Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-01
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bsays:ig.I 9f1 t4 .-tEwHH BfJ'|Eul-I
| "On that part, of the Ornamental Water
| In the Regents Park Immediately opposite
Sussex terrace, which Is the broadcast, sew
eral thousand persons had been skating
during the forenoon without any accident
taking place, although the ice was looked
| upon by the experienced icemen on duty as
very unsafey from its being principally
snowqice. About half past three O'clockin
the afternoon there were near the same
| spot about five hundred skaters, among
whom were many ladies, there being at the
same time OH the banks from two THOUSAND
l9t07 three thousand SPECTATORS suddenly,
and without any warning, the ice at the
sides of the bank became Ioosened, and
was drawn from the edge Within amin
ute the whole sheet Of the Zee aver tile full
width. Of the lake gave way an split into
| fragments offat few yards sqllare.sg gi .0tul
"The CONSERVATION and alarm Of the
skaters and other persons on the ice may be
well fmagmedyand ageheral rush was made
for the banks. TUnt0rtunatelye this broke
up the soft ice into still smaller ypieees.
Numbers OF persons fell through the crey-
| ices into the water, which Is atleast twelve
feet deep. aud several appeared ut once to
be sucked under the ice. AT least two
hundred persons were struggling in the
water, and Screaming for help. A few,
with great presence OF mind, threw theml
selves flatsupon the surface of the pieces OF
Ice, and were thus not only instrumental
In saving the lives of many of those in the
water, but preserved their own until assist
ance came TO them. The screams of those
struggling and sinking In the water, and
the shouts of the people on the banks added
to the horror OF the scene. .... h,
"The icernen, OF whom The fun number
were on duty, didalll thatit waspossible to
do underrthe circumstances; and three of
them narrowly escaped, from drowning,
having when in the water helping the peO-
pie out, been seized by others drowning,
and pulled under the Ice. Several of the
park-keepers' and spectators rendered all
possible aid, and more than OheIiundred
persons within few minutes of the acei-'
dent were got on shore, the;gTeat number
of whom were so much exhausted that they
had to be taken to the Humane Society's'
tentrand placed under medical treatment.
While this was going on several persons
who. we're in the water in the middle of the
lake, and whom it was impossible for the
icemen to- reach, the ladders and boats be-
ing rendered almost useless, owing to the
state of the ice,- were seen to sink back eX-
hausted, evidently benumbed with cold,
after vainly endeavoring TO support them
selves by clutching at the rotten ice, which
crumbled away in sheir grasp. no.lga.l 'H
"What made the scene the more dreadful
was that the female relatives of many of
those who feIl into the water saw their
struggles from the bank without the possfl
bility of saving them. One lady saw her
husband sink and lose his lite, while two
sisters were sending forth piercing screams
and calling on the people to save their
brother. He was drowned, and the two
ladies were taken away in the most pitiable
state, and sent to their home in a cab.
Shortly after four O'clock a strong body of
the ID division of police, and an additional
number of icemen from HYDE Park, d ffivu
ed, but too late to render any aid except ind
getting out the bodies of those drowned.
all the persons alive having by this time
been rescued and taken to the tent, Some
had suffered simply from the immersion
and fright, but forty were lying more or
less exhausted. ....,..,i. .i''i, h.. ',o,',I !
GAS soon as the Ice was cleared body of
icemen and laborers, with great difficulty.
got out the boats to that portion of the
water where it was known several persons
had sunk. Before dusk seven bodies had
been recovered, but it was known that
there were many more under the ice.
These will not be dragged for until this
morning, as it isquite certain life must be
extinct. 1t is the opinion of the icemen
who witnessed the accident that there are
at least twenty persons drowned. The
bodies. as they were brought one by one to
the shore, were taken to the tent and their
pockets searched for the means of identifi-
cation, but in no case was this successful.
One body was that of a gentleman AGED
thirty. THE others were those of Young
n .saTT %
from eighteen to twenty years of aoe!y All
the bodies when recovered had skates upop
their teet, .'
l "NIany instances of individual gallantry
took place. One man, at the most 'immi-l
nent risk. plunped i'm and hronpht several
children safely out. A gentleman, who
broke through near the southwestern shore.
fell so that his head and chest rested on
large block of ice, while his feet were in
the water. Tberehelay smoking his nine tor
a long time while the boats We're further
out picking up as last as possible. He he.
3San, however, to realize his position. and
removing his nine from his month. be colled
out: se59 to any oh6 who will fetch me onfi,
Several abortiye attempts were mads lto |
reach him with ropes. poles and Ladders,
"A man with the aid of a ladder reach
ed a sound piece of ice. and endeavored
to throw a rope to him. but il fell short n |
He then, managed to pnsh the ladder nm ID
a biece Of ice further ont and stan,linC m,
the former he aTain threw the rome IN
doing SO he fell, and niciinginc to die lad |
der he hurh himself uhd was drawn ashoralt
A gentlemen. then GOT into, am escane Z, ,ttedll
iIpS With barrels at the end.T When pnushed. |.
out as far Az possible he got into the water I
and enleayored to push the escane along
h,,k - l;1 n .
stripped toghisishirt and trousers, and a
rome having heen fixed to;his yaist shadesa