Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-08-10
A SORRY PICNIC PARTY.

A SORRY PICNIC PARTY.
Three Persons Drowned.-A Farmer and
his Young Wife Die la Each Others
Arms.
A terrible casualty occurred near El-
dred, Pa. A mile and half from the
pond is the farmhouse OF Thomas
Bream. William, his son, was married
to Annie Chase, of Buffalo, and came on
with his bride to spend few days at
the homestead. A farewell picnic was
given them at Seven-mile pond. Mrs.
Bream, the bride, and Emma Bream,
her husbands sister, expressed wish
to be rowed around the lake, and the
husband seated them in the boat, to-
gether with Maggie Sanders and Fred
Vance. The boat was old and weather
beaten, and some of the older people in
the party protested against so many 60
ing out in it. Vance declared that it
was perfectly safe. Bream rowed out to
the middle of the pond, where the water
is very deep, and the boat was drifting
idly about, when Vance rose suddenly
to his feet to point out to one of the
ladies some object on the shore. As he
arose his whole weight was brought on
the bottom of the boat, and Que of the
wormeaten boards broke in two, making
an opening through which the water
rushed rapidly. Young Bream pulled
hard for the shore, and Vance shout
ed for another boat but the boat
filled so rapidly that in less than min
ute it was swamped, and the inmates
were struggling for life in the pond, a
hundred yards from shore.
Old Mr.. Bream and q man named
Simon Turner ran along the shore to get
another boat, which was some distance
away, while George Bates and Burt.
Ward jumped into the water and swan
out to the aid of the struggling party.
Young Bream, who was good swimmer,
grasped his wife when the boat sunk,
and would have reached the shore safely
with her had she not, in her terror,
clung to him so tightly that his move
ments were hampered, and he could
only work to keep himself and her afoat
until the arrival of aid. Vance was an
expert in the water, and thought he
could support Miss Bream and Maggie
Sanders until he was relieved, and he
vent at once to their aid. When he
reached them they both threw their
arms about him, and, in spite of his ap-
peals to them to unloosa their arms, they
chung to him, screaming in terror. The
consequence was that hs was entirely
helpless and at the mercy of the water,
and when Bates and Wade arrived the
three had sunk beneath the surface, and
Vance was unconscious, while the girls
were still struggling wildly and retain
ing their hold on the drowning man.
Bream shouted to Bates and Wade to
give their attention to Vance and the
girls, as he could keep himself and wife
ahoat until they could help him. Bates
seized hold of Miss Sanders and tore her
loose from Vance as they were again
disappearing from view. Wade tried to
separate Miss Bream from Vance, but
could not loosen her grasp, so he told
Bates to swim ashore with Miss Sanders
and he would support Vance and the
other girl until he came back or until
the boat arrived. The elder Mr.. Bream
and Mr.. Turner found that the boat they
had gone after was half filed with wa
ter, and had no oars nor even paddle,
and was consequently useless.
In the meantime, George Bates had
reached land safely with Miss Sanders,
and handed her over to her friends, who
succeeded in restoring her in short
time. He then started back to the assist
ance of his companion, who was calling
loudly for help. Young Bream had sue
ceeded in releasing his wife's tight
clasp, and getting her subject to his con-
troll, started for shore. He had got
within hundred feet of the shore when
suddenly he threw up his hands and
shouted: "For Christ's sake, some
one help mel"
There was no one on shore who could
swim but the father of the young man,
and he, though nearly seventy years old,
plunged in the water and started for his
drowning SOL. He had taken scarcely q
stroke when the young man disappeared
beneath the surface, his wife still cling
ing to him. The old man swan about
the spot ready to seize them when they
came us, but they did not reappear.
When her son went down Mrs. Bream
was carried away unconscious. George
Bates reached the spot where his brave
comrade was, by herculesn efforts, sup
porting the burden of the unconscious
Vance and Miss Bream. Bates immedi-
ately took charge of the girl, and the
two men started slowly, but as rapidly
as they were able, for shore, which they
would never have reached but for the
unexpected aid that was extended to
them. Simon Turner, who had gone
with old Mr.. Bream after the boat which
they gave up as useless, subsequently
returned to it, and turning the water
out tore piece of board off the stern,
and with that as paddle started out
into the pond.
Bates and his companion were not
more than half way to the shore, and
just as they. had given up all hope OF
saving either their charges or themselves,
they saw Turner approaching them.
They put forth renewed exertions to
support themselves, and were soon
pulled in the old boat, together with the
unconscious bodies of Vance and Miss
Bream. Turner got safely to the shore,
and the bodies were quickly taken In
charge by anxious friends. Miss Bream
responded to the efforts that were made
to restore her, and was finally resuscita-
ted, but Vance was past all aid. Rates
and Wade were completely exhausted,