The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-25
From the Cincinnati Enquirer, August 20.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, August ~.
Yesterday five boys-Conrad Fischer,
aged sixteen, son Of DR., Valentine Fischer,
125 Laurel street; James Moore, aged SIN
teen, son of Mr.. r. B. Moore; Edward
Barton, aged sixteen, and John Barton,
ared ten. sons of MIR. B. Barton, ia Laurel
street and Elias Gregg, son OF r. G.
Gregg, No. 121 Laurel street-procured Il
skin at Newport and went rowing up the
Licking for distance of nearly four miles:
Satisfied with their days sport, they started
homeward, and at about 4 O'Clock rounded
out of the mouth of the Licking
and headed up for Newport, hugglnS
the Kentucky shore to avoid the current.
Just above the United States Barracks there
are at this season always lying number OF
empty coal barges, in charge OF boatman
named Sprout, under which and along
whose sides the current sweeps with ire
mendous force. For some reason our tated
Young yovagers turned in toward shore
across the front of one of these barges, and
were Immediately drawn under the slant
inc bow. Conjecture must here supply the
place of fact as to the exact nature OF the
accident which followed for all the sur
yiyor, young Fischer, can tell is that all
imagined that they were about to be
drawn under the barge, and endeaVored
to shove the skiff off. Fischer, who was
terribly excited last night, and scarcely
able to 90 into Details. says that he then
diyed out of the boat under the corner Of
the barge and came up on its outside, when
he began swimmingfor his life down toward
the lower shore of the Licking, near when
he was picked up in an exhausted condl-
ton by Sprout and a fisherman, the only
persons who had, as is supposed, actually
witnessed the casualty, and who last night
could not be found. Fischer says that ne
heard Il shout, he thinks from Moore, ana
as he came up heard cries for help.
Sprout, who was close by, heard nothing,
and only became aware of the accident by
finding the skitf drifting bottom upwards
at the foot of the barge, and then saw
Fischer swimming across the mouth of the
Licking, and nearly gone. This boatman
has saved many lives already in this vicinity,
and had he heard the first cries for help the
result might have been less sad. AS it was,
the hat OF one of the Barton boys was alone
found floating near by, to tell OF his tate
and of that of his three comrades: all
were undoubtedly swept under the barge
at once, their efforts to keep the SKIN on
having probably upset her. Once In the
water in front Of one of these barges, only
the best and strongest swimmers could have
kept themselves from being sucked under
if. The probability is that Fischer, too,
was swept under, but fortunately came up
under the corner. His recollection last
night was that he Owed and then was
some fifty seconds under water, but as we
have already intimated, his terribly excited
condition rendered him rather incoherent
at the hour in which our reporter saw him.
On recovering his strength and being taken sl
by MIR. Sprout to this side the poor ittle lei,
low started for Barton's TO break the SAD
news to that doubly afflicted household.
His heart failed him, however, and he went
first to his mother, who was compelled to
convey the sad tidings to the other families.
The affair has cast a gloom over the neigh
! borhood where the boys lived close TO;
gether, and where they were oil Wen
| known,