The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-09-22
A SKlFF RUN DOWN
AND ONE OF Irs OCCUPANTS LOST.
A Mysterious Man whose Lite is saved, but
who Dl.appsars on Reaching th,s cuy.
He Processes not to Know oOmpaa.
l0nuno i. prOwnea-1, he u orool9

About 9 O'Clock yesterday morning the
towboat Maggie, on hor way FROM Louis
vile to Pittsburgh with tow OF empty
barges, ran over skitF containing two
men, one OF whom was drowned. The
accident occurred at Buck Hill Bottom,
about thirty-6ve miles below here. The
men in the skif had no light displayed
and tho Masgie's pilot did not sec them
or hear their cries until the head Of
his tow was within about $50 feet
Of the unfortunate men. Then it was too
late to avoid the catastrophe. The pilot
did all in his power, however, by signal
ing the engineer to reverse the engines
and ordering the yawl out TO assist the
men. Tho skill had been run drown
almost before these orders were given.
The boats crew rowcd around in their
yawl and guided by cries found the skiff
upside down with one OF the men ciinging
10 it. The other man could not be found.
The rescued man gave his name as
Christian Elemfit. He said he was from
Philadelphia, and was bound for No. 90
West Sixth street, Cincinnati. He stated
further that he had been picked up early
in the evening as hc wss resting OH the
river bank, quite y distance from where
the accident occurred, by the drowned
man, who was rowing by in skilf alone,
and whom he did not know, never having
seen him before and having had very
! little conversation with him during the
night, as they had both been steadily at
work rowing down the river. lie said that
they did not notice the steamers lights Or
hear her steam escaping until she wssquite
near, and that then they had pulled hard
on the oars 10 get out Of the way, and
pulled 90 hard that one oil the oars broke.
As the head OF the tow struck them he
went under, and as he came up he found
the skiA floating beside him. ElemEil
was brought to this city, but after landing
all trace Of him was lost. His story would
seem to indicate that there was something
crooked about either him or the drowned
man or both.
Why two men should spend night
pulling vigorously down the Ohio, it ia
hard to conceive, unless they had been
doing something irregular. The skitf had
the name Lilly" painted on it, was Is feet
long and had chain % feet long attached
to It's bow. The skill was painted red,
and the men in charge Of the Belmont
coal works, at Bsllaire, where the officers
of the Maggie left it, said that it was
exactly like one belonging to Fred KIM
pei, of Bsllaire. The men at the works
promised Capt. VIM. p. Jameson, master
Of the Maggie, to investigate and ascertain
whether Kimpels skif had been stolen or
he himself was missing
EIemrit said the drowned man was
about feet 0 inches in height, had black
hair, moustache and eyes, weighed about
100 pounds aud was between 81 and 81
years old.
Captain Jameson stopped at this point
yesterday morning and reported to Local
inspectors Young and Thomas, giving
them all the particulars Of the affair so far
as he was able. No blame is to be attach.
cd to him or any OF the boats officers fol
the unfortunate affair.