The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-04-21
THE WHITAKER DISASTER.
Long Search for the Drowned-Hopkins
and Whi.aker's Bodies Found.

nate men drowned at the mouth of North
East River, on Thursday, the 9Th inst, has
been constantly kept up since the first news
of the drowning, and will be continued I'M
til all the bodies are recovered. Ordinary
fishing hooks, less than two inches in
length, are used in the search. About two
hundred hooks are attached to lines, which
are fastened three feet apart to a rope, and
this is dragged by two boats over the river
Large, three pointed iron hooks We're first
used, but they We're found to be OF no use.
The small hooks have recovered the two
bodies and the articles in the boat thus far
found. The search for the bodies is under
the immediate supervision of Captain II. j.
Patton, and Messrs. f. $. Whitaker and G.
T.. McGurk
In last week issue we gave full account
of the search for the bodies, up to the time
of finding that of William, or "Sprig p"
Hopkins. His body was brought up on the
small hooks 1t was taken to North East
upon the tug, and given in charge of the
Rev L. X. Miller, of the Protestant Episco-
pal Church, who saw to its decent burial.
At about one o'clock p. NJ, on Sunday last,
the hooks took hold OF another body, at
point halfa mile further up the North East
River, than where Hopkins was found.
When drawn to the surface it proved to he
that of Cecil y. Whitaker. 1t was immedi-
atey taken aboard the tug, and landed at
North East, and given in charge of the I'M
dertaker, who prepared it for burial. The
bodies were both in good state of preser-
walton, notwithstanding the fact that they
had been in the water over a week. The
low temperature of the water prevented de-
composition, and the season being too early
for the class of fish that prey upon dead
bodies, they escaped mutiiation. Whitaker,
after being placed in the casket, looked ex
ceedingly natural, being easily recognizable
by persons acquainted with him. On Sat
urday last, fifty rounds of blank cartridges
were fired over the ground of the accident,
but nothing was effected thereby Tie can
non used was procured at Fort McHenry
the commandant, General Gibson, loaning
it for that purpose. 1t was mounted upon
a scow, and towed over the ground by the
tug Captain Poplar, of Havre de Grace,
was in charge of the gun. The report of the
firing could be plainly heard in this town.
The entire party having been drowned
and no one being left to tell the tale, all is
conjecture as to the cause of the accident |
The most reasonable, however, is that while |
under full sail, the step, upon the bottom of
the boat, into which the foot of the mast
fits, and which held it in place. broke loose
In the high wind and rough sea, which pre-
vailed at the time, the sail could neither be |
furled nor stripped from the mast, and the
mast, while loosely working against the |
sides of the boat, forced the hole. An ex-
animation of the wood shows it to have |
been rotten, and in this condition, of course, |
the boat was unseaworthy She must have
ripidly filled with water, and soon capsiZe,l |
The tide was going out at the time, and the
wind was in an opposite direction. The
boat went with the wind and against the |
tide after capSzing. The anchor, which |
was not fastened to the boat, indicates the |
point where the boat Went over, and in a
direct line from this, in the direction the
wind was blowing, have been found Jefferis'
undercoat, the colorel mans overalls, |
Whitaker'S blanket, Hopkins body and |
finally Whitakers body. Half a mile from
where the boat upset, tine colUred man was
found, showing that he Went down before |
Whitaker, whose body was found half a
mile further mp the river. When found his |
coat and overcoat were half way off, indi- |
eating, probably, that he had lost his hold |
remove the wet and heavy clothing Every
thing was found Oh Whitaker's body ex-
cept his gold watch, which must have been
broken from the chain before he went down |
\ portion of the chain was in the vest.
Cecil y. Whitaker WAS son of George p. |
Whitaker, Esq, tn. wealthy iron master,
of Princil 10. He was in his thirty-second |
year. leaves Il wife and son, nine years
old. Lewis g. Jetfers was twenty-seven |
years old, and leaves Il wife and two small |
children. Fl lis father was Il Union soldier |
and was killed at Cold Harbor. His mother
is still living He was Batimorean by
birth, and went to school at the Gettysburg
Orphans Homestead. Hopkins, or "Sprig-
gie," AS he was known, came originally
from RowandSvlle. Word was sent to his
parents, but no attention was paid to it. OF
Astel, or Askins, bat little is known, save
that he was hired by Whitaker, in Havre
de Grace, upon the day of the accident.
The remains of Whitaker were buried on
Tuesday last. Services We're held at the
house of deceased, the R-vs. Conway and
Squiers officiating. The attendance was
very large, acquaintance and friends of the
deceased, from all parts of the county, and
frem the various cities, being present.
Quite number Of persons from this town
attended, among them being Hon: Alex.
Evans, \. W. Mitchell and James r. Nc
Cullough, Esqs., Hon. j. b. Groome, Judge
Jas. McCauley. The remains were taken
from the house to st. Marks Church. near
Perryville, and Inferred in the burial
ground attached to the church. Rev. Mr.
Miller, of st. Anne's p. L. Church, of North
East, otficated at the grave. The following
named gentlemen acted as pail bearers: -
Hon. Frederick Stump, DIR George NJ
Stump, DIR. =. Il. Housekeeper, Alfred
Ford, Captain Jacob Poplar, Captain Alex.
Craig, Mr.. Thompson, of Baltimore, Elw.
McGuirk. Peter Harten slime and Michael
Moore.
1t is said to have been owing to the
dream that the body of Mr.. Whitaker was
found. Captain Poplar, Of Havre de Grace,
and Mr.. Whitakers broihe: and nephew
on the day before the body was found
brought TO the surface of the water, with
graphing irons, several bags of phosphate
and other contents of the boat. They de-
voted the remainder of the day to a thor
ough search of that locality for the body,
and not finding it concluded that Mr.. Whit
aker had lived to get near the shore That
night Captain Poplar dreamed that forty
rods beyond the place where the bags of
| phosphate were discovered he found the
body The next day the same party re.
paired to the spot indicated in the dream,
and almost Immediately Mr.. Whitaker'S
body was found by Captain Poplar, and
was brought to the surface with the irons
holding to the identical portion of the body
| as fpreshalowed N the dream.
A Very Bad Boy.
| Michael kilbride is the name of a lad of
| tbirta.n ar yaarS of oup uhn