Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-16
Daniel Days Account of Fair
field Drowning Accident.
Nearly Lost His Own Life and Did All
His Strength Allowed.
By Chance Alone II Was Mis- Own vile whom
Ne Saved.

Mr.. Day lives in this city and was in
Fairfield on visit. The young woman
! whose name was given as Nellie Bur-
CESS is his wife, her maiden name being
Burgess. Mr.. Days story shows what
a difficult task he had to save his own
life and that of his wife.
| His account of the occurrence is as
follows: Mrs. Day wanted to go across
{ the river to the Benton side and pick
blueherres. Day was not anxious to
CO. as the current in that part of the
river is very swift and he thought it
hardly safe for the wife and the girls
to handle the boat alone, but finally
concluded 10 80.
In the party beside Mr. and Mrs. Day,
We're Florida LatIIp and Lora Fourier
The party crossed the river safely. Not
finding any berries they started to go
to the island.
On their return the two girls We're
seated on 4 board placed across the
gunwalcs. Mrs. Day was seated in the
bow. The Latlip girl had been moving
more or less and at times rocked the
boat. Mrs. Day demonstrated but the
girl said she could swim.
When part way across the river Day
looked up to watch the boys who We're
throwing rocks at the insulators on the
telegraph poles. AS he heard some
thing crash as though one of the in
sulators had been broken, the boat was
upset.
Just how the boat was upset he can
not tell. He was sitting in the stern
padding. The first he realized was
when he heard a splash and then
found himself in the water. As he
thinks it over now ii seems to him that
the board on which the girls We're seat
ed must have slipped from the gun
vale and the girls. losing their balance.
fell overheard and thus upset the boat.
At that time the boat was perhaps 80
feet from the shore. but as the banks
run off very steep it was as though he
was much farther away
The next thing he remembers he was
under the boat which was bottom
side up. He put out his hands and
touched the gunwales on either side
In a moment he was out from under
the boat, and at the same time one of
the party caught hold of his arm. He
managed to break the hold. fearing
both would be drowned Then his
tilIpdt Was tiuttlltu anu arms were
placed around him. He again broke the
hold and this time turned over on his
back and taking hold of the woman
managed to swim ashore.
The rocks at the banks of the island
are very steep at that point and almost
before he realized it he slipped with
his burden and again went into the
water. After struggle he managed
to get ashore. He was then so eX-
hausted he was hardly conscious. Fin
ally he was reused and learned that it
was his wife whose life he had saved.
That was the first he knew of whom
he had with him.
While he was in that semi-uncon
scious condition from the exhaustion
someone came and told him to try to
save one of the others of the party who
We're in the water. Day said that he
was so exhausted that he could not
do anything. When the other party
said that he could not swim but was
willing to try to make an effort. Day
expressed his Willingness to take his
chances.
Even when Day started from the
shore to swim after the Fournier girl.
WHO WAS over .VV lttl DtlDN lllt SDpl
where the boat was overturned. his
wife clutched frantically at him and
he fell again through exhaustion.
knowing that he could not hope to
save the girls life. dressed as he was.
he stopped to remove his heavy shoes.
He was half unconscious all this time
and it was not until much later that
he came to himself and fully realized
what had happened.
AS he went into the water his
strength gave out and he fell on the
rocks badly bruising himself He
slipped and rolled to the water and
went to the bottom like lead. When he
came up and tried to swim to her, she
had disappeared.
The other girl was not again seen
after sinking as the boat went over.
Day says that he was IN bad shape
and his strength all gone and so weak
that he could not do anything in try
ing to save the lives of the other girls.
There was a good deal of feeling
against Day and some branded him as
a coward To this Day says:
Il would have saved either of the
girls had they been where my wife
was ne PtopiC wv Iot sHN
shape | was in. or they would never
charge me with being a coward"
No one in this city doubts that he
did all in his power to save all he
could of the unfortunate party.
The river drivers who know every
part of the river have expressed much
surprise that Day was able to save
himself The current is very swift at
that point and there is slight question
that if Mrs. Day had not pulled him back
he would have been drowned while try
ing to reach the Fournier girl. This
did not enter his head, for his only
thought was to save the others in the
party. and he would have attempted
this had he not been pulled back. and
the girl disappeared before he came to
himself.
Mrs Day was the first to recover
and, Saturday, was as well as ever.
Day was very weak and did not re-
cover until Saturday night. One side
of his body and leg is covered with
black and blue spots from his falls on
the rocks.