The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-12
A Distressing Accident at MAR.
tins Ferry-Three Young Men
Drowned.

Drowned.
A most distressing accident occurred
over at Martins Ferry Wednesday even.
ing. The circumstances, u We we're able to
CLEAN them yesterday, are as follows :
Shortly after sundown siI boys named
Frank McKim, Herbert CroWl, Peter
Milligau, Thomas S. Jordan Wilson
Kerr and James Greer started out for 4
pleasure ride In bkiff about l2 feet long
They rowed up to 5 point opposite Mar.
shalTs old coal bank, when Jordan pro-
posed to relieve Greer in rowing, and
for that purpose stepped over Kerr's
seat. In doing so the skiff tipped to one
side, and when he drew back 1t tipped
again to the other side, and careeued so
much as to take in great deal Of water.
This frightened the boys and they all
Jumped out into the river, and the skif'
turned bottom up. They all struck out
for the Ohio shore except Jordan, who
could not swim, and Greer who remained
to help him. They seemed perfectly con-
tident Of their ability to make the shore.
Jordan was assisted to the top Of the
skifF by Greer, after which Greer
pulled off his coat and struck cut In the
wake OF his companions. He saw Milli'
gan and McKim in the water and called
to them 10 be Of good cheer and push
ahead, which they seemed to be doing.
Jordan called to the shore from his place
on the skiff for help, and was heard by a
young man named Neil, who at once tore
loose skifF lying at the shore, and with
nothing but one Of the seats Of the skiff
for paddle put out to the rescue. McKim
had been heard to call for help once or
twice before he went down. When q
short distance out Neil met Greer who
had reached a point where he could wade,
and where he got into the skitf with Mel
and went back with him to rescue Jor.
dan. Reaching Jordan, they rescued him
and then put out as speedily as possible
for the Ohio shore. Kerr meanwhile had
reached the shore and raised the alarm.
The people came rushing TO the scene in
great numbers and not finding McKim,
Milligan or Crowl, begun toidrag the river
for them. The search was continued up
to midnight but without success and was
resumed again yesterday morning. Hun.
dreds Of people throngsd the banks Of the
river and the water was black with boats
searching for the dead bodies. About
three o'clock in the afternoon the
body OF young McKim was caught by the
grab.hooks at point above the Blast
Furnace, about one-iourth the distance
across the river on the Ohio side. The
body was taken to the residence Of his
grist.stricken parents, and the search
continued for the other two bodies. About
two hours later the body oil young MILL
gan was found near McKim's. His limbs
showed signs of cramps, and it was
thought that his failure to reach the
shore was caused by this circumstance.
Up to Q o'clock last night the body of
young Crowl had not been found, but 1t
was thought that the grab hooks had
struck his clothes once or twice during
the search and had lost their hold.
1t is needless to say that this deplora-
BILE accident has cast a gloom over the
entire community of Martins Ferry.
Great sympathy ia manifested BY every
body for the afflicted families. Every
effort will he made to recover the yet
missing body Of Otyoung CtOwl.