Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-06-06
A RIDE TO DEATH.
Seven People Drowned in the
Schuylkill River. =
A ROwboat Containing Five Girls and
Three Boys Is Swept Over Dam
and Only One of the Party was
Rescued-A Drop IL Feet
o., TO the Rocks below.

Philadelphia, May 31.-A row boat
containing merry party OF eight
young persons was swept over Flat
Rock dam in the Schuylkill river,
Thursday afternoon, and seven of
them-five girls and two boys-were
drowned. The victims, all of whom
were Philadelphians, were:
Florence Densmore, aged II years.
Maize Kennedy, Is.
Maud Rutter, 10.
Mamie Sullivan, 21. .a,
Florence Bond, 21.
Roy Kicker, Is.
Bertram 0smond, 10.
The young man saved was John
Moore, aged 21 years. The party was
composed of members of the Elm
Social club, one of the numerous as
sociations of this city organized for
the promotion of pcnics and other
social functions. The above named
persons, with number of others,
organized picnic. They embarked
in gaily decorated wagons early in
the morning, and pitched their camp
at Rose Glen, along the Schuylkill
river, on the northern outskirts of
this city.
IOIlONlHS lnelT usual CuSloH thc
party split up after dinner for row
on the river, and these above men
toned decided to go in one boat. This
was shortly after o'clock. Boats
were accordingly hired and the two
parties set forth for an hours fun ON
the river.
Heavy rains during the past week
had made the muddy stream quite
4l,. r,.h
er than usual. However, the unfor-
tunate party Immediately struck out
for midstream.
All the girls were huddled in the
stern, one of the boys was rowing
and the other was sitting on the bow
of the boat. After getting in the mid
die of the river and finding the current
too swift for comfort, the boat was
rowed toward shore. During this
time it was carried slowly down
stream. The boy doing the rowing
decided to go through the locks, and
as he approached the dam he was
told by the lock keeper not to APP
proach any closer. The warning
was not needed and the young oars
man kept on rowing until he found
that the lock was closed.
He attempted to turn the boat,
which was then about so feet from
the dam and % feet from shore, but
he turned the wrong way. a mo-
ment later and the boat was in the
swiftly moving current. Realizing
then, for the first time, that they
were in danger, the girls began
screaming and the oarsman lost con-
troll of the boat. Swiftly it was car
ried toward the brinl; of the falling
waters, and just as it reached the
breast of the dam, over which 30
inches of water were passing, the
entire eight stood up and the boat
went over stern first.
The drop of the rock below is ap-
proximately 12 feet. The boat struck
the water bottom up, and as it dis
appeared the whole party was under
if. Nothing more was seen by the
few persons who saw the accident for
almost a minute, when the boat re-
appeared with one boy clinging to
its keel. Then the other young man
was seen to come to the surface and
make a frantic effort to reach shore
by swimming. The five girls never
rose to the surface. The boy who
was swimming and proved to be Os-
.mond, became exhausted and sank
before he could be rescued.
Moore. the other boy who was cling
ing to the boat, floated fully half
mile down the river, and his rescuers
had an exciting time before they land
ed him in another boat. He was
greatly exhausted and was slightly
injured by the falling of the boat.