Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-29
TRAGIC AFFAIR.
Particulars Of the Late Disaster ST Mia
gara-ThFss Men Carried Over the
Falls and Dashed to Pieces.

=
| curiosity was manifested Throughout
/ the city yesterday with regard to tn
! catastrophe, and as conflicting report
! of the occurrence were in circulation
q reporter Of the Express visited th
Falls during the day in order to sseeT
tain, if possible, the true facts Of tn
| case. The inquiries made resulted il
the gathering Of the following in
| formation:
The three men arrived at the Fall
on the 1920 train from Buffalo, Thurs
day noon, and proceeded directly
from the depot to the Eagle house
near BY, which is kept BY Chris
Gamm. They remained there abOU
half an hour, making few remarks
and merely asking Of the proprietor
permission to leave their boxes auC
portable table behind the counter IN
til they returned. The property re
ferred TO consisted Of q good sized OBJ
long box, full of packages of priz5
candy, an envelope box containing q
lot Of cheap Jewelry, brass rings, etc,
and a three legged stand, such as al
itinersnt peddlers have. As they LEFT
the depot with these things a police
man asked them tthey weIe going to
peddle, aud one Of them-a German
who seemed to be spokesman for the
party-said that they were, after sup
per. The policeman remarked that
they had better get their license iIl
mediately to save trouble, when the
German answered to the effect that
they would attend to that soon
enough.
After leaving Gamm's they went
up the river bank about a quarter Of a
mile to a little bOat-hOuse kept by a
family named Walker. Here, after
some hesitation on the part Of the lad
in charge, they obtained a fat bottom
rOW-bOat, and started across the river
apparently for Chippewa. The Ger
man, who was the largest as well as
the most intelligent Of the party,
handled the oars.
The course taken by the boat was
straight for the other side. The cur
rent at this point Of the river runs its
sWiftest, and not many minutes
elapsed from the time the unfortunate
trio left the bOst-hOuse before the
resistless current took complete mas
terry OF the frail craft and car
ried it with fearful rapidity to-
ward the seethlng current that
Crests the preCipice. Those who
happened to be witnesses Of the ac-
Cident, ran to the edge Of the bank Ia
hopes Of rendering assistance to the
drowning men, but although one Of
the three was carried within i've feet
and the others not q dozen feet from
the shore, it was found impossible to
suCcOr them. One Of the men in
formed our reporter that had he been
able to gel a pole or a rail Of any kind,
he surely would have saved one or
two of the ill-fated men. The largest,
is is said, swan for some distance in
the direction of the island, but the
current was too strong for him, and he
was carried struggling to the brink
and hurled, all conscious, into the
abyss below. The other two were
drowned ere they passed the island,
as their bodies were seen to float inan-
imately Just above the falls.
The names Of the victims Of this sad
tragedy are unknown and their iden-
tity scarcely more comprehensive.
They were perfect strangers in the
v LAAds-E anu Io L-AGF AEAAlLACA L4ELC
not more than three hours before
starting out upon their ill-starr8d
journey, no one seemed to have re-
garded them with sufficient interest
10 be able 10 retain any distinct re-
membrance Of them. Mr. Gamm,
keeper OF the saloon where their
things were lett, says they we're all
young men-their ages probably be-
tween Is and Z2-Weil, but cheaply
dressed, and easy and careless in their
manners. One was an Irishman, one
a German and the other q Jew. A
police officer who saw them remarked
that they looked "jUst like any itin-
Grant pedlers.' While at the Falls
our reporter met young man
who claimed to be g brother
of one Of the unfortunate
trio. He had heard Of the catastrophe
in Buffalo, and came down to identity
the property and, If found, the
bodies. In answer to an interroga-
ton as 10 his name, he replied that ne
''did not want his brothers. name put
in the papers, for if any account OF his
death should reach his mother in New
York it would break her heart" He
refused to disclose his name
to anyone, but stated that his brother,
who was only eighteen years Of age,
had been travelling in company with
the other two for some months,
prize candy, and that when
he last saw his brother he expressed
a great desire to see the falls. He had
heard a great deal about them,
but had never before had an OppOrtu-
nifty Of seeing the great wonder. The
brother gave the opinion that when
the three took the boat they had no
idea Of the sWiftnes Of the current, and
thought they could row around TO
where they could obtain a good
glimpse Of the cataract, When shown
the little box containing the jeWelry,
be was very much affected, and as
the custodian asked him if ne wished
to take it away with him, he burst
into tears and remarked, "Oh, it
seems so lonesome to take that little
box with meW
Yesterday forenoon singular object
was observed lying in the water al
most under the new suspension bridge,
on the Canada side of the river, and
upon investigation it was found to be
q large piece Of flesh torn from the
trunk, apparently at the hip. ltwas
taken in charge by the authorities on
the other side, and we believe quietly
Inferred during the afternoon. No
Jther trace or Yestige of the lost men
had been seen up to six O'Clock last
evening.
A young man in the barber shop
with the Spencer House at
The Falls, declares that he knew the
three peddlers well in Detroit. He
could not remember the names Of two
Of them, but the Irishman's name
was James Murphy, and he lived in
Cleveland. The barber says he did
not see the men in the village Thurs
Jay, but he recognized their boxes.
This story does not tally very well
With the one told by the person who
claims to be brother to one of the vic
inns. He asserts that there was no
James Murphy ia the party The
5ecresy OF the names, there ore, seems
wrapped up in this mans silence, and
rom his present reticence the public
IS not likely to get any intelligence.
AOrs Abaut tas Methodist Beck CoHesrn.
NEW YORK, May 2S.-The MethO-
dist Book Concern Committee yester-
Jay decided to suspend Rev, DR..
Lanahan from the assistant agency Of
The Concern, and appointed the sth of
June for the investigation Of the
charges presented against him By the
Rev DR.. Carleton.
DR., Lanahsn yesterday sent to the
5Ommittee a communication re-as-
serting his allegations Of fraud and
in the conduct of the
affairs Of the Concern, and stating that
be had important evidence in proof
Of his assertions.
TIE damage by fires ia Ulster and
,-.--.- a.. 81