Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-09-10
DOWN TO DEATH.
Four Girls and Two Men Drowned
in the Fox River at Osh-
kosh, Wis.
A Frail Boat Suddenly Capsized by
the Swell OF Passing
Tug.
loshkosh owls, specialI

GOshkOsh (Wis) special
The most melancholy case of drowning
chronicled in the history of this city oc-
Cured at an early hour this morning near
the draw of the Milwaukee and St Paul
bridge, which crosses the Fox River A
dozen operatives in the Diamond Match
Company's works, principally young girls,
were being rowed across the stream IN
finil boat, and being caught in the swell Of
q passing tug the craft was upset and six
OF the party drowned When tho boat began
to rock in the waves several of the girls
became sci sed with te ror, and IN their ap-
parent madness rose from their seats, and,
rushing to one side. caused the terrible ac-
cident. A young man named Wolff, who
was OF the party, reached land ng- pace
first, aud though somewhat exhausted saved
one or two lives with great difficulty. The
other persons were saved by young man
named Starbeck. who pushed out from
shore after witt essing the rccident Those
rescued were In an exhausted cond tion.
AS the news of the accident spread hun
dreds of people were attracted to the spot
and among them relatives of the lost ones.
The scene during the search for the bodies
was painful 10 witness, and tears and
lamentations rent the air. In three hours
from the upsetting of the boat ali the bod
les were recovered and taken to their DESC
lated homes The names of the drowned
are: Johanna Matschie, aged 20; Augusta
Wiese. aged 10; Euma Bauer, aged Is;
Lena Maidle, aged ~; Philip Berry, aged
10; Louis Dicht, aged 25.
With the exception of Berry, the dead
men were members Of the poorer class of
laborng people and assisted in supporting
their parents. Berry, who was night watch
man at the bridge, vas under contract
with the girls to carry them across the river
for SO much per week. 1t is said that he
was careless in the management Of the
boat, and intensified the fright of the girls
when the boat first began to feel the effect
of the waves. The place where the acci-
dent occurred is one of the deepest points
in the river, the water being thirty feet in
depth. The water was chilly, and those
who were thrown into it were so numbed
that they could not assist themselves.
Their cries were heartrending when they
fel into the water. The accident causes
universal sorrow.
There are various rumors concerning the
cause of the accident. 1t is asserted that
the watchman, who is among the dead
rocked the boat on purpose to frighten its
occupants, and that this was the starting
roint of the accident. After the waves
struck the boat, they claim. all were so ter
rified that they lost their heads and looked
only for safety. The people of the
neighborhood where the dead resided are
greitly incensed and threaten TO do bodi-
ly injury to the day watchman at the
bridge, who had also made a practice Of
carrying passengers across the river but
there is no reasonable cause for this, as the
persons were satisfied 10 have the men fer
ry them, because the distance by the regu-
lar avenues of traffic was two or three miles
longer than by this route. The watchman.
it seems, conducted the ferry without hav-
ing obtained the consent of the agents Of
the road here and the railroad men do not
hold themselves liable for the accident,