The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-05-24
John Feland, Jr., Saved
by the Heroic Eff
forts of a Brave
Woman.
WHILE HIS TWO COMPANIONS
SINK BENEATH THE WAVES
OF THE OHIO AND ARE
DROWNED.
In Plain View of Two Big Cities
Their Boat is Capsized, But
No Help Comes to their
Relief.
ALL ARE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

The Louisville Commercial of the 18th
inst, gives the following complete &C
count of the unfortunate accident:
"Warner Briscoe, of 25O5 Portland ave-
nue., and Frederick Stein, of 2S20 Mont
gomery street, were drowned in the river
at the mouth of Dutch Ditch at about 5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. They were
Government gaugers, and with John Fe-
land, another storekeeper, were out in
STEMS sail-boat, which capsized opposite
New Albany. After floating down as far
as the city limits the men tried to swim
to the Kentucky shore. Feland only
reached it; Stein and Briscoe drowned.
The tragedy is one of the saddest that
ever occurred here. The men were all
good citizens, well known and admired.
Both leave families a mother, wife and
child mourn Briscoe, while Stein leaves
ayoung widow. Both men were Of PROM
inent families OF this city. Mr.. Feland,
who escaped alive, is the son of Collector
Feand of the SecondDistrict ofKentucky.
The bodies of the drowned men have not
been found, although the lfe-savers have
dragged for them. The survivor, Mr..
John Feland, was seen at his home, 2l23
West Chestnut street, last night, and told
the story of the drowning to a CONNER
cial reporter. II is graphic and rich in
detail.
STARTED OUT TO SAIL.
Mr.. Feland and VIM. Briscoe were at
work at the j. 6. Mattingly distillery, at
Thirty-ninth and Water streets, and at
o'clock got through work there. Mr..
Stein, who was present, started with them
to the Rugby distillery, at Thirty-second
street, and proposed to go up in his sail
boat, which was moored at the river.
They all agreed as MIR. Stein was regard
ed as skillful sailor, having often man
aged the boat. All three men took their
tools and papers in yalises, as they ex-
pected to do work at the Rugby distillery.
At the river bank they got into the boat,
which was small one with one sail. Mr..
Stein took the rudder, Mr.. Feland sat in
the center of the boat and Mr.. Briscoe
was placed near the mast. The river was
very rough on account of the wind and
the current which was against them.
ENCOUNTERED sQUALL.
Good progress was made until the boat
got as far no the river as to be opposite
the New Albany Forge works. At this
point Mr. Stein tackled the boat and made
for the Kentucky shore in a diagonal di-
rection. All went well, as the wind was
in their favor. When nearer the Ken
lucky shore and about opposite the third
pier of the X. & |. bridge, and about 500
yards below it, there was sudden change
of the wind.
THE BOAT CAPsIZED.
When the wind changed it swung the
sail round from the left side to the right,
the boom knocking off the hats Of the oc-
cupants. The sail dropped and the boat
careened, filling with water, and finally
turned over. The three men were
thrown out into the water but instantly
caught hold OF the bottom of the boat.
Their position was not comfortable one,
but they were cool in spite OF their dan
ger. They advised each other to keep
from being excited, and discussed the
best manner of getting out OF their pre-
dicament.
AID REFUSED THEM.
Said Mr.. Feland, when seen last night:
"a skiff with several parties in it passed
us at no great distance at about this time
and we yelled to them to aid us, but they
did not stop, their only reply being to
give us the laugh. am not quite sure
whether this was before or after we cap
sized but at the time they passed us we
were in dangerous position"
Messrs. Briscoe, Stein and Feland fin
ally tried to propel the boat toward the
Kentucky shore by kicking in the water,
but made little or no progress They be-
gan crying for help as they noticed that
they were making no progress, but there
was no sign that any one noticed them.
STRUGGLED WITH THE BOAT.
Messrs. Stein and Briscoe suggested
that they try to right the boat, and while
Mr.. Feland kept padding at the stern
they got the boat up several times, butt
was so full OF water that IL turned over
into the water on every occasion. They
finally gave it up as bad job after they
had become somewhat exhausted from
their struggles. During all this slime each
man was calm, but fully aware OF his dam
ger. All this time they were floating
down the river with the boat and calling
Tor help.