Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-06-02
THE SAD DISASTER At LAKE
SPOFFORD


Drowned there last Friday.
THE EFFoRTs TO RECOVER THE BODIES FULL
PARTICULARS OF THE ACCIDENT.
The sad drowning accident which occurred
at Lake Spoiford Chesterfield, N. H., on Fri
day afternoon or evening Of last week, has
awakened deep feeling Of sadness and SYM
pathy in this community, and has furnished
universal theme of conversation since its oo-
currenoe. On the part of many of orr peo-
pie this feeling of sympathy has shown itself
in q disposition to render any service possible
toward the recovery of the bodies. The facts
in regard to the disaster are as detailed below.
On Thursday evening of last week Miss
Clara Louise Kellogg brought her concert COM
pany to Brattleboro, where they rem aimed
over night, Miss Kellogg herself going on to
Burlington on Friday morning to fill per-
sonal engagement to sing in a philharmonic
concert in that city. Tho company remained
in Brattleboro, the arrangement being for
Miss Kellogg to return here Saturday after
noon and rejoin her company for the concert
announced to be given in the evening. On
Friday afternoon, by invitation Of H. W. Alex
ander and i. X. Willie, the gentlemen Of the
company consisting of Geo. A. Comfy, basso,
Mr. Summers. tenor, Herman Rietzol pianist,
and Mr. Crosby, the manager, drove over to
Lake SpoGord for few hours recreation.
The party reached the lake shortly before
o'clock. Mr.. Comfy, who greatly enjoyed nat
ural scenery, at once expressed desire to 60
out upon the lake, and, procuring boat from
Mr.. Farr, soon set out with young Rietzel as
a companion, the rest of the party remaining
to fish in n small trout stream near the boat
house. Comfy was in fine spirits, declaring
that tho lake just suited him and expressinga
! wish to spend q vacation there He was eau
toned to be careful as a strong south wind
was blowing but he replied that he had no
fear as he was accustomed to manage boat
and could swim. As he pushed of Mr.. Sum
mers said, IF anything happens, telephone
u.s." To this Comfy smiled reply, and pull
| cd vigorously away in u manner indicating
perfect familiarity with the oars.
The last seen of the boat and its occupants
by the party on shore it was just of tho north
ern point of the island. This, probably, was
not far from half past 4. About o'clock, as
one PufFer was rowing with his sister from
the Charlier place up to the Factory village
he observed tho boat and tho two mon and
thought they were trying to run into the
shelter of the island. About the same time
Mrs. Farr also observed the boat.
When half-past six came and Comfy and
Rietzel did not return, some anxiety was felt
and Mr.. Farr and Mr.. Willis took boat and
rowed around the island without discovering
any signs Of them. II was thought possible
that they might have Como up TO the Factory,
and the party on shore drove up there but
without finding them, and after@ard drove
around on the Westmoreland road, thinking
they might have landed in the Charlier cove
and started to walk around TO the other
side. When they were not found here the
party became thoroughly alarmed and a search
of the shores WAS begun, although it did not
seem possible that the men should have been
drowned. just at dark their boat was found
bottom sdo up on JEWELS point, near the
Charlier place, but no further traces were
found that night A messenger was sent to
Brattleboro and the search continued rs we'll
as might be, though strong hope was felt
all night that the missing men had strayed
into the woods and would appear in the morn
ing The early morning brought earnest
workers from Bratteboro and the dragging of
the lake for the bodies began.
AS regards tho time whom tho accident
probably happened, it may be said that on
Saturday evening at about half-past six
Elbridge Hubbard Of Chesterfield and his son
and Willis Ray of Dummerston were driving
on the Westmoreland road to Stowell's brook
when they noticed boat adrift in the water
and remarked that some one had lost q boat
They did not take sufficient notice to observe
|
the fact of the boat being seen by them,
there is no doubt
Duringth the forenoon on Saturday the hats of
the two men, Conly's overcoat and under coat
and the oars of the boat were found scattered
along the shore. Conly's hat was found about
$50 feet east Of the spot where the boat was
found; his overcoat was $50 feet east of this
point and the other coat and hat and the oars
were scattered along at points still further
~ %
belonging to the missing men has been found
and there is nothing to indicate with any GER
tainty the place where tho accident occurred
and where the bodies lie. The opinion OF
those who are most familiar with the lake,
and who have looked the ground carefully
! over, is that the bodies are lying of the west
, side of the island, near the northern point,
and not many rods distant from the shore OF
the island. On Saturday afternoon, when the
wind was blowing in the same direction as on
Friday, Azor Marshall lay down in his boat
of the fishing rocks near the Westmoreand
road and allowed the boat to drift ashore al
its will 1t brought up within two rods Of
1 the line on which the boat of the missing
men was found fact which goes to prove
r the theory of the location of the bodies al
: ready mentioned.
On Sunday a large number Of people were
. present at the lake and the work of dragging
3 for the bodies was vigorously prosecuted
3 | During the afternoon the course covered by
o the boats was marked by buoys and for some
, time nine boats were dragging in line over
regular adjoining beats. On Monday the
J dragging WAS continued and toward night 9
. cannon was taken over to the island and re-
: peatedly fired with charges of q lbs. of pow
a | der. About the same time an experiment
5 with quicksilver was tried at some ones suR
. gestion. Quicksilver was placed in loaf Of
4 bread and set ahoat, the theory being that II
would float to a point over the bodies Rn6
there remain stationary. The bread wal
watched until dark without manifesting III
supposed mysterious power, the only peculiar
thing noticed being that it seemed much Of
, the time to drift against the wind.
, Miss Kellogg arrived in Brattleboro from
Burlington on Saturday afternoon ard OF
1 Sunday afternoon drove over to the lake anC
was shown every point of interest connected
q | with the disaster. Monday afternoon she re-
|. turned to New York with the members Of hei
, company Monday noon a brother of Comfy
: arrived from Boston and Monday night al
q elder brother of Rietzel came. Both of these
. have since been at the lake doing all in theii
power for the recovery of the bodies.
Toward night yesterday about hundred
: rend-rock cartridges were exploded in the lake
at various points where the bodies are sup
q posed 10 lie. There was plainly percepti
Bile agitation of the earth and water by these
explosives but beyond this and killing ant
! bringing up large number of fish no efec
: was produced. It has been in contemplation
TO bring divers here to search for the bodies
= and some correspondence has been had il
that direction, but as yet no definite decision
L has been reached, owing in part TO the large
|, expense involved in such an operation and il
9 part to the great uncertainty as to the poin
where the bodies lie.
The difficulties in the way of searching fol
the bodies either by dragging or otherwise
D are very considerable. The water varies il
Q depth from five TO forty feet, and at the bot
y tom are many rocks aud powders, between
o which the bodies may be lying and over which