The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-26 00:00:00

Melancholy Boat Accident,

On Friday a party of five took an excursion into
Wales, crossing the river Dee from Parkgate to
Bagilt, in Flititshire. The party consisted of Mr.
Thomas Joseph Johnson, proprietor of the Peng-
wern Arms Hotel, or boathouse, at Parkgate; hie
brother, Mr. Joseph Johnson, a landing waiter at
Liverpool; Mr. J. F. Crossman, secretary to the
Liverpool Licensed Victuallers' Association ; and
Mr. J. IL Holland and Mr. F. Holland, brothers
of Chester, who had been staying at Parkgate
during the last fornight making a surrey of the
channel of the Dee. Their intention was,if possible,
to return with the same tide, The weather was,
however, so cairn that Upwards of an hour and a
half was occupied in crossing, and, finding that
they could not return by that tide, the party
landed at Ba,ailt and walked to Holy well, where
they spent the day. At 10 o'clock the company left
Bsgilt in the boat on their return to Parkgate. The
boat made a rapid passage, but on arriving within a
short distance of the Cheshire side it was found that
the jetty was covered with the tide, which was just
beginning to ebb, and
the wind having freshened
considerably a heavy swell rendered it imprudent
to attempt to get alongside the river wall. The boat
accordingly lay-to fox about an hour, awaiting the
receding of the tide. It was then determined to
endeavoar to effect a landing in a punt which lay
at anchor a short distance from the shore, and which
it was thought would ba more manageable. One of
the gentlemen, it is acid, called out that the punt
would not carry them all with safety, but this inti-
mation of danger seems
to have been disregarded,
and five persons, including R. Evans, the boatman,
got on board. Mr. Thomas Johnson, who was a
stout heavy man, was
the last to leave the larger
vessel, and no sooner had he placed his foot on the
side of the punt than the little craft capsized,
and the whole party were precipitated into the
water. Thames Johnson, a young man, eldest son
of Mr. Thomas Johnson, was standing on the espla-
nade waiting the arrival of his father and his
friends, and witnessed tae accident, but, in conse-,
(pence of the strong current that was running
could render little or no assistance to the unfortu-
nate persons who were struggling in the water.
Mr. J. H. Holland, who had remained in the large
boat, jumped into the water and swam to the
assistance of one of his unfortunate companions.
He was unable to reach him, however, and, after
several ineffectual attempts, he made for the shore,
which he succeeded in reaching very exhausted.
Mr. Frederick Holland and Mr. Crossraan also
managed with difficulty to reach the shore.
Richard Evans was taken out of the water ex-
hausted. Mr. Thomas Johnson was likewise got
ashore alive, and was removed to the cottage of
Evans (that being the nearest house), but he was so
much exhausted that he never rallied, and death en-
sued before the arrival of a
medical man. Mr.
Joseph Johnson was carried down with the current
and was drowned. His body was found on the
shore near Heswell, fully a mile from where the
disaster occurred, at five o'clock in the morning,
and removed to the Pengwern Arms Hotel, where
it was placed in the same apartment with the corpse
of his brother. The boatman Evans was so much
exhausted by his immersion that he was considered
out of danger until late on Saturday.—Ltverpool
Mercury.