Fulton Journal
April 5, 1892
THREE MEN DROWNED IN THE MISSISSIPPI MONDAY FORENOON BY THE SINKING OF A SKIFF--THE FOURTH OCCUPANT HAS A NARROW ESCAPE FROM THE SAME FATE
Monday morning four Hollanders, residents of this city and whose names are George Ottens, Lubbe Greede, Claus Logemeir and Henry Logemeir, crossed the river in a boat below Stony Point to Clinton for the purpose of obtaining employment in w.J. Young & Co's mills. The mills not starting up the men returned to their boat, a double-oared skiff in a leaking condition, and started to recross the river.
The waves were running pretty high and when about four or five hundred feet from the Illinois' shore the boat had taken in so much water that it sank so that the four men were thrown into the water. They made frantic efforts to clinb into the boat which would sink under them.
John Clark, a fisherman who lives on the river shore near there, took his boat and pulled to the place where the men were struggling in the water, but was able to save but one, Henry Logemeir, the youngest of the lot. The others had been chilled by the water and sank out of sight just before Clark got in reach of them. He tied a rope to one of Logemeir's arms and hastily rowed to the shore, where he was restored to consciousness.
Clark believed that all could have been saved had they placed their hands on the boat and tried to keep their heads above water instead of persisting in an attempt to get into the boat.
The rescued man came to Fulton and reported what had happened. A party consisting of William Eckert, Robert Hall, John Schnetz and Fred Dykema rigged a drag line and hooks and with two boats made an attempt to recover the bodies. It was very difficult to manage the boats and after finding the body of
George Ottens the search was abandoned.
Of the drowned men, Ottens was forty-five years old and leaves a wife and three children; Lubbe Greede's age was thirty-two years and leaves a wife and four children; Claus Logemier was single and his age was twenty-eight years. The first two men had worked at W.J. Young & Co's mills for two years, and had lived in this city for several years. Logemeir and his brother had been living in Michigan until two years ago, when they came to Fulton and started to work on a farm. They had decided to try to get a job in the mills.
The funeral of Ottens was held at the Christian Reform church this afternoon and Rev. H. Housinga conducted the services.
