most peculiar. It seems that he was not in the least excited, retaining his presence of mind and being conscious of all that was transpiring. He held his breath while under the water, and was entirely submerged when PARKHURST reached him with the stick; still he could see his rescuer, and grasped the extended stick being pulled to land while yet submerged. He was very weak the rest of the day and has continued so since, no serious results having as yet followed, however.

On WILLIS' still failing to rise, PARKHURST returned and repeatedly dived for him, but without avail. Poles were then procured and used by the swimmers both in the water and from the boat. These efforts proving fruitless grappling irons were procured from a black smith shop near by and the hole was thoroughly dragged. Still the drowned man was not located. And it was only after two hours' effort and the employment of a drag made from a throw line with numerous fish hoods and weights attached that the body was rescued from the water, the hooks fastening themselves in the clothes of the drowned man. Steve EASTON and Perry HENDERSON, of the Easton community rendered valuable assistance in the rescue of the body, EASTON being the man to finally locate it.

Word had been sent to Lamoni by phone, but failed to reach here until three thirty, whereupon the news were as quietly as possible broken to the young wife, and Dan ANDERSON, John GRAY and James DILLON dispatched to the scene of the sad occurrence. In the meantime the body had been taken to the EASTON residence, and arranged as well as possible. All efforts to enthuse life into the cold form were of no avail, it having been too long in the water. The body was brought to Lamoni the entire party, who had gone down the river, with Mr WILLIS, so full of life and vigor, returning with it. The remains were first taken to Smith, Teale & Co.'s undertakers and embalmed, then home, where the grief-stricken wife and innocent babes awaited the return of husband and father, who left them the day before in the full enjoyment of health, no returning in the cold embrace of death.

The strange part of the affair is that while both men were good swimmers both were similarly affected, at the same time, in the same place, and in much the same manner; the only apparent difference being that Mr. WILLIS sank at once to the bottom, while Mr. HAMMER continued to rise and fall near the surface of the water. No one will ever know how or why Mr. WILLIS and Mr. HAMMER became so helpless and how Mr. WILLIS lost his life in the same place that only a few moments before Mr. WILLIS had crossed and re-crossed with such ease and in such excellent spirits.

To Be Continued....

Copied by Stacey McDowell Dietiker
June 9, 2003