Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-05
DROWNED IN THE DARK.
Henry Merchants Distressing Fate
Last Night.
While Out with Two Companions He
Falls Out OF q Boat and Is Lost
The Bodies at Fort Byron
Recovered.

The lower part of the city was the
scene of another sad drowning about
1890 O'clock last night. The victim being
Henry Merchian, young molder en-
ployed At the Rock Island Stove works.
He had been up town during the even
ing and had returned to the lower part
of the CITY, when some of the other en-
ployes of the shop where he wss working
were going out to run a trout line they
had set just outside log raft lying al
the foot of Fourth street. 1t was agreed
that Merchain and James Brady, OF
Chicago. who is employed at the po w
works. should accompany Al Cook, one
of the mea who owned the line. and the
three accordingly set out
When they reached tue locality
of the line Merchain stood up
in the bow of the boat TO throw
out the graphing hook to catch the
line, and in so doing he lost his balance
and fell out of the boat. He was imme-
diately thrown an oar by the others, but
seemed to think he could reach the boat
again without iG and attempted to paddle
toward it, but moment later he sank
from his companions sight After few
secoads he came up again, but was fur
ther down stream, the hook having
caught the line. the boat remained sta
tionary, while the unfortunate man in
the water flosted farther away The
men in the skiff Get the line. and attempts
ed to reach him. but it was too late, and
ne sank from view never 10 return.
The alarm was given, and a search was
made at once for the body. which proved
fruitless. The foundry at the stove
works closed down today. and his fellow
slant search having been kept up all day.
which so far has been in vain.
The Iron Molders' union this morning
offered a reward of $50 for the recovery
of the body, as did Charles Lowe, an in
innate friend of the deceased. and
every effort is being made to recover it.
Mr.. Nerchisn was native of Cincin-
natl. Ohio. having been here nearly two
years. He was a soter and industrious
young man, and extremely popular
among his associates. He was about 25
years of age. and unmarried, having par
ents residing in Cincinnati. who have
been notified of their sad bereavement.
THE TRAGEDY AT PORT BYRON.
The bodies of the three unfortunate
girls who met such distressing fate at
Port Byron yesterday morning, have all
been recovered, the body Of little Nel>
lie Zollinger being first found, that of
Miss Grace Maxwell next, the remains of
Blanche Simonson being recovered
shortly after. The little town is
plunged in tie deepest grief in conse
9uence of the shocking fate of three OF
the best known young people of the viii
Iage.
Miss Maxwell was a graduate of the
High school and Academy of that place,
with a bright and promising future. and
her kind. gentle disposition had made
her a fsvorite with tn ose among whom she
had been reared from childhood.
The two little ones, Nellie 4 ollinger
and Blanche Simonson. were among the
brightest children of the village the
sunshine of two happy homes, and the
bereavcd families have the sympathy of
the entire community in their sad sfflic-
tion.1nt
The funeral of Nellie Zollinger oc-
Cured there this afternoon at O'Clock.
a