Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-03-22
five Wen Drowned,

a CORRESPONDENT CT the Richmond Wing gives
the following particulars Of the deplorable accI
dspt that was mentioned 10 the teeg'apO'c
news 10 Yesterdays Gsz4tte On Saturday.
the lG:h of March, 1878. five good aol tFuc
men lost their lives by dreadful accident tue
memory Ct which will never lade from many
hearts, who now, in grief aad sorrow, lament
their Loss. Three men and a boy about sixteen
wears OF age, left their work, as WAS Usual WIN
Them, Oh Saturday evening, 10 ~ across the
river TO the town of HowardsVle. They were
laborers upon the farm of gcntieman VINO re-
sided on the Buckingham side OF the rl7cr.-
Thew returned about j.. H., and found 20
boat upon The Nelson landing, which IS s!tuat.
ed upou the lard of A. j. Bondurant, esq, and
unon calling out for some one to come over and
farry them across, they were answered by Allen
McFaddin, a miller upon the premises CT Capt.
| g. Patteson. lie carried over to them small,
frail canoe, the large boat having (somc day or
two beiorc) been carried do@o the river. IL
seems that all five took passage i'll this wretch
| cd bark. About clock, y. H., smali boy,
| who happeoed to be near the river, which Was
nujtc high. heard great Splashiog and cutlery
near the Nelson bauk and distinguished The
cords, "Hod on 10 the boatl' "Wherc is
| little Jimmy ?" He Immediately gave the
alarm, and instantly plumber OF persons rush
| rd with eager haste 70 the rescue. But, alas,
il was too late Not solitary OF Jet could be
discerned upon tue waters aud their sucn
roar seemed 10 mock at the heart rcndlog
sbricks of the widowed mother OF al only SOD,
who stood upon the bank Of the angry current
and cried aloud, "Wherc, oh where, is my dar
linz boy" By her side stood the widowed
wife of another, and two sisters Of two others,
| Never shall | forget the awful scene! The
moon was partly obscured by clouds, and ever
and anon would cast glare of light upon the
roaring watr,a, when these unfortunate people
would rush to the bank and try to see some
sign of their loved ones. Then. after each
fresh disappointment, their walls OF woe would
deepen into shrek alter shrtk, that would
have touched with pity heart of adamaDt. -
Nearly all night long tho river was searched
Tor miles below Tor somc'traces Of them, but
without success and two families, CONTAINING
thirteen helpless women anil childreD, were left
without solitary man to support them. al
we're lost, and as yet no trace OF their bodies
or even the canoe 10 which they persisted, ha!
been found Allen McFaddin, tho miller, was
about Gj years of age, aud though poor il
worldly goods, was brave and honest man
and there beat beneath his tustan jacket as
warm and tender heart as ever animated I
human bosom. Though beyond the age
required for CONSUMPTION, he served fur
years in Stuart's cavalry with credit and
distinction. Ills son James McFaddiu, {
noble youth CT about - years Of age
rerishcd with him, as also did his grandson
James Woodic. good and upright bog, whom
he teuderly loved. John Dawson, youci
man Ct about o5 Of most excellent character
met with the same sad fate, as did also faith
full coored man, named George Roberts, who
was about Is years Of age, and The I!thcr o
seven infant children. Lilo too was good anG
well disposed mao. The two McFaddlns ACC
Dawsons wcro excellent sHi miners, the Others
could not swim.