St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-08-28
Sad Case of DROWNING

Emma O'Niel. aged seven wears v,,
drowned i'll the PasSumpsic river at fiji,
place on last Sunday evening. undc,
the following circumstances She WA,
living with her grand father. Michael
Bray on River street. opposite the old
steam mill. Together with her sistc,
"lder, and some of the neighbors' chill
dren, she had been over to church in
the afternoon. and was returning home
over the =. n O, railroad bridre-the
way all foot people east of the river
nave had to cross since the highway
bridge was carried off early in the
spring. Soon after entering the bridge.
she fell outside the rail, and down be-
tween the timbcrs into deep water.
The alarm was Immediately given. and
her body was recovered in Il little while,
but all efforts ut rcSuscitatiou were I'M
awaiting. The girl was daughter of
james O'Nicl, now in Boston. Her
mother died some four years ago, and
she and her sister were living with their
grandfather who had lust moved here
from Danvillr.
As there is disposition to attribute
blame t" somebody for this sad accident.
we will state the case rs repnrtcd to us.
When the Portland street bridge was
carried off, all that large population
east of the river was compelled to pass
through the railroad bridge just above.
in order to reach church. stores. post
office and work shops. which are all on
the west side of the river. Up to this
time there had been simply single
board laid upon the slccpcrS for the Use
of the section men. The Sclcctmcn ut
once provided some one who went and
laid Il board floor between the rails
through the bridge. just how the little
girl on Sunday afternoon happened to
fall is Il question. Her sister older VIII
WAS with her says she was walking along
by her side, Just inside the southern
rail, when she thinks she Stuhbcd hen
toe and pitched forward outside tn,
rail and down into the water. Som,
one behind her thought she WAS try Ing
to walk on the rail and Slipped oil
Either theory is reasonable. WheI
the boards were put there they were al
nailed down. by constant Use some al
the nails have been drawn OF broker
off, and the ends of several of the board,
are NOW loose. This il the case neal
where report says the girl stumbled
The end of Il board is loose and raise,
enough 50 the toe of IL shoe might caSi
~ catch upon it. Some may say tina
if she stumbled there She would HAY,
fallen inside Inc rails and upon the floor
That would he the most natural infer
cncc; Yet it must he remembered tha
the girl was on the extreme right of tn,
walk that she wills Il chubby Iittl,
thing, and that only three inches ligl
of rail Is Il small barrier in case of Sucl
Il fall. OF course if he Sclcctmcm la,
dreamed such an accident might nrrur
they would have Laid IL iloor outside the
rails as we'll as inside, and made such /;
calamity impossible. If the child ha'
had hold of It's fathers or mother,
hand. it would have been safe: but he
sister waS not old enough to apprcriat,
the danger Some say the little girl die
not rise after she struck the water. am'
10y hitting the timhcrS of the bridge. q
struck the water in such Il way a> t,
force the breath from the lungs. An
once. 1t is Il sad event and carries it
own lesson.