The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-08-10
ONE LlFE,, TRAGEDY.

| Lnuko'h NNIhb WIZ AkpbNAANA ~ NNN "NHN'-
OF Hts second Wife.
Nov York Adrrfi''r
Ono bitter sorrow that hung over tho
| life Of Or. Tatmage and HE late wife
was tho story told and rstold, with what
seemed malignant intent, Of the manner
in which DR.. Talmage's first wife came
10 her death. Again and again II was
stated in print that when Dr.. Talmage'S
frat wife was drowned In The falls oil
the Schuylkill, the Mrs. Talmage who
has lust died was also In tho rowboat
when II capsi2ed, and that DR.. Talmage
saved her and permitted his own WIFE
to drown, As a matter Of fact, Dr. Tai
mage had never aeen his vito who has
| lust died when his Qrst wife met her
tragic death, nor did he meet her for
nearly wear afterward. II was his own
and not his wiis'a sister who wac with
him when tho tragedy occurred, Dr.
Tamage did no: ave his sister. She
saved herself by CliRgiug to ono sldO OF
the capsizod boat. Mrs. TalmaRe was
drawn undor the ialls before any NSsiSt'
ancC could be- given, and Dr.. IalmaGe,
who could not swim, was saved by cling
ing to tho boat.
The name Of DR.. Talmage's Grss vile
was Mary Avery. That Of hla Sacont
wife was Sarah Curtis Whittemore. 1t
was at the Greonpolnt Reformed Dutch
church, vherO his brother, Goyn Tai.
mage, was pastor, that no first mot her
some months after tho death Of his
first wife. In order to give further
force to this correction Of long stand
ing uutruth tho following statement
was made by DR.. Talmrge some wears
ago in ono OF his most effective sermons.
HG said:
"Thcro is n falsehood which strikes n
different key. for 1t invades the sancIity
Of my home, and when tell tho story
tho fair.mindod men and women and
children Of the land wilt DO indignant.
| will read it, 90 that II any one may
want to copy 1t they may after. (RoAd-
ing from manuscript II has been
stated over and over again in private
circles, aud in neWsBapeFs hinted, until
tens Of thousands Of people have heard
tho report, that sixteen or seventeen
yoars ago | went sailing on tho Suhuyl.
kill river with my wife aud her sister
lWho was my SlSter.in.law); that the
boat capsIzed, aud having tho oppor.
tunity Of saving my wife or her sister. /
let my wife drown and saved her sister,
marrying her in sixty days. pro.
pose 10 nail tho Infamous lie on tho FORE
head OF every villain, man or woman,
who shall utter it again, and to Invoke
the law to help me. One beautiful
morning my own sister, by blood relA'
ton, Sarah lalmRge Whltenack, and her
daughter, Mary. being on visit 30 us in
Philadelphia, | proposed that We go to
Fairmount Park and make it pleasant
for them. With my vile and only
daugbter-The being little child--and
my sister, Sarah, and hot daughter, l
started for Paramount Having just
moved to Philadelphia was ignorant OF
tho topography of tho suburbs. Passing
along by tho river | saw boat and pro-
posed row.
"f hirod tho boat and wG got In, aud
not knowing anything OF the dam across
the river, aHd unwarned by the keeper
OF the boat OF any danger, | pulled
straight for the brink; suspected moth.
iHg until we saw some one wildly WAY.
ing on the shore as though thCrO was
danger. looked back, and 10, VIC were
already in tho current Of the dam. with
a terror that you cannot imagine tried
20 back tho boat, but IN vain, we went
over. Tho boat CapSized. My wife in.
atantly disappeared aud was drawn un-
der the dam, from which her body was
not brought until days after; l, not able
TO swim a stroke, hanging on the bot
tom 0t the boat, my niece hanging on
to mo, my slater, Sarah, clinSinH to the
other side OF the boat. A boat from
shore rescued US. After an hour OF Of
fort to reSusciate my child, who was
pinc.tsnths dead-Rnd ] can 500 hor
blackenod body yet, rolling over tho
barrel, such as IS used IN restoring tho
drownod-she breathod again, A car.
riage came up, aud, leaving my vito In
tine bottom Of tho SChuylkill river, aud
with my little girl in semi. consciouueSs.
and blood issuing from her nostrlls and
lips, wrapped in a shawl on my lap, and
with my sister Sarah, and her child In
tho carriage, wO rodo to our deOolAte
home. Since the world was created
moro ghnstly and agoniztng calamity
never happened. And that is tho scene
over which somo ministers OF the Cos.
pei, aud mon aud women pretending to
BIO decent. have made sport
"My present wIic was not within a
hundred mice OF tho place. So far from
being sisters, the two wero ontiro stran'
gers. They never heard Of each other,
and not until nine months alter the
tragedy OF tho Schuytkitt did | even
know Of tho existence Of my present
wife. Nine months Nitor that calamity.
on tho Schuylkiil she wan introduced to
mo by my brother, tho Roy. Goyn Tai.
mage, now OF Port Jetvis, N. Y. My
first wiio'B name was Mary Il. Avery. Il
member Of tho Reformed church, Hnr.
rison alroct, South Brooklyn, whore
thure arc many hundreds Of people who
could toll tho Story My present wife,
sAy, was not within bundled miles
Of tho spot. llOr namO was Susie Whit
tOmorc, aud sho was II member OF tho
Reformed church IN GrOonpOint, Brook.
lyn, whcro multltudcl could toll tho
atorv. With muttitudOa Of people on tho
bank Of tho SChuylkiIl who witnessed
my landing on that awful day Of Calami.
", aud hundreds Of people within half
m hours walk Of this place WHO know
Mary AyOry, md hundrOl Of poodle who
know my present wiI0--SnsiU Whttu'
morO--what do YOU think, husbands
and wives, inthOrs aud mothers, OditoH
aud reporters, Of lilo like that manu-.
innuinCturOd ont OF tho whole clothP |
nUvor hnvo apokon Of this sub before,
aud never ohall again, but ulyo fair
notice that II amy two responsible Wit
nOsaca will Rivo mo tho nalno OF my 70.
Bponaiblo ppraOn aitOr thla nlIitmlng
III. .I,aI.. 1 ,..iiI ,.,,s tI,n t,,f a.