Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-12
A Terrible Casualty.

The telegraph announced some two or three
days ago the drowning of twenty-nine persons,
mostly young ladies, who were participating
in picnic party at BOykin's Mill Pond, near
Camden, 5. C.. The Sumter Waterman gives
the particulars of this terribly affecting affair
fat boat of considerable size had, short
time previous, been built and placed upon the
pond for purposes of pleasure. A gOodly
number probably thirty or mOre) of the COM
pany embarked upon this boat. intending to
pass over and around the pond. These con-
sisted chiefly Of young ladies, there being but
a sufficient number of gentlemen, as was sup
posed, to manage the boat and afford company
and protection for the ladies. They had been
out some time, and were near the centre of the
pond when the boat ran on snag. This ex-
cited little or no fears, rs it was supposed that
speedy extricatiOn could be effected. All was
life and spirit; all was hope and happiness.
Soon it was perceived that the great pressure
of the boat upon the snag lin consequence of
the number ii cOntained) 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-nOwhappy countenances. Now the tender
and timid ladies called upon their protectors
for that assistance and deliyerance which,
painful to say, they were unable to afford
MOmeDtarily the danger became greater, and
mOmentarily the excitement of those on board
well as those on shore, became moro intense
II seems JldJ uellVerdnCe WOuiQ nave come,
and that ths boat 5uId have probably been
pushed of and run near enough to the shore
for many, If not all, to have escaped, mad it
not been that those who stood at each end, IA
white man and negro,) with their poles, Ia
boring with all their power, showed each in the
same direction, thus mutually destroying the
effect 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 in
deed. The widest excitement and fear seemed
10 seize every heart, and but few if any were
sufficiently collected to enable them to employ
their efforts for rescue advantageously.
In a few moments more she sank, when the
scene may be better imagined than described
Piercing cries and shrieks, and calls for help
both from those on shore and those on the un-
fortunate beat, filed the air. Sisters and
brothers, parents and children, relatives and
friends, whose hearts were bound together by
the nearest and dearest of earthly ties and
animated by the warmest and most tender
affection, were there some on the sinking
boat and some on the shore. Oh how rudely
were those cOn6diDg hearts torn asunder and
Tavished 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 about
twenty feet in depth Thus thrown together
one clinging to the other, with that grasp
which belongs only to those in a drowning con-
dition, there was little opportunity for the
males IN the company to rescue the ladies or
even to save themselves. But few, We have
not been apprised Of the exact number, were
saved Of those upon the boat.