The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-07-27
THE LAKE CONTRARY uoR.
ROR.
Drowning of Five Young German
Girls,
Particulars OF tho Sad Ev-mt.-Pa-
rents Stand Upon the Shore and
See Their Loved Ones Go Down--
The Last Sad Ritos Yesterday.

/ StTccts INV dn Unlilslng tibt>llhpnC
had occurred at Lake Contrary. Five
young girls had been drow ned, 1t was
said. Shortl,, the arrival of mcsscn.
gers from the Scene of the disaster
confirmed the terrible rumor-flvc
beautiful young girls, who, hut n lew
hours before were in the bloom oI
health. had In II few brief moments
passed into eternity.
Gazette reporter was ut once dis
patched to the scene of the catastrophe.
n nd there learned the following lactS
which subsequently were confirmed Ivy
| The evidence ELECTED ut the Coroncr'S
inquest: Yesterday there WAS u private
| picnic ut Fredericksburg, composed
mostly of German families. They lett
the city at an carly hour in the morning
arriving ut the picnicking grounds in
| good season abandoning themselves TO
| those pleasures commo to such ocCa-
| sions. So near The lakc-upon its very
bauk-it was natural enough 10 feel a
desire to 20 boating. Tue boats of the
| Fredrirksburg club were locked, and
| could not be secured. bu. there were
several fi>hrrman'S sh'hs tied To the bank
that the plcasurc-scckCrS appropriated
tn their temporary use. The boats were
not first class.in fact. there are those who
make bold to assert that they were to-
tally unfit for use. BE this as ii may
aud It Is aol our purpose to speak extern
sivcly on this point. with our limited
information upon it-be it as il may, we
saw. there was no sign, no intimation OF
real danger till the fatal accident oc-
Cured.
About - O'Clock Mr.. Otto Gross took
five younr ladie, in,o one of the shifs
for Il row. They were Clara KRAFT.
Sophia 6. SeitZ, ROSA Muinch, Matilda
thinner, and Matilda Gross. The par
Nv rowpd up and down the lake for two
hours, never vi any lime pu,ling ON
more Than 10 wards from shu q. just
n. he boa started cut, Mrs. Sritz CALI
cd 10 Mr.. Gros, 10 bring the girls back.
that il was going TO rain. The Oil,
protested against returning Mr.. Gloss
Welded to tir'r uncertainties to k, ep on
r,plyinp TO Mrs. SeitL that il wasn't 90.
inaIo rain any more.
The parry were returning from thei,
boat-ride and were pcrhanS inv wards
from shore. when Clara Kraft and So
pnia NIu.nrh commenced reaching for
and uullinr at the pond lilies that rroM
abundnutIvi in that pnrl of thr Lake, Mr..
Gross warned them, sayinr that there
was danger of upsc,tinr the boat. bu,
the o rIs in The axubcranrr OF their n,-
ture. paid no heru To the advice. aud
seemed TO think il rare Iun Ia play with
the biz lilv leaves aud splash water.
While thus Engaged in pulling the .ilir~
the boat copsiZpd and lis human load
was ~ cciuiiatcd into the wafer. CIar,
Kraft and RuS: Nj inch sal in ,e ste
of The boa, and were the first TO 90 rlI.
der. The water was about Twelve feet
deep. and in il moments time the sin
hap.es, persons were out of siyht.
Gross is IN excellent swimmer and up
on rising to the surface excited every
| effort to save his companions.
His first thought was of his lille
daughter, and il was the wurh Of but =
| moment to clutch hrr and pul her little
| hands on the still llo,lilw boat, irlliu"
| her 10 hold fast. In 1t IKE mannrr all
| the rirls were brought safely 10 the boa:
but such va, their lri.hi titt they AL
scrambled 10 gct in thcirhv timing
the hoal lO one sic and ln,ium thpi,
holds sank for the second time.
Again Mr.. Gross seized his little yrrl
| rs She came 10 The surface, and IA.
| swimming TO the boat with her. WHEN
sudden Y one o. tho other drowning
Girls cjutrLed him around The n,cL from
behind him and drurwcd him down.
1t Is most touching 10 hear Gross re-
cilnl ot that awplul moment. ~, drown.
ipp child seemed to comprehend folly
The nw(ul fate that awaited her. IIr,.
face wos Lri~ht and bonulinu,. The ,x-
element flushed If with n ulow thai
srcmcd TO drrv death S~tretrhirr ONT
Lcr littlc hands nlrnIirnlv. She rrirI
ooh nam, save mo" lbrn sand and he
saw her ,liye M moro.
instantaneous with his por,inr from
| his child. Gross was Srizri with ,I,mns
| In his lrrs and if was only Lv ,lmn,,
,unrr.hmm,r oys,diors In; Ia. ,,,inoL
,i'rn ,]rrrnnn' ~ ,L,, 49,, ,mr r.,,, m,,
name, # mil bn found hi,saii nn .hnra
he saws ,,nI he dncS nnt 'nr,iout wL,t
&c., i.,I n, ,.,. ~. ~. ""'
nrnul th. c.,,,r. Ia -, Iinn,I' 49,
cd him iro,n mr,t in" " -, " ~, ,n:t
"', ~" n"'rr"'"S 10y '"''"'' 'n'''
,TLo u, '"'',' uEnnI''"'m>'
u,a' "L,ra az ,hn I'i.o L,. Nv, "'m'
~, NAN a. v,Lasn ' ""' "
NJ ",,n, w. =, Ls '''t,'S S"I'h' r"'
| ul-nnln' l1 IL M SAM lnI1 thtsA Intllll.4lE-
nntiY .,oaJ H., arJ III ,m" az n'''nel
,n Jrowm i, fnm, ',i "r,"e Nv" M"'nc'
w,rd re"c";n" ,I,onn NUNS "'"'''o 'o-
Gross was s,ynd hr r.,,, vr,o h,,
uioso M"o a"N'n ~ " parry "No,nn'-
rnmaIn ]w;,mo.sns ~ ,"o ,Ln ,',"tn, W ,''
,rn"'h"J ~" LUZ r".'>''"Pi'r
AND La ton"J T." ,hn J","i.T in'y" rNn'
;n"r rnr,ons Th"rn,a Wv y '"' ",o"i-
~ cross luI "lne' !" .ui' T."
'Hi,,tL, N'''' o"' wv '"'o " save 'h'
rho ho1io.o Of ,ho h,n,,.. ,,.,..
worn saom r,c",orri on IPIoo ,ict,'n,
- ~" ''V,' I"' ,"Nc" ashore
,nnr nU m"'r . "n' IiI,os.' w. cruel
% W. v,i,a J1'.'ns "'i H. tne" sl,ip'e' Slrl-
,cnd rriv i,iI nnon ,ho ,ur T""I WIZ
nr'nd ,y,lj ,ronp u wra '"t' umu'L .nc
Iorore IN ,he fiji hlnon n"t " ''W hours
benI,L thov had ,,rn'" !" lii y.
go oh,SI" sioht" III" nTii'uH, 1t
80 H,anrn5o = - paint h'elcss