Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-05-19
SUNDAYS DROWNING ACCIDENT.
Frank shine Loses His Life In the Com
nectIcut.

Frank Shine, young man of "a years,
who had been at work for T.. +. Stockwell
as teamster since last September, was
drowned in the Connecticut river last sun
day while aiding in an attempt to recover
pair of dump cart wheels owned by Mr..
StOckwell which were carried away by the
freshet May 1. The body of the cart was
found at Vernon and the forward wheels
were located at a point toward the further
side of the river, nearly opposite the New
London Northern car house, or a little
above that point. Sunday morning three
or four men undertook to recover the
wheels. Arthur Horton and Chas Bemis
had been out in a boat, carrying a rope
across from this side of the river, which
they attached to wheels, and then attempt
ed to pull them across. They were pulled
along about so feet, when they stuck and
could not again be moved. The rope was
stretched across not far above the small
island opposite the ice house. Against the
wishes of Mr.. Stockwell, and in spite of
his protest, Shine started to row out to see
what had blocked the wheels. Finding
him determined to go Stockwell asked JUS
tin Smith to go with him, and the two
started in the boat. They were warned by
those on the shore to keep below the rope,
which was partially submerged in the swift
current, but either from carelessness or
failure to control the boat, they got above
the rope, and the current drove them down
against it, tipping the boat partially over.
Shine was alarmed and jumped into the
water and started TO swim to the island.
He appeared to aim at point where the
land makes an angle on the west side, and
as he went along with the current he came
within a very few feet of this place, and
the spectators thought his safety assured,
when, to their surprise, he began either to
swim or drift down the stream and finally
sank out of sight. This was about IL
O'Clock in the morning. Another boat was
secured and efforts were made to recover
the body but 1t was not taken out until it
had been in the water about four hours. 1t
was found in almost the exact place where
1t went down, and the water there proved
to be not more than three or four feet deep,
so that Shine could easily have waded
ashore. The only reasonable supposition
is that he was taken with cramp.
As the boat tipped over upon the rope
Smith, who cannot swim, climbed up and
lay across the bottom of it, and foated
down stream, going some half or three
quarters Of a mile, down below the Cooley
house, when he drew himself around so as
to lie lengthwise of the boat, and padded
with his hands up to a tree or log on which
he reached the shore. The two pike poles
and the oars which were in the boat were
all found underneath the boat.
Shines body was taken to Hackley &
Moran's undertaking rooms where it was
prepared for burial, and Monday night it
was taken to Wardsboro, where Shine for
merly lived. His father and mother now
live in the edge of Stratton and he has a
brother in Turner's Falls. He was young
man of good habits, faithful and diligent
in his work, and was much esteemed by
Mr. Stockwell, who feels his death keenly.
He slept at the engine house, and drove
the pair of horses kept there for use upon
the fire engines. He was favorite with
the tiremen and seems to have been well
liked by everybody.