Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-10-08
VERY DISTRESSING CAs1tAITv

EN- DO MESSING CASUALTY.
On Thursday OF last week, between ono and tc,o
o'clock, p. NJ three young gentlemen oT a o . 0
age, Edwin T. CLANCY, aged 1s, a brother If Pro-.
lessor Clancy Of the University, CHARLES H.,
Thompson, aged lS, son of the late Judge Thomny.
son, and Robert Connolly aged IS, son Of Mr. LAIN
Connolly, embarked in small sail boat TO take an
excursion IN the Bay. When about two miles from
the wharves, and nearly the same distance north of
Juniper Island. squall of wind struck the boat
and capszed 1t, Notwithstanding the iudcious pre-
caution that had been resorted to Immediately nre-
vlous, OF taking double reef in the sail This or
Cured at three o'clock, p. NJ. The Young mon
chung to the gunwale of the boat, and we're drfted
III the direction of Juniper Island the hope of
reaching which, constituted for a time, their en-
couragement and support But IN this hone ,bev
were disappointed The wind which was now verv
strong IRON the north west and was accompanied
ny chiling ram, drave them past the Island and
about equi-dstant between it and "tbe Rockn II
was now getting dark, and the rain had been heat
inC upon them and the wind and waves paralvzing
their strength and unnerving their spirits, for some
hours. Young Thompson was the first to fail
Through exhaustion, and doubtless, an utter ex-
tnction of hope, he became deierious and between
3 and . o'clock died in the arms of Conolly From
this moment young CLANCY began TO lose his heart
and hope Lashng the body of Thompson firmly
to the shrouds, Connolly, with a sef-possession and
generous courage almost unparalleled, exer,ed
the spirit OF his remaining companion. Amid the
almost impenerdble darkness, without hope of
help from any human arm, and half the time COM
pletely submerged In the waves, they thus driGied
till after ten o'clock, when the boat struck rock
some 20 or thirty yards from the shore, on the west
side of Shelburn point and from ) to miles from
the place where she was capszed The concus-
sion broke the mast, and the boat Immediately
righted. At this time Clancy had become deleri-
Gus and resisted every effort of his heroic and self
forgetting friend, Connolly, to detach him from his
desperate hold upon the boat, and finally throwing,
himself into the boat, he died almost within reach
of the shore! Connolly, thus fearfully left ALvNE,
succeeded in reaching the shore, and literally
crdlcled to barn, where he remained till day light,
when faithful and fearless to the end he obtain
ed assistance to secure and remove the bodies oe
his companions, which were found in and dashed to
the boat precisely as he had left them. They were
brought to the village on Friday, and on Sunday
committed to the grave.
Amid the gloom that this calamtous accident has
naturally oCcasioned, it is impossible to forget the
extraordinary sELF-POssEssGoN and the calm, con-
sderate, devoted, and invinclble COURAGE of the
survivor, ROBERT CoNoLLY! To these qualities,
so admirably evlnced, he was by a beautiful
and benign adaptation of cause and effect
mainly indebted, doubtless for the preservation of
his life; a consideration that pointedly illustrates
the truth, that compensatng benefits in the ordna-
ton Of kind Providence, always accompany the
disinterested performance of good deeds