The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-08-14
4 TERRIBLE CALAMITY
A MAN AND FOUR BOYS
ga DROWNED.
An Entire NeighbOrhOOd In
.. Mourning.
The Bodies Not Yet Recovered

About half-past four o'clock yester-
day afternoon terrible accident occur,
red on the river just at the lower point
of Wheeling Island, that resulted in the
death Of Jacob Watson and four boys,
named George Powell, son Of John
Powell; Samuel Dudley, son Of Joseph
Dudley; Isaac Freeze, son OF Edward
Freeze; and Alonzo Dobbins, con of
Peytor B. Dobbins.
About the hour named above Wat.
son, who had with him, besides the boys
above named, his own two sons, one
about six and the other about eight
wears Of age, and a boy whose name we
could not learn, were crossing from the
point of the Island on a scow boat
loaded with sand. They had got about
half way across the river when their
scow, overloaded as it was, was
swamped by the waves Of the Market
Bow, which was just then passing.
The scow filled with water and sank
almost Immediately. Mr.. Watson,
who could not swim stroke, gathered
the bows around him, holding his
Youngest above his head and called
" for Gods sake come and save my
bows" The ferryboat went out to the
rescue of the drowning lads, and Mr..
Watson managed to get his sons on
hoard of her, when he fell over back
wards and was seen no more. 1t Is
thought that the drowning boys were
clinging to him and dragged him down
into the deep water.
A skiff in which were John Moran,
Thomas Finney and James Manton,
three az noble hearted men as live, was
crossing the river at the time of the
accident. Finney and Moran jumped
overheard and caught one of the
drow ming boys (the one whose name
we did not procure), sent Manton back
to rescue others, and by taking turns in
carrying the boy on their backs, swan
ashore with him. In this effort Mr..
Moran nearly lost his life. He had got
the boy on his back and was swimming
in with him, when the frightened youth
caught him by the throat, choking him
so that but for the aid given by Mr..
Finney he would certainly have gone
down.
All efforts to save the others were
unsuccessful, and Jacob Watson and
the four boys whose names are given
above were drowned.
In a very short time the bank OF the
river was crowded with people, excited
and weeping, for it was not known for
at least an hour after the accident what
bows had lost their lives, and mothers
were frantically searching for their
children, their hearts full OF a heavy
fear that their darlings were numbered
with the dead.
Boats and seines and drags were pro-
cured with all possible haste, and the
bed OF the river was dragged until
dark, but without success. When
it was too dark to drag any longer, a
cannon was procured and shots were
fired in the hope Of raising the bodies
but all without avail, and those who
worked 30 faithfully at their humane
labors went to their rest sorrowful in the
fact that their neighbor and the sons OF
their neighbors and friends were sleep
ing the sleep that knows no waking
under the waters of the Ohio.
The boys were all from the same
neighborhood, on Chapline street. near
First, with the exception of the Freeze
boy, whose parents live on Eoff street,
and were all play fellows.
The search for the bodies will be re-
sumed to-day.
This sad accident has cast gloom
over Centre Wheeling, and the entire
city sympathizes with the woe stricken
families of the dead