Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-05-26

A River Tragedy.
John Quinn wm Anderson and
Frank Srepp three young men OF Mid
diesex twp with three other men nam
Cd Owen Neal and Hirsh, were drowned
in the Allegheny river opposite Milne s
Landing lust below SprinElale last
Thursday noon: while Afford Bowers
and George c. ReahIe Of 2liddlesex twp
this county and wv brothers named
Maxwell of Sprin-daie Allegheny conn
ty had q close call
But one body. that of John Hirsh has
.at this writing. Monday been recover.
ed The others are yet in the river
The particulars given bslow Were
written by one ol the rescued men.
The men were all employed On the
No 3 Government dam IN the Allegheny
river i had come time for dinner GGc
the boys started across the river TO the
boarding house, kept BY Mrs Maxwell
Bowers was the G-st 70 enter the boat.
MIR Reable the foreman was next auo
then Quinn, Stepp Anderson ana VIM.
Maxwell sufficient FOR a load. EuW.
owen and the balance ut the boys want
"a 70 wait one Of them stepped 10 tn
boat ard s2Id boys there nave eleven
cotne across ~ this boat il surely VII
carry ten pf u and insisted on the resi-
getting III. Jr Neal was the last mar
to enter he said, 10vs I would rather
wait Edward Owen said come along.
Newt there is 40 danger. At last ne
stepped in and owen gave the boat Q
start with ms foot. Afford Bowers SAID
BOYS we don't know what danger We
are IN. and then someone sIId we are
all right and viii soon be across After
we came into the current ther. was an
awful wind blowing mp the river ana
the boat commenced JC rock, and when
we got 70 about the centre Of tn river
the waves commenced to dash IN both
sides Cf the boat and it began 70 sink
rapidly WM Maxwell was the first
one to jump ont and caught the back
part Of the boat and swan along. Cw-
en-, the next one 10 jump, was the
best swimmer IL the. gang lie
spran4 away from the rest and
swaIS = within. fifty feet Of
the shOra and then went down. Bow
ers was the last one to stay IA. Ee stay
ca till the boat was under water and
then made an effort 10 swim ashore.
lie got about - feet from the boat,
when John Quinn grappled him and
said for God sake Afford, you can
swim and / can { save E4e. They went
To- the bottom Of for5y feet Of water and
Afford came TO the tOp alone 90 eX
haustGd nc thought he had better swim
back to the boat which was rolling over
and over like d water wheel, with three
or four men cliRgiug 10 it. He caught
hold Of it and saw JOhn Quinn come up
50 feet down the rlyer and 90 down for
the last time.
Frank Stepp and Hersn, the black
smith, got in holds and went down new
er to come up VIM Anderson came up
to the top with a smile on his face, only
10 90 down in q short time Mr.. Neal
was on the opposite end Of the boat
from Afford His red sweater was
caught on a nail and the men hanging
on the side held him under the water
till the nail broke and then he went 10
the bottom The other three chung to
the side a. it turned, and haliowed for
someone t. get to the other side and
balance up the boat Afford who is a
good swimmer lct &c and swan to the
other side and caught hold only to be
tossed over the heads Of the other three
and landed in the deep water again. He
came up, this time with his clothing al
most tom of, swan to the boat again
and managed to gel on top The boat
was turning 30 rapidly and new
thought came 70 him Ee commenced
turning contrary 20 the way the boat
was going and managed to keep on top
after being dipped several times Geo
G. Reable and the Maxwell brothers
were also excellent swimmers. Four Of
the boys could not swim A II was
the noon hour there We're few men 70
come TO the rescue. 4 Alr Thompson |
who is Z cripple and Ives On the Spring !
dale side, saw the accident and was the |
first 70 come TO the rescue with a boat |
He reached Mr Reable and the Max
we'll boys IN the nick Of time as they |
were about to let go FOR the last time
When theT left go that was much the |
better for Bowers as that stopped the |
boat from turning and be stayed on top |
Of the boat though upside DOWN and |
dCated down the river, when 5wo men |
came to his rescue in =bpaJs aGd when |
ohey got close enough he leaped into |
one Of the boats and was saved The |
Maxwclls and Reable tool. in a good bit |
Of water while Bowers took in none at |
al, and yet he was 50 swelied that nis |
underwear had TO be cut OF at the pres
eut he i in pretty gOOdhealtn excepting |
a sore throat and q few bruises
The drowned boys parents are over
come with grief Wm. Anderson and |
John Quinn belonged tothe Odd Fellows |
VIM belongs 10 the Maccabees also and |
carries $1,000 Insurance besides he has
quite q sum Of money in the German
Savings bank Of Pittsburg He was his
mothers only support What money
the other boys had il not known
On Monday the bodies Of Quinn and
Anderson were recovered. Quinn's body
was found near Verona and Ander
son S at Cheswick
OTHER DRoW NING5.
VIM. Sterling Of near Bakerstown.
aged % years took bath in 2JO-bar
rel tank filed with water, last Thurs
day, and while IN the tank was taken
with cramps and was drowned and
while BayGrd Dunbar. aged 81 years Of
near Baker6town vas fishing in Deer
creek, that day, he stepped into deep
hole and was drowned
Next day, Friday, a man aud his wife
were drowned IN the river near Taren
tum, and on Saturday a little gifl was
drowned there; which made eleven
drownings in that section OF Allegheny
county within three days
Reading Sesqu1-CcDtcnniaI.
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