Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-12
A Fierce Combat Waged Between
Boatmen on the Placid Bosom of
the Monongahela River.
SKIFF AND 0UTRIGGER In BATTLE.
The Heavier Craft Upset by the Vigorous
Onslaught of Its Crew Upon
the Enemy.
AKALARM BEINGS BOATS TO TIE RESCUE
The Half-Drowned Combstant Refuses TO DlIulge Ills
Reason for Engaging in the Fray.

A duel on the riverl Thatwas the strange
scene witnessed by scores Of people yester-
day afternoon. The perilous drama was en-
acted on the placid bosom of the Mononga-
hels, not far from the Panhandle bridge.
A young man was lazilv sculling down
stream, and had advanced his skiff near the
bridge, when long outrigger shot out from
the south side bank and made as though to
run him down. The propeller of the second
boat was a tall, muscular person, dressed in
stylish rowing costume. As he pulled into
midstream he gave utterance to fierce yell,
and shouted something which could not
be distinguished on shore. Meanwhile the
young fellow in the skiff had swung around,
and was making straight for the newcomer.
1t became plain to the onlookers that the
men meant mischief He in the outrigger
never slackened speed, but bore down upon
the skif, glanci6g over his shouldernow and
again to note the distance between himself
and his apparent enemy. The outrigger
would have pierced the smaller craft but
that the bow of the latter was turned just in
time.
A VICIOUS ATTACK.
As ]. was the outrigger went sklmming
past, and the man in the skif, rising to his
feet, aimed blow with one of the sculls at
the head of the baf1ed antagonist. The blow
fell short, however and the scull meeting no
resistance few from its wielder's hand into
the river. An attempt was made to recover
it, but in vain. With a wild whoop the
outrigger man again charged upon the now
almost helpless skif. As he did SO, some of
II Al. Il
one George Miller, clerk in one of the
Carson street drygoods stores. Miller's op-
ponent put out his remaining scull, and
pushed the bow of the advancing boat from
its course, so that the skif was but slightly
grazed in the collision.
Again Miller got his outrigger round and
once more urged it forward to the fight.
Then the other man saw that the time for
action had come. He rose to his feet and
awaited the attack with poised scull When
Miller's sharp bows had got within two feet
of his boat he drove his oar down upon
them with might and main. But the stroke
proved a luckless one. Miller's prov. was
driven under water, but speedily righted
itself, while the skiff keeled over and
dumped its occupant into the Mouongahela.
TOOK A MEAN ADVANTAGE.
The young man clung to his upturned
skiff and tried to get her straight, but Miller
took mean advantage Of the catastrophe to
belabor his unfortunate adversary across
the shoulders with his sculls. Thus engaged
the strange party drifted down the current,
followed by the curious eyes of scores of
people.
Finally, Miller seemed to have glutted
his vengeance, for he ceased beating the
overturned skiffman, and placing his sculls
once more in the rowlocks, began to pull up
stream in direction slanting toward the
spot from whence he had started. Having
reached shore he leaped out, handed over
his boat to friend and hastily donning an
overcoat made good his escape
The upset skiff was in the meantime drift
ing swiftly with its living burden, but the
alarm had been carried down stream and two
boats were ready to stop its lurther progress
This was accomplished with some difficulty,
and the dripping sculler rescued. Messrs.
j. Elliott, Thomas Brown and W. Rice
were the rescuers. They tried to
induce the young man to tell
his name, or the cause OF the
extraordinary fight on the river; but all
their efforts were unavailing. He OBJ
stiuately refused to give any information,
and scarcely thanked the men that had
saved him from a damp voyage to Cincin-
natl. When his clothes had been dried in
the Pittsburg and Cincinnati wharfboat he
hsstened to Smithfeld street and took car
for the Southside.
The police have been notified Of the event, |
and Miller's arrest is looked for.