Worcester, Vermont, USA
1901 - Drowned by slipping under a log

WORCESTER, Vt., April 12. - John W. Utton, employed as a log driver by C.C. Putnam & Son at Worcester, was drowned about 10:30 yesterday morning by slipping under a log at Reed's Falls, about four miles above Worcester village.

He was one of a party of men who were working on the log drive of C.C. Putnam & Son, and while helping to pull out some logs which had become jammed at the foot of the falls, slipped and fell into about 30 feet of water.

A searching party of 50 were out yesterday afternoon but the body could not be found. This morning it was seen in a whirlpool below the dam and was taken out. It is said that after Mr. Utton was drowned some logs went over the dam and some of the people in Worcester believe the body was struck by these logs.

A brother-in-law of the dead man saw his body come up once after he had fallen in but he could not save him.

The drowned man was 25 years of age and unmarried. He was a son of William Utton, of Worcester, and well known in town. Edwin Harris, his borther-in-law, is now on the Miller jury at Montpelier. The body has been taken to his father's house.

Argus and Patriot
Montpelier, Vermont
April 17, 1901

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