grave import

Obituary

Ralph Bell, 21, of 856 Court street, only son of a widowed mother, was drowned in the Mississippi river in front of the Burlington levee last evening when he attempted to retrieve an oar which had been lost from a boat by jumping into the water after it. He was riding in the boat with Jimmy Palmer, 30, of 1134 Washington Street at the time. A party was still searching for the body mid-afternoon today.
According to reports of the accident, Palmer and Bell had started out in the boat at about 5:30 pm had been gone about a half hour when they lost the oar. The boat was almost in the middle of the river between the naval barracks and the sand pit.
Palmer is said to have tried to dissuade Bell from jumping into the water after the oar, but the younger one of the pair went in anyway, after first removing his sweater. He left his shoes on and after disappearing beneath the waves, came up to the surface just once. Bell was supposed to have been a good swimmer.
Roy Crabb, 1311 Washington Street, went out in a launch and pulled the boat, with Palmer in it to shore.
Bell was a member of the naval reserve unit and had been employed as an apprentice at the West Burlington shops for two years. He was born in Burlington, on March 25, 1908, the graduated from Burlington High school in 1925. He attended North Hill grade school. The youth lived with his mother, Mrs. Eva Bell, widow of William Bell.
An extra touch of sadness was added to the tragedy by the fact that he was drowned on Mother’s day and only the evening before had ordered some flowers for his mother from Bock’s. An uncle, Charles Bell, also survives. Searchers used a clam-digging apparatus until it became dark last night and started again early this morning. The launch club apparatus was also put into service.
Rewards were offered, and his body was finally found two weeks later by a fisherman near the railroad bridge.
Bell was a native of Burlington and was born March 25, 1908. He attended the public schools and graduated from the high school in the class of 1925. He made his home with his mother, Mrs. Eva Bell, widow of the late William Bell.
For the last two years, he had been employed as an apprentice at the West Burlington railroad shops and he was a member of the naval unit. Although Bell could swim, the icy water combined with the fact that he jumped into the river while almost fully clothed, made his effort count for naught and after his initial plunge he came to the surface but once.