The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-12-30 00:00:00

BL aNDFORD.
SAD ICE ACCIDENT.

TWO YOUNG LADISPI

A painful impression has been produced in this
town and neighbourhood by a dreadful ice accident
which occurred at Itryasintsin on Saturday afternoon,
and which resulted an the untimely death of Mies
Maria Isabella Snow, eldest daughter of the Rev.
D'Oyly Snow, of Langton Lodge, and Miss Annie
CatherinePrichard, eldest hter of Major-
General Prichani, of Down W House, Langton.
The two young ladies named, in company with Miss
Bury, of !Imperil., Rectory, together with a number
of others, were skating on the River Stour in Lord
Portman's park, nearly opposite Bryaneton House, on
the afternoon mentioned between four and live o'clock.
The three ladies separated themselves from the general
body of skaters, and whilst they were skating more
towards Whitecliff Mill, where the ice %VIM thinner, it
suddenly gave way and Misses Snow and Prichard
were precipitated into the water. Miss Prichard wasi
not seen to rise again, but Mime Snow was observed
struggling in the water. Miss Bury and a lad
named Charles Park, who were close by, at once went
to Miss Snow's assistance, and the lad succeeded in
grasping her by the hair of her head. In doing so,
however, Park fell into the water himself, but Miss
Bury held him by the foot, and he managed to
support Mini Snow until other assistance arrived,
and they were both got out of the water, the
lady in an insensible state and the lad in an
exhausted condition. Drs. Spooner and Daniels, who
happened to be on the ice, and Dr. Bacot, who
promptly arrived, did their best for the space of one
hour to restore animation to Misa Snow, but
without o
avail, and the body was then removed
to Langton . Darkness set in before the
body of Miss *chard could be recovered, but
the search was resumed early on Sunday morning
by Dr. Daniels, Mr. J. H. Bartlett, Mr. Wells, and
others, when the body was soon found, and at once
conveyed to Down Wood. One of Lord Portman's
stablemen, named Samwaye, narrowly escaped a
similar fate on Sunday morning. He was crossing the
river to assist at the search for Miss Prichard's body
when he, too, feU through the ice. P.C. Brown was
near, and a rope was thrown to the man, who, however,
was seised with cramp, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that he was rescued. He was taken to
Bryanston in an exhausted state. An inquest warn
hold n the bodies of the unfortunate young ladles at
the Railway Hotel, BlancUord, at six o'clock on Mon-
day evening, before the District Coroner, W. 11.
Atkinson, Esq. The greatest sympathy is felt for
General Prichard, Mr. Snow, and their families in the
sad calamity which has befallen them.

Till INQUIET.
The jury met at Langton Lodge, where they viewed the
body of Miss Snow, and then proceeded to the Down
Wood and saw the Body of Miss Prichard, after which
they returned to the Railway Hotel.
The jury was composed as follows :—Massre 1.7. Boys
(foreman). .7. E. Wareham, K Strange, P. A. Barnes, W.
Lance, C. Normand, W. Walberton C. W. Will.,
Herrington, T. George, T. Frampton, 'W. Hardiman, and
J. Payne.
The first witness called was a young man named
Edward Freke, who stated that he was on the ice on
Saturday about four o'clock The deceased young ladies
pawed him hand-in-Itand, skating very fast, about 200
yards from where they fell in. He afterwards heard a
crash, skated round the bend in the river, and saw
Mbe Snow in the water. He skated back to a spot where
he knew there as a ladder, and hallooed at the top of his
voice for help. Some one pushed the ladder along the ice
towards him, but he found it too heavy to get along at all
fast with, and at the suggestion of Mr. Edward Portman
he pushed it to the bank and two men carried Belong the
land. He skated to the scene of the accident as fast as he
could, and there sew Charles Park and Mr. Portman s
retriever dog in the water. Park was leaning on the ice
supporting Ma Snow, whose head was out of the water.
Several people joined hands and pulled Mir Snow out,
and she appeared to be quite dead. Mr. Spooner, Mr.
Daniels, and others came to her assistance, and they tried
every possible means to restore life, but without effect He
did not then know that Miss Prichard was in the water,
but oif looking for her on the bank, and failing to me her
he said there was another lady in the water. He did not
see the dog do anything bat swim In the hole. Only
six or seven minutes elapsed from the time he saw the
ladies skating up the river till Miss Snow was taken out
of the :water.

—By the jury: He had his skates on. and therefore could
not render much asaistanco with the ladder. There was
no danger mark at the spot or rope aCrOlll the river.
There was • plank over • We about MO yards below
when this happened. There had been a rope across
the river, but it had boon cut and removed by 11011300110.
He skated himself within • dozen yards of where the
accident happened. He believed the ladder was placed
where it was to be used In case of accident

A lad named Cherie, Park was the ne•774tneem. end lie
steed that he was skating on the lower part of the ice,
playing hockey, when he heard of the accident. He went
to the spot, laid on the ice, and got hold of Min Snow,
Miss Bury holding his foot, end he held Miss Snow till
the ladder was brought and she was taken out of the
water and carried to land. He helped carry her to the
hank, and she did not show any sings of life.
In answer to the Coroner, witness said he was himself
immerged. He held Min Snow by the hair of her head
till eminence arrived, and he wag then obliged to let
go to get on the ice himself. He did not see • rope
when be waa skating there before.
By the jury : Him Snow's face wee downwards and he
did not see her move. He was RV yards from the ladies
at the time they fell in. He did not know that Miss
Prichard was in the water until two hours afterwards.
The Coroner said the witness had given his evidence in
a modest and proper manner, and he thought they mum
all acknowledge the brave way in which he did his duty,
for be did all he could to save Min Snow. The laes
1 modesty had kept him from mentioning this himself ; but
' in the name of the jury, he ventured to thank him for his
manly courage and the great effort he made. He believed
, that Mr. Snow had already written to him a very kind
' and touching letter on the subject, and he felt that he
should be wanting in carrying out his duty and consider.
Mg the feeling. of the jury unless he expreased his senti-
ments of the efforts made by Park to save the young lady.
James Henry Bartlett mid he assisted in removing Min
Snow's body on Saturday evening, and early on the fellow.
Mg morning he went with Mr. C. W. Willa and Richard
Scott, the park-keeper, to search for the body of Miss
Prichard, taking with them grappling Irene, an axe for
cutting the ice, gic. They arrived at the spot about Dens
o'clock, and found Mr. Daniels already there. They got •
boat to the bole in about an hour, and frnial two ladies'
hots tinting in the water. General Prichard arrived about
this time Mr. Daniel. searched with one grappling iron
and he with another, and about the fourth cast be brought
pp the body, which wag not at all disfigured. Thew fat
the body into the boat, and covered it with their mate,
and cut their way to the bank, afterwards conveying the
body to Down Wood.
By the Jury The body was standing immediately
under the hole, be believed exactly where it went down.
The depth of water was aiitht or ten feet The ice warn not
over three inches thick at the spot in Question, which was
in the middle of the river, but it was thicker at the sides.
Many people had skated beyond the spot, but nearer the
bathe
The Coroner said he did Oct think, altar hearing the
evidence, that anyone oould doubt but that the two goon;
lade!' lost their lives l'y being accidentally drowned.
Whether they went on dangerous_ ion or whether there
ma • rope beyond which they should not have gone, it
was very mad that the cleopased keltee, who wen In