Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-07-22
JoHx 2. AELMoxp. JR.. Dnomnrn
A Tragic Ending of n sunday Trip
i'm M RnHgl

day night, at . O'Clock, of the ietties a,
the mouth of the Ohrietiana creek. The
body had not been found at this writing
The details Of the sad occurrence are
these The victim was one Of party Of
young men who contemplated CAMPING
out for week from next Saturday. M
was selected as member of COMMITTEE,
to choose camping ground. The otbe,
members OF the selecting party were Harry
Palmer and Edward Moseley. some plac,
In the vicinity CT Billingsport, N. j., was
spoken OF and IL was decided that The
party should go and lock at II SUNDAY,
Palmer and Moseley went up on the Mary
Morgan, but Almond, who was interested
as part owner of the sailing skiG Brandy.
wine, argued that as they hRd the boat
they had better use Il. He therefore made
upa party consisting of FRANKIE. Moaeley.
Elliott Shaw, Frederick Elliott Harry
Cole and one or two others, and started
70 sail TO Billingsport, at about 8 O'Clock
sunday morning. The boat Il
II feet . inches long and Is
kept ON the Brandywine a short
distance below Market street bridge.
The party reached Billingsport al
l.3O O'Clock, and Palmer and Edward
Moseley, who had gone up on the Morgan.
met them. After spending about two
honra ON the Jersey shore, the party re.
embarked, with the exception Of the two
who had gone up on tho steamboat and
who returned the same way, and tbe
Brandywine was headed for Chester. Al
the latter place stop was made in order
70 get lunch, in which pursuit half an
hour was Rpent, when the crew again set
sail and reached Marcus Hook with fair
breeze.
Al the Hook they were becalmed and
the sail was furled around the boom, the
crew having TO take to the oars. They
pulled steadily down toward the Chris
tiana light, but as they went change
came over the face Of the aky, Dark
clouds rapidly drifted together, making
everything blacker and blacker about
them. Low thunder rolls were heard.
followed by the vivid lightning flashes
while the perfect calm about them was
fast becoming ominous. They pulled
with might and main in the hope
OF reaching and rounding the
1etties before the storm should break
They got within 25 yards of the goal when
the fatal monster overlook them. IL was
about 9 o'clock. Four Of the crew were
pulling ON the oars, and Almond, who
was ono Of the oldest boys in the boat.
was standing in the stern, holding fast TO
the boom and watching the approaching
storm. A gust broke and squalls burst
all about them, while the rain came down
In sheets. Suddenly they were seized by
a blast which enveloped the boat, spin.
ming II around several times, tearing ropes
and blowing away loose articles of clothing
belonging to members Of the party. The
boom was blown from its fastenines md
In the lurch jerked young Almond, who
was holding TO II, and precipitated him
over the vessels side. He cried for HELM
ashe went, but the boat was in the sweeping
current caused by the wind and tide
around the jetty's point and the young
men were all alarm and excitement and
had lost control Of the boat, which
rapidly drifted a quarter of n mile up the
Delaware before they again secured
the mastery Of her. As rapidly as
possible they pulled back against
the tide to the jetty and for nm hour
searched and shouted for their lost com
rade, but no answer came TO their anxious
cries. Their mate had been swallowed
up in the blackness and the roar Of the
storm, and no trace of him remained
Sadly they resumed what was now their
funeral way up the Ohristiapa and the
Brandywine and sorrowfully disembnrked
atthe boat landing near Market street from
which they had so blithely started out in
tho morning.
They reached the city abont 10. 80
O'Clock and informed some OF the police.
II was the members of the police force
who went to the residence of ex-Mayor
John p. Almond, at No. 1874 West street,
aud informed about IL o'clock OF the mis-
fortune h at had befallen him.
The drowned man was 20 years old and
lived with his parents. He was employed
M clerk in the grocery store of j. p.
Almond Il Co., Mt Eighth and Market
streets. He was said 10 be n good swim
mer, but this is somewhat doubtful, as he
had in childhood received a paralytic
stroke which greatly impaired the use of
his left arm and right leg, and
made him very lame. He had also
put on his shoes before the storm
came up, and that on his right
foot, with its thick sole and stifening for
the ankle joint, weighed about four
pounds, which must have helped materi-
ally to pull him down. He might still
have reached the jetty were it not for the
strong current formed by the interruption
of the tide at that point, which would at
times battle the efforts of the strongest
swimmer.
The lost boy had arisen from bed early
Sunday morning and taken breakfast
at O'Clock. After breakfast he went up
stairs and kissed his mother and sister
tarewell-for the day, he and they
thought-as it proved, forever. His
parent, mother-like, kindly protested
against his going out in small sail boat
aud ended by admoniHhing him to be
careful. When the storm came up and
he had not reached home in the evening she
became alarmed and had not slept n
moment when the information came to
her ears of the tragedy at the Christiana
light, and her worst fears were realized.
Up TO the time of going TO press the
body had not boon recovered.