BROKE ITS BONDS OF ICE
——————
The Body of Sandy McBain is
Taken from the River
——————
FOUR MONTHS UNDER THE ICE
——————
Charley Bell Makes the Discovery—
The Body is Found Precisely
Where Sandy Went Down.
——————
The body of Sandy McBain, who
drowned in the Kootenai river
last November was recovered Sat-
urday evening just before dark
about a mile and a half below the
ferry.
At the time of the casualty, it
will be remembered, McBain and
Al Anas were going down the river
in a row boat on their why to Mc
Bain's ranch, six miles from Bon-
ner's Ferry. Sandy rose to take a
package of tobacco front his pocket
to fill his pipe, when the boat cap-
sized and the men found them
selves adrift in a strong current.
Both were good swimmers, Neither
was supposed to need the assistance
of the other. They swam for the
shore. Anas had five pounds of
nails in the pocket of his coat.
McBain was not encumbered be-
yond the weight of his clothing,
yet Anas breasted the current and
was first to reach the shore, When
he turned and looked backward he
saw his companion in the last
struggles of drowning, plunging in
eighteen feet of water and reaching
in vain for the tops of a huge pine
tree that had fallen into the stream.
It is supposed that he was either
taken with cramps or became en-
tangled in the meshes of the tree.
It was there poor Sandy went down.
His body could not be found, and
when in time it rose it was to meet
a tomb of ice.
Since the river began breaking
up two weeks ago, a close watch has
been kept for the body. Vigilance
was rewarded last Saturday even-
ing when Charley Bell, a ranch-
man, discovered it precisely in the
place where McBain was drowned
four months ago. The leg of the
man was frozen in a chunk of ice,
and the body was thus prevented
from moving down the river. The
current here was not strong, and
while the ice was broken, much of
it had not moved out into the chan-
nel.
Mr. Bell summoned assistance
and the body was brought to the
shore. It was fearfully swollen.
The clothing was all that enabled
his friends to identify the body as
that of McBain. In one of his
pockets was found a purse contain
ing $1.80 in silver coin. The case
of his gold watch had sprung open,
the hands of the instrument had
rotted off, and the works were
rendered worthless. Nothing more
was found upon the person of the
drowned man.
The burial of Sandy took place
last Sunday. It was conducted
by Charley Bell, T.W. McLaugh-
lin, E. S. Walker, John Seehauer,
Newt Pace, Elmer Coy, Ben Van-
berg, George Evans, E. F. Engar,
Tom Blair, Malcolm Bruce, George
Lockhart and Shan Walker. The
mourners were also the under
takers. The coffin was pine.
Sandy, in his buckskin suit, was
wrapped in a shroud of can
vas, placed in the coffin and car-
ried to the edge of the mountains,
where his remains were laid in a
grave among the pines.
"Sandy" he was called by every-
one who knew him—in fact, he
was known here by no other name
than that of Sandy McBain. He
was 32 years of age. His father
and mother live in Spokane. They
reported to be in not very good
circumstances. Sandy was said to
have been their support. He had
taken a claim about six weeks be-
fore his death, but had made few
improvements upon it. He had
come to Bonner's Ferry for provi-
sions. The few relics which be-
longed to him will he taken by Mr.
McLaughlin to Sandy's parents in
Spokane.
published: The Kootenai herald., March 11, 1892, Page 1
