, 1860-05-16
Terrible Accident In North Carolina
---Tsycnty.fiye OF \ Picnic Parry
IlrthlEllet.

On Saturday morning, the 9TH inst, most
tapny company. composed Of young ladies' and
gentlemen, children and parents, left their
homes IN Camden for u day of recreative plea
sure aud amusement, Ut Boy 6n's Mill Pond,
about ten miles this side Of that place, and upon
The line Of the Railroad. These were juined BY
o:hera from the ne'ghborhood, forming party
Of considerable size.
The fore pa.t Of the day (the distressing acci
dent occurred late in the Rfternoon) WAS spent
ulnst huppy and pleasantly by the excursionists.
The picnic and fishing e1curslon, for such it
was, lad fully met, thus far, the buoyant anticl-
p.tious of those concerned. But what fnafe1
The heart droops and il weged down BY the
E1a6t puneent sorrow 1t its recital.
4 tlat boat Of considerable size had, short
time previous, been built and placed upon the
pond for purposes Of pleasure. A Roodly num-
tcr {probably thirty Or more) Of tho company
embarked upon tlis boat, intending 10 pass
over and around the pond. These consisted
number Of gentlemen, as "as supposed, to man
aye the boat and afford company and protection
for the Indies.
They had been out some time, and were near
the center Of the pond, when the bost ran on
e'ag. This excited little or no fears, as it was
fected- All was life and spirit-all was hope
.-:sd happiness! Soon it was perceived that the
| great pTessnre of the boat npon the 1nAg lin
| consequence of the number it contAined} was
| runcturing its bottom, and that the water was
lauking its way inside. Now the excitement
Logan. Now fear began to picture it, sad tEaees
| upon those just now happy couutenapces. Now
! sao tender aud .irnid ladies' called upon their
| Protectors for thnt assistance aud detivernnce,
which, painful TO say, they vera unable to af-
| lord.
Momenta1ily the danger became greater and
momentarify the excitement Of those on board,
IL well as those on Bhore, became more intense.
| Jr thAf da3jrArAnca Fgnn1A hare and
tlsas tue boat would probably have been pushed
| on md ran nenr enough to the shore for many
If not oil to hare escaped, had it not been that
those who stood at each end "a white man and
Il negro) with their poles, 1aboring with all
their power, shored each in the same direction,
1.,us mutually destroying the effect Of their ef-
forts. Soon, in few moments, she began to
| sihk. When this vaB seel aud tho fact that
| she could not be moved becsme too apparent,
the scene became frightful indeed. The wild
| ea: excitement and fear seemed to eeize every
heart, and but few it any were sufficiently
collected to enable them to employ their efforts
advautageously. ln few momeats nov she
| sank, when the scene may be better imagined
than described.
Piercing cries and sbrieks, and calls for help,
both from those on shore and those on the un-
| fortunate boat, filled the air. Sisters and bro
thtrs, parents md children, relatives aud friends
whose hearts were bonud together BY the near
est aud dearest Of earthly ties, and animated By
the warmcst aud most tender affection, were
tI'ere-some on the sinking boat and some on
t3a shore. Oh, how rudelY we're those confd.
il: hesrts torn asuuder and rayished with Wild
aad achins grieE.
The bout seems to naye committed them to
the bosom Of the water, huddled together in a
LASS. Tie water il supposed 10 have been
ABOUT twenty 1eet in depth. Thus thrown to,
! pether, one cliu.ing to the other, with taat
! grasp which belongs only to those in & drown
| t.,r rcrGtfirf fhnr, rrnw 1itf1A fnF
the n'ates in the company to rescue the ladie:
| CT even IN save Themselves
hut u few 1--WE have not been apprised Of tha
exact number) were saved Of those upon the
bnat. One act Of daring, gallant and manly
rescue which has been reported to us, and
hich xc believe true, demands especial no.
tee Mt our hands, and should be rewarded by
tie lifetime gratitude Of those Immediately con
csrned, us well Us the relatives and friends O.
TIE same. Mr. Jones, fireman upon the Cam
| den train (ths train was, as well Is VI car
learn, ut the time Of the awful OCCURRENCE, neal
tic spot}, rushed to the spot, and by almost su
perhuman efforts, coupled with most cool ani
manly courage, brought three Of the drowning
psrsous TO the shore We have not learned th
names Of these.
The following arc the nanes Of those tele
! 9raphcd to us from Camden as the lost, bciu.
the number stated, twenty five, with one excep
| tinn:
Miss Lizzie NcKcigen, n iorely sister Of ME
1saac Meheigcn, Of our town; William Mc
ktiEen. q younger brother OF the sane; Lux
Erother-in-law Of Mr.. NcKeigen, above men
toned; Miss Sarah Eettfes; two Misses Mc
Gowns; Miss Minnie Alexander, daughter {
Mr.. lsaec Alexander, Of Camden Miss Sara
Howell: Miss Selma Crosby; Miss Benson
two Misses Young and one 6ro'her; H,ss M MaE
J !ictcod; Mr.. John Oaks: Miss Kelly; ,littl
alice Robinson, (u sweet little girl; Mr. 8. s
I;ichburg. (5ufyeyor, formerly Of this place.)
|. :. Mr. R.chburE, with noble devotion, lost HI
. life, as We understand. attempting to save AZ
:. other. These, with two negroes, complete II
j Two ladies', {Nrs. Carter and Mrs. Steake'
T. the wives Of the engineers upon the Wilu,in
>. ton and Manchester Railroad, got upon Il
). boat when about to start, as We learn, but thin
;: luz the crowd too great, determined not
= remain, thus no doubt narrowly escaplr
:, death.
= Efforts to secure the bodies Of The unfortuna
s.r drowned were immediately employed. Son
n were taken frcm the water. Others could n
he found. The aoodgates Of the pond we
f. koisted, but the body Of water was great al
h, could not be snou run OF It was thought th
n i. wonI. BE- sufficiently dry on Saturday mig
- to admit Of all the bodies being found.
i llave not learned the number that had be
~ touud when our despatch was sent
Nv Camden is shrouded in gloom, and many Of
! citizens overwhelmed by tue most seseEc all
- ton aud bereayetne
1t half past three o'clock on yesterday, cir
bodies were at thu Methodist church. where
ncrnl ceremonies were beng performed in
: presence Of large congregation. Almost eve
D. eye WIS mo,stencd BY the tear Of sympathy
- | bereavement.
: Mr. Billings, one of those who was upon
boat and was sared, says that twenty seven =
3 eoux were drowned. This conflicts with
above st4tement, Is to number, ind may be c
lect-
We expect further particulars By telegraph
- kingsville this morning, and will hasten 10 pl
I before onr readers all information received
" ns in regard 10 this truly terrible accident,
the earliest moment.