Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-01-08
A DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.
A Drowning Child Lost Before the Eyes
of its Mother.


Mrs. Prendgast, the wife ola blacksmith
in South Greece, N. Y, was engaged in
washing, drawing waterloo her use from
a cistern under an adjoining room. Her
two children, one a little boy aged three
years and the other little girl less than
two years of age, were playing about
her, when the little girl suddenly dis
appeared. Mrs. Prendgast called it by
name, but, receiving no response,
rushed to the cistern and found that the
covering was removed. Dropping on
her knees she peeped down into the
darkness, and, by the scant rays of light
that entered the cistern at the top, saw
her child struggling in the water. With
out another thought she let herself down
into the water, which was between two
and three feet deep. Clasping the little
one in her arms she found that while
unconscious it was not past the aid of
restoratives if applied at once. Mrs.
Prendgast found, however, that she
could not get out while encountered with
the child, and she tossed it as gently as
possible up through the opening, which
is about three feet square, and italighted
safely on the floor.
The poor mother Immediately found
that she was now no better off than be-
fore, for she could not reach the edge Of
the aperture, which was the only posi-
BILE support or aid to drawing herself
out. She called loudly for aid, and,
while in this terrible situation, the open
ing became suddenly darkened, and,
looking up, the mother saw her little
boy peering down into the cistern. She
cried out to him to run to his father S
shop and tell him that the baby was
dying and he must hurry home. The
little fellow, either frightened at the
hollow sound of his mothers voice com.
ing up from the depths of the cistern, OF
losing his balance, jumped and fell head.
long into the water. He disappeared
beneath the surface, but soon appeared
again, strangling and choking. His
mother lifted him out and quickly re-
stored him. She then put him ur
through the opening, and enjoined him
to run away at once and tell his father
to come home.
While he was gone Mrs. Prendgast, by
some superhuman effort, succeeded III
jumping so as to grasp the top of the
aperture with her hands. She drew her.
self up far enough to see her child lying,
still struggling, on the floor, within two
feet of her, but all the efforts of the dis
tracted woman to get further were I'M.
availing. 1t was only by the exercise OF
some unnatural strength that she main
tanned her position, the blood gushing
from her nose and mouth and from be-
meath her fnger-nails, under the in
tensity of her grasp. She saw her little
one cease struggling, evidently in DEATH
and utterly helpless to render it any aid
The little boy hurried to his fathers
shop, some distance away, and although
he could not make Mr.. PrendgAst under.
stand what the matter was, the latter
knew by the excited manner and drip
ping clothes of the child that something
was wrong, and fastened home. As h
entered the door his wife uttered a fear
full shrek, and loosening her hold fel
back into the cistern. Mr.. Prendgast q
once lowered himself through the open
ing, and found in lifting his wife from
the water that she was unconscious
having swooned.
In that condition it was impossible,
for him to get her out of the cistern, ant
to add to theagony of his situation hi
little boy stood on the very edge of tn
aperture above, screaming and calling
TO his mamma, and was only kept from
jumping down by the severest paterna
threats. By long continued dashing 0
water in his wife's face, and chatting he
temples and wrists as he best could
Mr.. Prendgast succeeded in bringin,
her back to consciousness, and fnall,
she recovered SO far as to get out of tn
cistern with the aid of her husband
She fell to the floor, unconscious, how
ever, exhausted from the effort. MI
Prendgast at once dispatched a passel
by for DR., Buell., in hope that his chill
might yet be restored and to have some
thing done for his wife. The child wa
, past aid, having been dead some time
The wife was restored sufficiently to re
late the circumstances of the affair, bu
is lying now in a critical condition, wit
danger of becoming insane.