The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-13
-FOUR MEET DEATH.
Shocking Drowning Acct
dents in the Hudson
and HackenSack.
AMAN's EIFE SAVED BY A wHIM.
A Days Picnickiug Ends in a
Tragedy-Crabbers capsize
Their Boat in Drop
ping Anchor.

There is mouraing in three households
In Hoboken today. Three young men
who yesterday morning left their homes
to enjoy day on the water, are now at
the bottom of the North River. The
particulars OF the sad affair have just
come to light.
Early this morning John w. Bolen. Of
No. 100 Newark avenue, Jersey City, re.
ported at Hoboben Police Headquarters
that while he and a party of nine others
were returning from Fort Lee in a sail
boat at about half-past eleven O'Clock
last night. when opposite Sixth street
dock, Hoboken. they heard faint cries for
help Looking ahead Of them they
could see row boat upset aud several
persons struggling In the water. The
course of the sail boat was Immediately
directed towards the row boat As the
sail boat drew near one Of the persons in
the water was seen TO 90 down, and be-
fore the sail boat reached the SPOT voice
called out in anguish:-"MyG Godl are we
all 10 be drowned this wayW
Then all was still. All that remained
to mark the spot where the tragedy had
occurred was plain looking rowboat
turned upside down and a pair OF oars
floating on the water.
A rowboat In " hich were seated two
young men. came along at this time. The
party In the sailboat told the young men
in the rowboat what had happened. and
the young men said they would tow the
empty row boat to New York and notify
the authorities in that city.
Shortly after Bolen had told his story
to the police an old man almost freuzied
with grief rushed into police hceadquart-
ers and asked IL any tidings had been re-
ceiyed Of his boy. On becoming calm, he
said that his twenty-year-old sou. Alex
kunton, OF No. 1893 Bloomfield street. with
three other boys whom he did not know,
had hired a rowboat from Andv ThomD
son at the foot of Tenth street, HoDoken.
yesterday morning. and that his boy had
not returned. and the boat had not been
brought back TO Thompson's.
A JERSEY CITY NEWS reporter at once
began an investigation and soon learned
that the boat which had been taken to
New York was Thompson's boat Yes
terday morning young Runton, John
TosclIer, OF No. 73 Washington street; +;
james Biteman, of Park avenue, near
First street, and Joe stevens, OF Seventh
street, Hoboken, all ranging In
years from nineteen to twenty
Two, hired a boat from Thompson.
After rowing about the river for while
the party went to the foot OF Seventh
street, Hobokeu, where the excursion OF
the Aurora Italian Club was about ready
to depart. The lads attached the rope of
their boat TO thes rear of one of the ex-
cursion bRrees as the excursion was
about to leave. and they were soon being
fowed up the river The excursion party
went to Palisades Park, where the youths
went ashore with the rest Of the excur-
5ionists and ni,d a merry Time.
The excursion barges lett the grove
about haIf-past five O'Clock to return to
Hoboken. Stevens said he did not care 10
60 home in the rowboat. but preferred
the barges. and 10 this change he owes
his life.
Stevens told me that the boat was at
tached to the barges all the way down,
and when the excursion barges proceeded
10 New York to allow some New York
people TO land the boat was still attached.
1t was on the way home from New YORK
that Stevens suddenly missed his COM
panions, but as he thought they had cut
loose, deciding to run ashore, he thought
nothing more OF the matter, and when
the barge touched the dock he went d.
rectly home. He did not hear of his COM
panions' fate until this morning.
The parents and relatives OF the
drowned youths are almost distracted
with grief Ali of the lads were well
known and popular.