Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-04-22
DROWNED In ICY WATERS.
An Instructor and Eight Boys
Perish in Boston Harbor,
The Boat Capsized and One by
One They Dropped Of.

An instructor and ten boys connected with
the Boston Farm School at Thompson's Isl
and were capsized in a sail boat in Boston
Mass Harbor, a few evenings ago and
eight of the boys drowned
The victims were A F. Noriberr. instruc-
tor. aged about forty: Frank F. Hitchcock
aged nineteen: Homer F. Thatcher, seven
teen; George F. Ellis six
teen; Thomas Phillips, sixteen: William w.
Curran, seventeen; Charles Fl. Graves ssver-
teen: Harry E. Loud. sixteen: Adelbert Il.
Packard, sixteen. The rescued BOYS were:
Owe W. Clements, seventeen; Charles A
Limb, sixteen.
The instrucuw had been 20 the city during
the day TO attend church, and the ten boys,
constituting regular crew of the school,
left the island at $50 to sail TO City Point to
convey the instructor to the island
The trip is considered perfectly safe under
ordinary circumstances, having been made
for years, even during the winter months.
without accident.
AS precaution, however, i'll view Of the
breeze, the crew took a single sail boat in
stead OF a double sail craft, i'll which the trip
is often made.
The trip to the Point was made without
accident, and soon after o'clock the boat
started on tee return trip.
At a point supposed to be between Spec
tacle and ThompSon'S islands the boat was
struck by a squat and Immediately capsized.
The eleven occupants were thrown into
the ice cold water. but being accustomed to
strict discipline and the exercise of heroism
in the school, they all secured positions
where they could cling to the overturned
craft, ana then began long wait for res
cue, which to most OF them never TO
come.
According to the statements of the two
survivors, they encouraged each other by
words of cheer occa Sionally shouting in
fhoh 0yN hot how ,i,rh+ Hs baa r1 Nv
one on shore. At one time a tug was seen
in the distance, and they shouted with all
their remaining strength, but could not
attract attention.
The night was cold and the shores and
wharves were abandoned. When the time
for the boat to return to the island had
passed, the Superintendent of the school,
Charles II. Bradley, went to the beach to
scan the waters toward City Point to see if
his boys were approaching. There was
fire on neighbOring island and he got in
the range of the freight in the hope that 1t
would aid his vision but he saw nothing.
The survivors say that they saw his form
patrolling the beach and felt sure that rescue
would come but it did not. Finally the
chill of the water and the exertion necessary
to keep their heads above the surface over
came the unfortunates and one by one they
were compelled to release their hold
The instructor was the first to go. Each
offered a prayer or a word of farewell to
the otherS as he gave up MS hold on Ire.
Some of them endur ed the unequal contest
for nearly four hours, and it was quite four
hours, or about II o'clock, when the boat
with the two survivors still clinging to it.
but exhausted, drifted ashore. They were
Immediately cared for, and rapidly recov-
cred from the effects OF their exposure.
Superintendent Bradley notified the police,
undertakers and the officers of the Boston
Farm School of the disaster and engaged a
diver to search for the bodies Of the lost.
This is the only drowning accident that has
happened to the school since 1912
The Boston Asylum and Farm School for
INDECENT Boys is "a private institution, sup
ported by wealthy citizens. It's funds are
all appropriated Tor relieving, instructing
and employing INDECENT boys. The boys re,
ceive good common-school education and
are instructed in moral and religious duties.
The boys were all good swimmers and Mr..
NCrdberg was an expert. The icy tempera-
ture of the water is supposed to have chilled
chem so that they were unable to make any
efforts for their own safety.