Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-05-07
browning 81 Two young ladies.
Miss 4nnie Wyatt, of Charles 1oso'a'
and Hiss Birdie Men, Of Mount
Jackson, Lose Their Lives.


One of the saddest events we have
ever been called upon to record is
that of the drowning of two young
ladies near Mount Jackson, Va,
last Saturday, one of them being
Miss Annie Wyatt, the young and
lovely daughter of Mr.. j. G. Wyatt
of this place. Particulars of the
heartrending accident are related in
a special TO the Baltimore Sun, as.
follows:
Mr.. Jackson, VA, May 5.-The
capsizing of skiff containing four
occupants, the drowning of two
young ladies', the miraculous escape
of another young lady and their .es-
cort in an almost death struggle with
the swift current, is the sad sequel
to pleasure outing here last eve
ming. About 7.30 O'Clock G. l..
Bowman, cashier of the Mount Jack
son National Bank, accompanied by
Miss Elsie Payne, formerly of Win
chester Miss Birdie, eldest daughter
of Capt. j. G. Neff. member of the
last Legislature, and Miss Annie,
daughter of j. G.. Wyatt, of Charles
Town, w. Va, took a stroll along the
banks of the Shenandoah river. a
few hundred yards from town they
met Barney Hall, a farmer, residing
on the opposite side of the river, who
had lust crossed in small skiff. MIR.
Hall kindly proffering the use of the
boat, and Mr.. Bowman replying,
sThat's the very thing" a state
ment indorsed 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 rains, the cur
rent attains frightful velocity. Motto
ing their approach to an eddy, MIR.
Bowman suggested their return, he
and Miss Payne manning the oars.
Suddenly MIR. Bowman, realizing
they were being carried swiftly and
surely with the current, cried, HWe
are going AT this instant the boat
was passing beneath the limb of n
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. Being unable to swim,
his escape TO the bank after sinking
twice was miraculous. The sudden
and violent lurch of the boat threw
Miss Neff in the river. Her two COM
panions by almost superhuman 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
Immediately ran towards the river,
finding Mr.. Bowman and Miss Payne
in an exhausted condition on the OPP
posite bank. In short time hun
dreds were searching the river. At
ten O'Clock the body of Miss Wyatt
was discovered two hundred yards
down the stream beneath clump of
bushes, her hands tightly clasping a
small branch. Her watch stopped ut
$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 be-
low this point. She being much
heavier in weight indicates that she
chung to the boat until thoroughly
exhausted, reIinquished her hold and
sank. Miss Neff's parents and two
sisters survive her, who are heart
broken with grief. She was buried
this evening at 5 O'Clock, Rev. Mr..
Polk, of the Lutheran Church, of
which she was a member, assisted by
Rev. Mr.. Snyder, president of the
Virginia Synod, and Rev. DIR. Steph-
enson, of the Presbyterian Church,
Woodstock, officiating. Fifteen hun
dred people attended the funeral.
All services in the churches this
morning were suspended. The whole
community has been plunged in
sorrow.
Miss Wyatt's body was taken to
Charles Town this evening for inter-
ment, where her father and brother
reside. She was beautiful lady,
and during her short stay here en-
deared herself to ell. She was a
member of the Presbyterian Church.
Her father, j. G. Wyatt, was for
number of years member of the old
Baltimore firm of Hull, Atkinson &
Co. Miss Wyatt had been teaching
in the neighborhood for several
months, and was about twenty-four
years of age.
The funeral of Miss Wyatt took
place at 8 o'clock yesterday after
noon in the Presbyterian church al
this place. Rev. DIR. A. C. Hopkins,
pastor, assisted by Rev. DIR. Stephen
son of Woodstock, Rev. A. G. Link,
nf Str Shuro Pow flIorIos Cl,I;eIop