The Missouri river has claimed another victim. This time it was Charlie Lake who in company with his father and brother were on the old Wentworth launch getting ready to go down the river to "run" their lines, last Sunday afternoon. It seems that something was wrong with the steering apparatus and Charlie went to the rear of the boat to fix a wire and while stooping down to grab it the boat gave a lurch and he was thrown into the water. At the time the wind was blowing quite hard from the south, making the waves on the river reach a height of at least a foot and although Mr. Lake was an expert swimmer he could not do anything to help himself. As he fell he grabbed a piece of 2x4 that was fastened to the boat but this broke and he was left to struggle for his life until he went down. Over his Sunday clothes he wore a pair of overalls and a jumper and as he fell into the water the jumper was blown over his head. His cries for help were heard by those who were with him, but they were powerless to give him any aid on account of the roughness of the river. The parents of the unfortunate young man, who was about twenty-three years of age, live on the banks of the river and it was just opposite his home that the last sight of him was had. At this point the river is about forty feet deep and there is some talk of dragging the river for the remains, but little hopes were held of recovering the body until it raises of its own accord.

Age, 24 years

* * * Obit provided by, and used with the permission of, the Wash. Co. Geo. Soc., Blair, NE ~ Thank you * * *

************************************************* NOTE: Death date was calculated based upon mention in the above article that the accident that claimed Charlie's life took place the previous Sunday. The date of the article; August 22, 1907; was a Thursday.

FindaGrave #114972840