The Portland daily press., 1897-05-18
AGAINST FEARFUL ODDS.
Fight For Life Of Six Men In North.
ern Lake.
THREE REACH SHORE AND THREE
OTHERS DROWNED.

Canoe Was Overturned In Lake amedum-
cook of Lower Penobscot Chain-One
of the Victims Son of Joe Frances the
Famous Guide-The Bodies Recovered.
Bangor, May 17.-On Saturday after
noon at 3.15 o. clock, William Perry, of
North Lincoln, James Francis of Old
Town, and Albert Cominer of Winn, were
drowned in Pamedumcook lake, just be-
low the mouth of the thoroughfare be-
tween Pamedumcook and Ambejejus.
The bodies have been recovered
On Saturday afternoon at 2.15 o'clock q
canoe, containing William Perry, North
Lincoln; James Francis, Old Town
Albert Cominer, VIM; James Morris,
Mattawamkeag; John Nickerson, St
Stephen, and Harry Gordon, Lincoln, left
the sporting house Of Joe Francis, the
most famous guide and hunter of Maine.
One of the men in the canoe so heavily
loaded, was a son of Joe Francis-James,
bright young fellow whom everybody
liked. Perry was another young man,
hardly more than a boy. All the occu-
pants of the craft had been employed by
the Ranneys on their drives.
The wind was very high on the lakes
and q heavy sea was on. The passage out
of Ambejejus was made without serious
difficulty, and the canoe went through
the thoroughfare in good style.
Once out OF the thoroughfare into the
high seas of Pamedumcook, the canoe
struck rough water she labored heavily,
and before anybody knew just what had
happened, she had swamped and the six
men were struggling in the icy water for
! their lives
1t was terrible fight. Young Francis
started to swim ashore, but the water was
as cold as ice, and humanity could hardly
cope with it.
Cominer, who is French, grabbed a
paddle that foated his way and with it
kept afloat for a time.
Perry swan bravely toward Shore But
one of the men held to the canoe and he
came ashore in safety, as did two of the
others. Cominer's paddle had proved too
light for his weight, and he had gone
down for the last time.
Young Perry was breasting the waves
manfully, but his strength was fast
giving way. The shores are not far apart
at the point where the canoe was
swamped.
Francis was fighting his way ashore,
too, without anything to aid him to keep
afloat. Foot by foot he kept on, until
within about rod of the shore. Then
his strength failed and he went down
His companions on shore could do moth
ing for him.
Perry was swimming well at first, but
soon the cold chilled him through and he
began to fall. He cried loudly to the
men ON the bank for aid, but they were
beyond reach; they had not yet succeeded
in getting up from the rush Of the high
waters of the lake, which at this season
run away up over the shore into the un-
derbrush of the woods.
Until the very last minute of his life,
young Perry continued his piteous calls
for aid, getting weaker every second and
losing strength with every cry. The hor-
rified men on the shore were forced to see
him die before their eyes, his agonizine
appeals for help coming to them with
awful force over the short distance al
which he was from shore.
1t was long before sundown when the
men were cast ashore, and they feared a
night in the forest. Everything was
damp about them, and not light was te
be had for fire. Across the lake was 6
house, but nobody in it answered the
cries of the unfortunate men, and they
started on a long tramp about the shore
| to Norcross.
/ While they were discussing the dangers
and trials of such a trip, Nicker
| son found few matches in the band Oh
his hat, and with them fire was start
ed in heap of brush collected for the
purpose.
From that time until daylight, the
three survivors remained in the little
camp which they improvised with brush
and then they began their weary march
around the shore to Norcross, their des
tination.
They had gone but short distance
when Joe Francis, father of the pool
young fellow out in the bottom of the
lake, came along in canoe with load
of drivers also passing out to Norcross
| To him then the three wretched men told
the story of the disaster. The father
was well-nigh broken down by the news
of the death of his son. He sent three
Of the men in his canoe ashore and took
on the three shivering and famished sur
vivors whom he brought to Norcross.
At first there was little hope of finding
the bodies. Later, however, all of them
were found and taken ashore.