The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-01 00:00:00

SAD BOATING FATALITY ON THE

THAMES.

A sad accident occurred to a boating party. on the
Thames on Sunday evening, by which six persons were
drowned. It appears that six young men, belonging
to the labouring class, and five young *omen, the
whole. of whom lived in the same street—Greenbank,
Tooley-street, London-bridge—got into a rowing-boat
at Battle-bridge Stairs, Mill-lane, Tooley-street, about
four o'clock en Sunday afternoon, with the view of
going:for a row up the river, there being a strong.
flood tide running at the time. Putney was reached'
about six o'clock, and here the party went
ashore, made the boat fast, and partook of some
refreshment at the Waterman's Arms, remaining for
nearly an hour, when they proceeded to return. The
tide had not yet turned, and they had to pull against
it for a short distance, which, all being then well, they
did with vigour and cheerfulness, but by the time they
got through Chelsea suspension-bridge it bad just
gone eight o'clock, and as darkness was setting in they
determined to pull ashore and finish the remainder of
the journey by train, in consequence of one. or two of.
the females feeling frightened at being on the water
after dark. They had, however, scarcely made up their
minds to do this before the boat, from some unexplained
cause, capsized, immersing the -whole party of 11.
This occurred nearly opposite Tite - street on
the Chelsea-embankment. Their cries for help
speedily attracted the attention of some passengers on
the bridge', who, joining in the shouts; succeeded in
hailing the captain of a Citizen steamboat then at the
Chelsea Pier, who bore down quickly with his vessel
to the scene of the disaster, and, threw to the drown-
ing persons a couple of lifebuoys which he had on
board. These were eagerly seized by two of the 'five
survivors, who were still Clinging to the keel of the
reversed boat, and with two of the others were res-
cued from their perilous position and taken ashore by
two young men who had put off in a snarsll boat, the
fifth seizing a rope which was thrown him from the
steamer, and so being hauled aboard. The four others
were carried up the steps by the Embankment, all
in a very exhausted, and some in an uncon-
scious condition, when they were promptly. placed in
cabs by a police-constable on duty in the vicinity,
assisted by some bystanders, and conveyed to St.
George's Hospital, Hyde-park. The names of those
who were drowned are Annie Gilday, Ellen Curran,
Elizabeth Leary, Mary Laughton, John Driscoll, and
Daniel Harris, the latter being a married man.
The youngest of the party was Annie Gaday, aged
19, who lived in the same house with Mary Laughton,
and the eldest was not more than 28. According to
the account of one of the survivors, none of the party
was the worse for drink, and the boat, "which
turned over all in a minute," was licensed to carry
14. , The conduct of the officers on board the steamer
is spoken of. as highly creditable in regard both to
the promptitude and skill with which they rendered
assistance.
One of the 'survivors, a young man named l James
Sullivan; states that while he was in the act of light-
ing his pipe the boat suddenly turned over, throwing
them all into the *Lifer`. Whenhe rose to the surface
be saw several of hilcompanions struggling, qnd one
the gir4 was clinging to a man, but they soon went.
down. A girl mimed Neil Connell then clutched
hold of Sullivan's coat, upon which he struck out for
the overturned boat, ;and after several desperate
efforts succeeded in righting it. The boat was nearly
full of water, but he managed to get the girl into it
somehow, and then he got in himself. Just then,
however, another man had hold of the gun-
wale of the boat, causing it .to again capsize.
Sullivan swam to the girl Connell and kept her
afloat until a couple of lifebuovs were thrown from
the deck of the steamer, one of which he gave her,
and, supporting himself on the other, swam to the
steamer and got on to the rudder. He had hardly
reached comparative safety, however, before the ex-
hausted girl relaxed her hold of the lifebuoy and
sank. Sullivan, for the third time, plunged in after
her, and, having rescued her, supported her till
they were nicked up by one of the boats from the
hora. -