The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-05-09
A mELANCmOLLY ExCURs.oy
ONE LITTLE GIRL DROWNED. Avn
ONENARRO WLY RESCUEn

-
ONENARROWLY RESCUED.
On Monday last, Judge II. c. Bailey and
Mr. W. J.. McCutchen, teachers in the
Methodist Sunday School, as reward Of
merit 10 their respective classes, arranged
for an excursion to the lake, to give the
children day of recreation and enjoy.
ment. Judge Bailey had fourteen vounc
girls in hir carriages, Mr.. McCutchen
eleven, and there were besides some
Others not so Immediately under their
charge. Arriving at the lake they en-
ployed competant oarsmen 10 give the chill
dren the pleasure of boating on the lake
accompanying each expedition in person,
and seeing that each had the pleasure of q
boat ride. Having sufficiently enjoyed
themselves in this manner, the teachers
enioined mo more boating" and sought
to engage and interest all in fishing the rest
of the evening, agreeing that all parties
be in readiness to return home at O'Clock.
The patty was thus divided, up and down
the slough aud along the lake, fishing and
enjoying themselves until about the hour
for returning, when Messrs. Bailey and
McCutchen commenced attempting to col
lect the children at Carpenters Hotel At
this moment the cry was given that
TWO LITTLE GIRLS WE'RE DROWNING.
that they had ventured out upon the water
and the boat had capsized. The main
party were some three hundred yards from
the scene of the accident, and it was socle
moments before the alarm reached them and
could be responded to. When they reach
ed the bank, nothing could be seen but the
upturned canoe, and the two little hats o'
the two little girls floating down the stream,
the bodies having sunk to the bottom. Mr..
WILLIAM LAWSON
with heroism that desires immortal re
membrance, seized 4 boat, sped to the point
of the accident, and diving down TO the
bottom, found body, and brought 1t up
in his arms! With the assistance OF Mr..
Burnett he swan to the shore with the APP
parcntly liieless body OF Miss josie Ste
phens. every spark of life was seemingly
extinct, but the grieved and suffering
friends wrapped her in blankets and applied
ever possible restorative until finally rcsus-
itation was discernible, and in an hour or
two she was restored to consciousness The
body of Miss Stephens must have lain on
the bottom of the creek for fIom one to sew
raj minutes, and her restoration to life at
all seemslitt!e less than a miracle.
In the meantime the party continued to
fish by means of hooks aud every other de
wise. for the body OF
MISS LUCY CASE THOMAS.
the little girl who lost her life in this sad,
sad accident, but they were not 80 fortunate
in finding it so readily, and when they did
life was totally and hopeless extinct.
THE ACCIDENT.
These little girls, aged respectfully from
twelve to fourteen, had strayed off from the
main party, in company with youth only
4 few years their senior, Master JEFF, Dick,
and were very anxious for the young man,
who is said to be good boatsman Tor his
age, to take them out in the canoe. He
II take the two little girls, Lucy
Thomas and Jose Stephens, and when out
in mid water, they ran near a stump, When
Lucy Thomas, having paddle, pushed vi
olentently against the stump, which dipped
the boat half full of water The little yiHs
AZ naturally they would do under the cir
careened to one side which cap
sized the boat and threw them all out
Young Dick seized hold Of one Of the girls,
Lucy Thomas, and struggled maniully to
swim ashore with her, but his strength was
not eq ual to the task and he was compelled
to yield his precious charge to a waJery
grave. The little fellow was quite heart
broken at the calamity, and excited the
heartfelt sympathy OF all because OF his
agonizing grief.
This sad, sad affair was the result OF the
natural impulsiveness and exuberance Of
childish anxiety for enjoyment, and no one
was censurable. Messrs Bailey and Nc
Cutchen exercised every care and attention
The two little girls Lucy Thomas and Josie
stephens, we're not members OF either BAL
Iey's or McCutchen's classes, and while they
gave them any and every attention, these
children who were not of their classes, did
not feel the same restraint as to their au-
thority. We feel deeply grieved because OF
the sad accident.