The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-08-15
+. Awful Catastrophe.

4
One of the most awful calamities which ever
bcfel our community was experienced on Satur-
day last A boat containing five persons, four
women and one boy, was drawn over the Falls,
and its helpless occupants consigned to death
as speedy as 1t was inevitable. Scarcely deeper
gloom ever hung over our village than has re-
suited from this heart-rending affair. About the
particulars there is a terrible breyity. From two
or three accidental witnesses we get the ercum-
stances Of the occurrence J4 r n
After little family gathering of females at tho
house of J. j. B. Primeau, which stands at the
/ foot of Prospect Hill and .,AA- Aha hAaL af iha
river, they all prepared TO cross over TO the
/ Watertown side, as was common practice with
them, in a boat This was about o'clock.
Ono of tho ladies' however, Mrs. s., through
natural timidty, came around by way Of the
foot-bridge, and thus probably escaped the ca
lamity. Those who entered the boat, an un-
wieldy flat-bottOn, were Mrs. j. J. B. primeau,
with her little boy four years of agei Mrs. j. j.
NJ. Primeau, and her mother, Mrs. Beausoliel;
and Miss Louisa Bibaud Two Of the ladies
took the oar-seat, one Of them occupied the stern
with the boy, the other was seated in the bow;
aud, thus arranged they pushed out into the
stream The current setting towards the dam
and falls is quite perceptible where the boat left
the shore, but yet not so strong as not to be
readily breasted with a pair of oars. .rf
The precise reason why the boat, in the pre-
sent instance, was given TO the mercy ofthe cur
rent is merely surmise But so it was. As tho
boat approachedth the dam the women made rush
to the stern Of the bSat, which pressed it SO low
down in the water that, as it was passing over it
was caught on the brow Of the dam and held fast
there. One of the unfortunates sprang from the
boat. Thus lightened it vecred round the cur
rent struck it squarely on the side, upsetting it
entirely as il passed over the dam, and the poor
women were thrown into the rushing rapids.
II is not but breadth from the dam to the falls.
For a second one of the women was seen to
grasp n rock, and the little boy was observed
still clingng to the boat but these were the last
struggles of life. One after another they plunged
over the abyss and into the boiling whirlpool
below, from which escape is as impossible as from
the grave itself
A few minutes suflccd to gather large crowds
of people upon the suspension bridge, and along
down the banks of the river. 1t was but short
time before one Of the bodies was observed to
leave the whirlpool and lodge upon rock just
below the bridge, in the midst of tire rapids
After deal of awkward effort to reach it, Mr..
b. Wilcox, with a rope around his waistplunged
boldly int o the stream \ few sturdy strokes
brought him TO the body, and the surrounding
multitude could not RESTRAIN shout ofapplause.
With a rope the body was pulled to the shore,
aud was found 10 be that Of Mrs Joseph j. Nj.
Primea, her beautiful features still as placid as
the sleep of childhood She was bride but
three short weeks before Her age was scarcely
seventeen years. Towards evening the body of
Miss Bibaud was fonnd in the eddy just below
the old Smith furnace On Monday morning
the body of Mrs. Beausolel was discovered oil
Whittcsey Point She was the wife of Anthony
Beausoliel, and mother of Mrs. j. j, NJ. Primeau,
thirty-fye years of age. The body of the little
boy was found near Whttlesey Point Monday
noon lie was the son Of j. J. b. primeau, and
was five years of age About II o'clock, A. NJ,
Tuesday, the body of Mrs J. j. D. Primeau the
last of the unfortunate party, was recovered,
nearly under the falls She was the daughter Of
Mr. s. Maitland, of Juhelvi!le, and highly es-
tecmed throughout the whole circle OF her ac-
o,aiptonce.- Northern IN. W Journal, 80.