Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-07-06


SAD DROWNING AooIDENT.-The Fuurth
q Jnly festivities hereabouts were destio &
- he msrred by sad accident, which re-
snlte6 in the drowning OF young lady after
she had escaped all the contingencies of q
crowded steamboat trip to Colonial Beach
end return. and after she had landed upon
the wharf in this city. Miss Marietta Dove,
daughter Of Mr.. Levi Dove. living near Ac-
coinx, Fairfax county. an interesting young
ado Of sixteen summers, full OF life and Joy
,1i nuticipatioDs of pleasant e1cursion on
t,A river. left her home Saturday morning
in e5mpsuY with Mr.. Christian 3. Stout, q
,,ott.if loen who had been her chosen Com
mon Of late, for tiip to Colonial Beach.
At,r reaching this city the couple, with
may others, boarded The steamer George
az and we're soon enjoying the invigorat-
inv liver hreez> Gs the steamer spec 90 ner
~tg toward her obj active point. After
s ~" NJ tbs day as the young and guileless
a,e sont. the Gcsning day fund them home
rgerd bound, snd while the steamer was a
f4e mites below this city friend OF the ILL
e,srred young woman called the latter's
s,rantion TO the fact that her country
homa vas visible from the steamers deck.
Miss Dove i]ytu!ly looked toward the scene
of her happy childhood days aud said, "They
have Ieft a nght burning f,r me, and don't
care how soon get home" But, alas she
had left inst home in the morning for the
last time-destined never more TO JOIN In
the Innocent sports of rural life, for, "a the
. oleI nrogrd, the sands of her shott life
yg.re nearly run, and Instead OF resting Der
tired form ia the chamber OF her secluded
con, t-y home, she NRs iated to close hes
ewes tdst night forever 10 the element upon
which she wac then gliding and to enter
nnon her eternal sleep In The waters OF the
Potomac, while excursion boats, bearing
lhouyhtlees parties of merry-makerF, would
pas aud repass over her litees5 body. Sucn
a. life II cne minute member Off joyous
eess rnhlave IN the next part OF the great
maj ,risc. The story Oft the accident is easily
told. The boat had landed and the e1cur-
sioni-ts had passed over the gang plank 10
the wharf It. was between III and III
o'clock Little children upon whose eyeiids
sIaep was pressing heavily had been aroused,
many older people were 10 dsZ9d or ysWn.
ing state, and numbers Ia coming from the
eteams,'s lighted saloon to the dark and dis
maj pier were temporarily blinded. 10 rem
der the scene still more cherries and dam
oerou. the warehouse which almost covers
the pier, end through which the excursion
jsts psssad to the boat in the morning, wae
closed Thera was but one way to reach
terra fr1nG and mat wes TO pass around the
wpre. ouse-e ii Ky trip 10 he daytime
Tbg nsth Is atolt three tee1 wide In tue
midais Of wh ca is huge post. Oa one
sice IL me togering warehouse; 90 the
other t.e yawnine DOCK. The difficulty ex-
psslenUed 10 getting baby carriages ard half
aWske children over such dangerous ledge
can better ce imagined tlsn described. All,
however. save tAe unfortunate subj sct Of
this fem raised ovsr the dangerous path
eafelv. Mas Dove and her companion
gere within few feet Of the detile when
sne. unacQuainted with the geography OF
the place, stumbled over the wharf-log on
the southern end Of the pier and Wi n shrek
fell sideways iuto the dock. Mr. Stout, heE
companion, though unable to swim. plunged
after the Young lady, but was unable to res
cue ber, EUd bysiauder had 10 ex;ricase
him from the river ia order to avert a dust
accident. Mis- DJve soon sank, Leaving her
ba, fl jating, and her sorrowful escort was
compelled 10 Leave the fatal spot and wend
bis gay TO the home OF her relations on
south Fairfax street TO tell the sorrowiul
story. EGsfis to rescue the body were I'M
media,ofg made, and though the river snd
dock ware dragged nearly sill tight and
throughout yesterday, no trace OF the re-
mSins could De found. All day yeSttr! lay
the wharves were tbgonged with people and
in be afternoon q cannon WAS fred bali q
dozen times with the hope that The concus-
sion Yonid cause the body to float, but the
If .rt proved futile, and toward night the
I'll c.sd family Ct the decease ed, who he'd ar
rived "a he meantime, with their friends AID
sgppstS Z ics, we're compelled TO leave the
&C .ae cf Lha drowning With the sorrowful
thougas that theiT dear one must pass auo.h-
er night or the river bottom. Efforts to re-
cover the body were renewed again to-day,
and toe docks and river front we're dragged
by uum5ars, but with &c more success than
attended yesterdays tnIrts. 1t was
Suggested that tne remains we're prot
atty lodged under the wharf, and Ia order
to test the correctnese OF The theory, per-
sons, not satisfied With dragging, dived to
the bottom 10 search OF the body. The
most plausible theory is that the suction OF
the cleaners arriving al and departing from
the scene of the accident drew the drowned
girl inio milo stream End that the tide car
risd the BODY soma distance below, in which
even il will lie GA the bottom Of the river
for esVeral days Che tradition ssys for ninel
" hen IL sill make it's way TO tha surface.
II is understood tAat tina father OF the un-
fortunate young lady has retained Capt.
Musbhach AID will enter suit against the
steamboat company for damages fer the loss
Of bis deu20ter's life.
ALLEeHANY MINING AND DEVELoPMeNT
Il 4, n thar mo