Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-10-21
WATERY GRAVES.
A Lcaky Skin Sinks In Mid.
stream With Six Young
Men.
-Four Of Them Sink 70 Rise no Moro
While Twosare Rsscusd-Distreu
Of Relatives and Friends.
A Father Reseues One Of His r,oys
From Drowning, But Perishes
With the Other Two.
Four Young Men Drowned.

ST. Louis, Oct. 20.-At one O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon six young men at
tempted TO cross the river In n ska a
the foot OF Miller street, and when with
In one hundred and fifty feet Of the I'm
nois shore the frail craft which had beer
gradually filling sank, and four men wcr
drowned. The victims are,
Philip Deffan, twenty years old, slnule
wireworker; lived at l454 South Third
street.
WIN. Kaufman, twenty-five years old
single, ieweler; lived at 1927. South
Third street.
Phillip Lutz, eighteen years old, single.
painter; lived at las Miller street.
Frank Seebold, twenty eight years old,
married. elevator builder, lived M
Miller street.
The two men saved are,
j. w. Beck, twenty-five years, single,
harness maker, living at 700 Marion
street
VIM. Christ, twenty-s six years, married..
carriage maker, 3ll Soulard street.
The party had peen organized for .
fishing excursion to Cahokia creek, auc
yesterday was the time set for the dc.
parture. They had provided themselves
with a small stxteen-foot skif, which,
under ordinary circumstances, would
nave carried them safely across the river.
A strong wind was blowing when the
boat was pushed of, aud Luiz and Sec
bold, who were handling the oars, pslleo
Tor a point opposite Miller street, the In.
tRnIlnn hninO fn AAnt kA... A. ~
shore to the mouth OF Cahokia creek.
The combined weight OF the men forc,.e
the boat down In the water until tho
danger.line was ~encroached upon, aud .t
was not until the party were well on In
the river that the danger OF the situation
dawned upon them. Christ then arose
and said; "Don't You see the white cars
yonder; We had better 20 back" The
majority OF his companions would not
hear TO II, and the men continued TO pull
Tor the eastern shore. The waves rolled
high and dangerous as they proceeded.
and the water flowed into the boat de-
spite the efforts OF the occupants. Ju,ius
Fedke, of 1904 South Second street. and
Fred B~ergholz, of 1905 South Third
street, who were on the Illinois side with
a skiff, observed the Distress Of the party
and rowed out TO help them. They had
got but a few feet from the shore when
the k containing the six men
swamped.
Christ and Beck, the two men saved,
jumped out Of the boat Just as Il was
sinking, but the other -four wen, under
with the craft. Fedke and Berghols
rowed rapidly TO the scene, aud sue.
cceded 10 picking mp Christ aud Beck.
but the rest had disappeared. Defaa
and Seebold were observed strug.
cling together In the water, one
apparently trying TO shake on
the other. Both then went down
and were not scen again. All could
swim except Christ and the Sudden
drowning Of the others Is unacconnted
for. A rcscuing party consisting Of
Henry Helm, William Merlsel and several
others recovered the bodies OWN. Kauf.
man and Philip Lutz In a seine about Q
p. m. The disaster was q severe shock
to The relatives Of the victims, aud
friends and ncighpors lined the river
bank In hope that all the bodies would be
recovered. All the young men were well
known and popular, and two OF them are
said 10 be engaged TO be married. Mrs.
Seebold has two small children and was
completely overwhelmed by the terrible
disaster. An attempt wv be made to-
day TO find the remaining two bodies and
an inquest will be begun by the coroner.