The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1875-09-23
UNITED IN DEATH.
The Drowning OF Two Afiianced Lovers
at Niagara Falls A Tragic Ending to
a Pleasant Party.

at Niagara Falls A Tragic Ending to
Pleasant Party.
One of the most deplorable of the
many accidents of which the Falls of Nj
agara have been the scene, took place
Monday afternoon. The particulars of
the catastrophe, as we gather them
from the Niagara Falls Register, are as
follows:
A party, consisting of Mr.. Ethelbert
Parsons and Miss Lottie c.. Philpott :,
Mr.. William A. Philpott, Jr., and wife
Miss Hattie Fields, of Buffalo, and Mr..
Charles H. Philpott, started for the
Cave of the Winds, about O'Clock.
They chose this time because at no 9TH
er hour of the day can the rainbow be
seen in such perfection. As they were
all thoroughly familiar with the place,
and had made repeated trips through
the cave in former years, they declined
a guide, and started down the Biddle
stairway. They followed the usual
pathway until they reached the extreme
eastern end of the railing, when they
clambered out upon the rocks immedi-
ately in front of the cave. William
Philpott and his wife seated themselves
on the rocks, while the other four ven
tured out still further, and descended
to stream which flows down over the
rocks in front and little to the right of
the cave. Here they remained for some
time, amusing themselves in the water,
which brawls over the rocks and rushes
through the crevices with great force.
Finally Miss Lottie went still further
down the river and entered an eddy,
which, however, was partially protect
ed by encircling powders. Here she
played in the water, which at this place
affords an excellent current bath, and
was soon rejoined by her three other
friends. Mr.. Parsons entered the wa
ter with her, and while he was getting
foothold, that he might guard against
any possible accident, she Slipped. He
had hold of her hand, and, as she fell,
he caught her, and together they were
swept into the current, which bore
them down about thirty feet toward the
river. Those on the rocks report that
Miss Lottie was next seen standing up
in the water and leaning up against a
large rock. They were now in a pow
erful current, and seemed to be making
endeavors to save one another. Her
position was the more precarious, since
the slightest movement either way
would expose her to the full fury of the
water, and once fairly in the power of
the current, all hope of escape
would be ended. Mr.. Parsons,
from his position, could have cas-
lily saved himself, but thinking
that he could rescue her, he seized her
and tried to reach the rock above them.
Though he battled with the current with
the strength despair alone can give,
they both were swept from their van
tage ground on the rock, and whirled
into the maddening flood below. Twice
they disappeared below the surface.
By this time they had been carried well
out into the river, and to their agonized
friends on shore they appeared to be
standing on rocks, about eight rods or
so from the edge of the river. To one
with the great depth of
the river and the tremendous force of
the under-current, it seemed that they
had at last found place of safety, and
might yet be rescued. But the treach-
erous current was bearing them rapidly
down the river to the death which was
now inevitable. All his efforts were of
no avail; the fatal current separated
them, and Miss Lottie, deprived of the
strong, protecting arm that before up
held her, disappeared, with hands raised
despairingly above her head. Mr.. Par
sons must have seen her go under the
water, but he still made brave efforts to
preserve his own life. From the shore
he was seen struggling in an aimless
way to keep his head above the water.
A thick cloud of spray intervened for a
moment between the drowning man and
the friends who were powerless to lend
him aid, and when it disappeared Par
sons was gone, and the cruel river swept
on as though this tragedy had not been.
A spectator, perched above on Luna
Island, stated that not more than five
minutes elapsed from the time they were
swept into the river and the moment
when they finally disappeared beneath
the waters. The spot where they were
last seen is about one-third the way
across, and directly in front of the Ame-
rican Fall. Miss Philpott was twenty
five years of age, and the only daughter
of Mr.. VIM. Philpott, an old and high
ly respected resident of the Falls. She
was respected by all who knew her for
her many estimable qualities Her ter
ribly sad and sudden death has cast
deep gloom over the community in
which she lived. Ethelbert Parsons
was twenty-nine years of age, and the
son of Horatio A. Parsons, Esq, of
La Sale. He possessed q character
above reproach, and he also will be long
and deeply nnourned by his many friends.
MISS PHILPoTT's BODY RECOVERED. s
NIAGARA FALLS, August l5.-The