Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-05-18
A Terrible Casualty.

The telegraph announced some days
since the drowning of twenty-five per-
sons, mostly young ladies, who were
participating in picnic party at Boy
kin's Mill Pond, Camden, South Carroll
ma. The Suwpter Waterman brings
the particulars Of this terrible am'cting
affair
A fiat boat Of considerable size had,
a short time previous, been built and
placed upon the pond for purposes OF
pleasure. A goodly number (probably
thirty or more) Of the company EN-
barked upon this boat, intending to pas
over and around the pond. These con
sisted chiefly of young ladies, there be-
ing but a sufficient number Of gentlemen,
as was supposed, to manage the boat
and afford company and protection Tor
the ladies'.
They had been out some time, and
we're near the centre Of the pond, when
the boat ran on a snag. This excited
little or no fears, as it was supposed that
speedy extrication could be effected.
Ali was life and spirit-all was hope and
happiness. Soon it was perceived that
the great pressure of the boat upon the
snag (in consequence Of the number it
cont aiued) was puncturing its bottom,
and that the water was making its way
inside. Now the excitement began.
Now fear began to picture its sad traces
upon those just now happy coun,enan-
ces. Now the tender and timid ladies'
called upon their protectors for assist
auce and dellverancc which, painful to
say, they were unable to afford. Mo-
mentarily the danger became greater.
and momentarily the excitement of these
on board, as we'll as those on shore, be-
came more intense. 1t seems that de-
liverauce would have come, and that the
boat would have probably been pushed
off and run near enough to the shore for
many, If not all, to have escaped, had it
not been that those who stood at each
end, "a white man and negroO with
their poles, laboring with all their pow
er, showed each in the same direction,
thus mutually destroying the effects Of
their efforts. Soon, in few moments,
she began to sink. When this was
seen, and the fact that she could not be
moved became too apparent-the scene
became frightful indeed. The widest
excitement and fear seemed to seize eve-
ry heart, and but few, if any, were sntii-
ciently collected 10 enable them to en-
ploy their efforts for rescue advanta-
eeously. In few moments more she
sank, when the scene may better be i'm
agined then described.
Piercing cries and shrieks, and calls
for help, both from those on shore and
those on the unfortunate boat, filled the
air. Sisters and brothers, parents and
children, relatives and friends, whose
hearts were bound together by the near
est and dearest of earthly ties, and ami
mated by the warmest and most tender
affection, were tbere-some on the sink
ing boat and some on the shore. Oh,
how rudely were those confiding hearts
torn asnndcr and ravishcd with wild
and aching grief!
The boat seems to have committed
them to the bosom of the water, huddled
together mainly in mass. The water
is supposed to have been twenty feet in
depth. Thus thrown together, one cling
ing to the other, with that grasp which
belongs only TO those in drowning con-
dition,t was little opportunity for the
males In the company to rescue the la
dies or even to save themselves. But a
few-we have not been apprlsed OF the
exact nnmber-weTe saved, Of those up
| an tho ka.t