The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-12-18
DROWNED IN THE RAPIDS.
THE SAD DEATH OF SAMUEL.
BOSTIC AND ED. SUGGS.


BOstic's BODY Discovered Yesters
day Morning anC Brought to the
City, but no Traces of SuHRs
Have Vet Been Found.
Yesterdays CITIZEN chroncled the sad
news Of the drowning two young men,
sam. Bostic and Ed Suggs, who were
Employed at Graham's shoe factory.
Since then further particulars have been
earned. 1t seems that these two men,
accompanied by Frank Whiting, started
| down the river about three o'clock Mon
lay afternoon in bateau. They were
pound for Alexanders and took with
Them a shot gun with which to bag any
game they might see along the banks.
Everything went smoothly until they ar
rived ut point about mile below
where General Robert b. Vance lives.
Here there is a very strong current,
which sets in towards the eastern bank,
and runs like mill race, forming waves
several feet high. The boat was caught
| by the current and forced into the mar
row channel, where it turned broadside
to the waves, and being in the trough
was soon filed with water and began to
sink. The men remained in the boat
until the water was up to their waist,
when each one deserted it and tried to
save himself. Frank Whiting was
nurled by the swift current against the
bank. He grasped at an overhanging
rock, and managed to secure slight
hold or else he would have been dashed
TO pieces. But he was too weak to draw
himself up and so he gave himseta strong
push out into the current again and was
carried twenty or twenty-five yards far
ther down the stream. Here the bank
was less steep and he managed to pull
himself out of the water. Then he turned
and looked to see what had become of
his comrades. Nothing was visible on
the water except two hats, one of which
he recognized as belongingto to Suggs. He
ran up and down the bank calling them
by name but received no answer. Fin
ally he went to General Vance's and Sc
cured the assistance of him and his sons
in the search for his companions. Hav-
ing notified them, he came to Asheville
and broke the sad tidings to Bostics
father, who is carpenter and lives near
the Ashevile Lumber and Manufacturing
Company's works.
The accident occurred between FIVE and
six o'clock Monday night, and vigor-
Gus search was prosecuted during that
night for the bodies. On the next morn
ing at $50 a. m. body of twenty-five
men, consisting mostly of Mr.. Graham's
employees, left the city to relieve the
searchers. When they had gotten al
most to Gen. Vancc's place, they were
met by Mr.. Snyder, who is one of the
men employed by Gen. Vance about his
estate. He said that body had been
found at seven o'clock on that morning
lodged on fish trap. When discovered
it was seventy-6ve yards from the shore
and was half out of water. Bruises
about the head showed that it had been
dashed against the rocks, although none
Of these were sufficient to produce death.
This body proved to be that of Samuel
BoStIc.
The place where the body was found is
several hundred yards below the spot
where the boat was capsized, and sew
enty-6ve yards father up the stream was
discovered Sugg's hat, but no trace of
his body has yet been found.
A boat was secured up the river, car
ried down the railroad past the rapids,
and there launched The body was
reached in this way and removed to the
bank. A telegram was then sent from
the telegraph station at the stockade
near by to the railroad officials at Ashe-
ville and an engine with box car at
taChed was sent to the scene of the dis
aster, and the body was transported to
this city. reaching here about a quarter
past twelve.
Both Bostic and Suggs were unmarried
men, about twenty-five years old. The
!atters relations all live in Thomasville,
n. c. The former is one of many children
and leaves several sisters and brothersto
mourn his death in addition to his father
and mother, who have the sincere SYM
pathy of their friends and neighbors for
the heavy loss which they have sustained.