New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-29
PIERRE vAcouERrE. Age dc GO ans,
ARTUs yAcQUERIE, Age de II ans

No who knows the melancholy story can gaze upon
these tombstones with their eoqueny simple eplfaphs
without sense OF Profound "
daughter and at the time OF her death she was within
three months OF her confinement. Pierre and Artus
Vacquerie In 1913 the yacqueries lived their own
property which abuted Oh the Seine at Vilequier They
occupied large OldasniOned red brick house that stood
IN beautiful garden laid out in the English fashion. The
family at that time consisted OF Madame Vacquere her
son Charles, his wife Leopoldne, Madame Nacquere's
brotherin-law Pierre and his Artus. Charles who
very 70 nd OF boating, had ordered new boat from
Honteur He had taken fancy to this particular boat
because it had carried of prize at the Honieur Regatta
The boat duly arrived IL was beautifully htted
neighbOrhOod expressed opinion that IL was unsea-
worthy by of topheavness Undcterred by this
ved his young wife, his uncle and bis cousin 10 join him.
His wife, Influenced by what she had heard demurred at
first but yielding to her husbands solicitations, went
with him. as did also ms uncle ana cousin IL was beau
tifu morning The shining brilliantly, and the
OF merrment the little party Madame vacquerc
down TO the river, and wishing them au reV0r Dade
them be and return in time for dee0ner. Leopol
dine in spite ofhe passing fear she had had was the mer
REST OF the lot she Mas very pretty girl ana tHere are
tfu picture she presented as she stood up and waved
The sail hoised and the little boat scudded
down the Seine before light breeze and was soon lost TO
sight by bend In the river.
Deje1ner was waiting. and Madame Vacquerfe grew o
little uneasy and mounted to the top OF the house. where
a window commanded "a wide sweep OF the river. She
down again. but her uneasness increased ana once
g bn up b heard g v from one o the
bank OF the river and then the sight that she almost
drove her ravng mad The boat had sailed back and had
almost got abreast OF the house, when In passing little
gorge known the Back OF the Ass "A pun OF wind
boat had capsized, and its four occupants were
underneath. well known notary, Monsieur
LemetaJer, who still lives, passing at the
time, and instantly raised q cry OF alarm.
few minutes passed before dozen boats had been
launched and pulling 10 the scene of the DISASTER
While hundreds excited people gathered the banks
and filled the air with their lamentations Those who
had gone out in the boats at once that there was no
hope and in few moments they had dsentangled from
sail body of Pierre Nacquere and they pulled
her filled with the sand OF the river and her violet
covered with clinging weeds The bodies OF
her husband and his cousin not recovered until the
following day. the tide had carried them down the
river for some distance.
been fully explained But II known that soon after
leaving the little landing before his mothers house.
Monsieur Charles that his boat crank and after
sailing distance he landed at place called Caude
bee where upon the quay quantity or Oldfashioned
round balls. These balls had been lying there for
them board OF his craft for ballast IL
is believed that when the gust OF wind
tho gorge caught the SAIL these balls rolled 10
side and upset the boat. little while before his
death Victor Hugo visited the cemetery for the last time
nearly hours lie sat upon tombstone, and re-
gardcd with fearful eyes the graves OF those VINO had
been dear him, and II is probable that line from
his own work MiseraDles may have occurred To
hun:
For few months later when the writer Of this stood
the graves, the grass was growing long ana rank
about them and the of upward OF forty years had so
dscoored the stones make decipheiing Of the in
scriptons matter OF some dillculty