Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-06-14
Srizuna Enterprise.
FLORENCE. - JUNE IA, lS9,
DROWNED.
Miss Mary Frush and Sheriff Ryan Lose
 Their Lives in WheatfeIds Pond.
[Globe SilverBelt.

No occurrence ever caused more universal and profound sorrow in Globe than the disaster which hap pened at Wheatfelds on Sunday last | resulting in the deaths of Jerry Ryan, Sheriff of Gila county, and Miss Mary | E. Frush. Wheathelds, with its pleas ant wooded grove and large fish pond, twelve miles north of Globe, has al- | ways been popular resort for picnics, and on Sunday large party of Globe people repaired there to spend the | day. Boating was one of the amuse- ments indulged in, but was consid- cred unsafe by some, owing to the in stability of the boat, and the quantity of moss which filled a portion of the pond.
 Several of the party had been in the boat during the morning and toward noon Miss Frush went out with A. B. Simmons for a row. After rowing about for some time they reached spot twenty or thirty feet from the western bank of the pond, near a dead tree which stood in the water thickly surrounded by moss. Several of the party on the eastern shore, forty or more feet from the boat, called re- peatedly to Simmons to come in, to which for time, it is alleged, he paid no heed. Finally he replied that he did not know whether he could get out or not, and it was seen that his oars were caught in the moss. Sim mons, in attempting to extricate one of thm threw too much weight on one side of the boat and it capsized, leaving the occupants struggling in the water. (Simmons' version is that Miss Frush leaned over the side of the boat and caused it to upset.) There are other versions of how the accident happened, but the above appears to be the most credible.
 Miss Frush, who was good swim mer, succeeded in catching hold of the boat near the stern; Simmons, appar- ently, forgetful of everything but his own danger, struggled frantically to get hold of the boat, on the upturned
 bottom, which was slimy. and his
 hands kept slipping of. Finally he succeeded in getting one arm around
 the narrow bow, where he remained
 until rescued. Meanwhile, Jerry Ryan
 and Willis Middleton, from the cas-
 tern bank, had plunged into the
 water and reached the boat. Sim
 mons motions in the water kept the
 boat turning aronud Whether from
 this cause or not, Miss Frush lost her
 hold, and was struggling to keep her self ahoat when Ryan reached and
 grasped her. Both went down and
 when they reappeared were apart and, , evidently, very much exhausted.
 Ryan tried to call out for assistance but could only make gurgling sound, and in few moments both he and Miss Frush disappeared beneath the water.
 While this terrible scene was being enacted the people on the shore were s frantically endeavoring to find some means of succor for their drowning ? companions, and seemingly were powerless to avert the calamity, al F though no one went into the water tc attempt their rescue.
 Willis Middleton, having struck hi:
 right arm (sore from a burn received ' at the smelter few days previous, ! against the boat, and seeing he could be of no service to Simmons, struck d out for the nearest shore and reached - it in an exhausted condition. A rope { was procured and thrown to Simmons and, with the boat, he was drawn tC the shore.
 The bodies of the victims of the dis I l aster were recovered after having beer T in the water about half an hour anC n na efforts were made to resuscitate them T but of course that was hopeless. Con {, siderable moss was found attached tC it both bodies, and their drowning is at U tribu1ed by many to this cause. How
 ever, friends of MT. Ryan believe that this does not sufficiently account fol
 his drowning, and think he must have a been taken with cramps.
 2, The funerals of the deceased tool [. place on Monday afternoon, that o IS Miss Frush at o'clock, from the M , E. Church., and Sheriff Rygn's at
 o'clock, from the residence of hi
 brothef-in-law and sister, MT. ant
 Mrs. Hugh Conahan. Work at tn,
 mines and smelter and business il
 town was suspended, and the atten c dance at both funerals was very large Rev. N. F. Norton delivered 9 feelin |, address at the church, and closed tn n service over Miss Frush's remains a O the grave. The obsequies for MI
 Ryan consisted of the impressive ser vice of the Catholic church, read by ~ o A. Lonergan at the house, and the rite ', 's of the order of Odd Fellows, solemnii
 ed at the grave. By arrangement tb
 funeral trains met on the road an
 formed. one cortege to the cemeter!
 where was closed one of the saddles n- spectacles that we have ever witnessed Great sympathy is expressed for th d bereaved families, and only time, i U it's ceaseless roll, will soften the sol lIrow occasioned by this deplorable a fair.
 . Voice From Artzo1s,