Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-05-09
Two Young Ladies Drowned.


the following account of the drowning
of two young ladies at Mt. jackson,
Va, last Saturday evening, one OF
whom, Miss Wyatt, was beautiful
and popular young lady of Charles
town, this county: About half-past
seven o'clock Saturday evening @. l..
Bowman, cashier of the Mount Jackson
National Bank, accompanied by Miss
Elsie Payne, formerly of Winchester;
Miss Birdie, eldest daughter of Capt.
J. G. Neff, member of the last Legisla-
ture, and Miss Annie, daughter OF j.
G.. Wyatt, of Charlestown, W. Va, took
stroll along the banks of the shen-
andoah river. A few hundred yards
from town they met Barney Hall,
farmer, residing on the opposite side
of the river, who had just crossed in a
small skiff. Mr.. Hall kindly prefer
ing the use of the boat, and Mr.. Bow
man replying, "That's the very thing,
statement Endorsed by the ladies, they
were soon rowing toward the middle
of the river.
Two hundred yards down stream,
the channel being narrow and still
swollen from recent rain, the current
attains frightful velocity. Noticing
their approach to an eddy, Mr.. Bow.
man suggested their return, he and
Miss Payne manning the oars. Sud-
denly Mr.. Bowman, realizing they were
being carried swiftly and surely with
the current, cried, ave are going.
At this instant the boat was passing
beneath the limb Of tree and Mr..
Bowman grasped it, in the vain hope
of checking its course. This action
proved fatal. For an instant he was
thrown backward in the water. Be-
ing unable to swim, his escape to the
bank after sinking twice was miracu-
lous. The sudden and violent lurch
of the boat threw Miss Neffin the river.
Her two companions by almost super
human effort drew her in the boat.
At this point the boat struck log and
capsized, throwing all three in the
river. Miss Payne, with rare presence
Of mind, made an effort to swim and
it was doubtless due to this fact that
she is alive. Becoming exhausted IN
her struggle with the swift current she
sank. Her feet touching ground, she
knew she was nearing shore, which she
finally reached.
Mr.. Bowman now appearing, the
two proceeded some distance down the
river, but no trace of the other two
was visible. Their cries for help were
heard by many persons, who immedi-
ately ran towards the river, finding
Mr.. Bowman and Miss Payne in an
exhausted condition on the opposite
bank. In short time hundreds were
searching the river. At ten o'clock
the body of Miss Wyatt was discovered
two hundred yards down the stream
beneath a clump of bushes, her hands
tightly clasping small branch. Her
watch stopped at $40 o'clock. Drs.
Koontz, Moore and Davis used every
means known to medical science to
resuscitate her, but without avail.
A few minutes thereafter the body
of Miss Neff was found one mile below
this point. She being much heavier
in weight indicates that she chung to
the boat until thoroughly exhausted,
rslinquished her hold and sank. Miss
Nef's parents and two sisters survive
her, who are heartbroken with grief.
She was buried Sunday evening at 5
o'clock, Rev. Mr.. Folk, of the Lutheran
Church, of which she was member,
assisted by Rev. Mr. Snyder, president
of the Virginia Synod, and Rev. DR..
Stephenson of the Presbyterian Church,
Woodstock, officiating. Fifteen hum
dred people attended the funeral. All
services in the churche, Sunday morn
ing were suspended. The whole COM
munity has been plunged in sorrow.
Miss Wyatt's body was taken to
Charlestown Sunday evening for in
terment, where her father and brother
reside. She, was a member Of the
Presbyterian Church. Miss Wyatt
had been teaching in the nsighborhood
for several months, and was about
twenty-four years of age.
The funeral was held at Charlestown
Monday afternoon in the Presbyterian
Church. Rev. DR.. A. G. Hopkins,
pastor, assisted by Rev. DR.. Stevenson
from Woodstock, Rev. A. G. Link, Of
Strasburg, and Rev. Charles Ghiselin,
of Shepherdstown, conducted the i'm
pressive services. The attendance was
one of the largest ever witnessed in that
place and the church was filed with
relatives and friends of the deceased,
The Charlestown Spirit Of Tuesday
says: A peculiarly sad feature in con-
nection with the death of this lovely
young lady is the fact of her engage
ment to Mr.. Gustave Wiltshire, a
worthy young gentleman Of this coun-
| ty, to whom she was to have been mar
ried, we understand, next September.
Mr.. Wiltshire was in Columbus, Ohio,
when telegraphed other death on Sun
day, and was deeply crushed when be
arrived here Monday morning to at
tend the funeral of the bright young
girl in whom all his fondest hopes for
life were centered.
A Terrible visitant.