Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-31
EIGHT WENT BOATING
But; Only One Came Back to His
Friends Alive, the Seven -
Others Drowning.
MERRY PARTY, PILoTED BY DEATH
And Poor Boatman. PIunges Over n
Twelve-Foot Fall i'm the Schuyl-
Kill River.

Philadelphia. May 31.-A rowboat
containing a merry party of eight
young persons was swept over Flat
Rock dam in the Schuylkill river yes
| terday afternoon, and seven OF them
five girls and two boys-were
drowned. The victims, all of whom
were Philadelphians, were: Florence
| Densmore, aged 10; Roy Kicker, IS;
| Maize Kennedy. IS; Maud Rutter, 10;
| Mamie Sullivan. 21; Florence Bond,
| 81; Bertram Osmond, 10. The young
| man saved is John Moore. aged 81.
The party was composed of members
| OF the Elm Social club. .one of the nu
uerous associations in this city or
ganiZed for the promotion of picnics
| and other social functions. The above
named persons, with a large number
of others, most of whom resided ip-the
southern section of the city, organized
n picnic for yesterday. They en-
barked in gaily decorated wagons
early yesterday morning and pitched
their camp at Ross Glen, along the
Schuylkill river, on the northern out
skirts of this city.
Fatal Row on the River.
Following their usual custom the
party split up after dinner for Il row
On the river, and those above men
toned decided TO go in one boat. This
was shortly after o'clock. Boats
We're accordingly hired and the two
parties set forth for an hours row on
the river. and the unfortunate 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 in the bow of the
boat. After getting in the middle of
the river and finding the current too
swift for comfort the boat was rowed
in toward shore. During this time it
was carried slowly dow stream.
The boy doing the rowing decided 10
90 through the locks. and as he APP
preached the dam he was hailed by
the lock keeper not To approach any
closer.
Did Not Heed the Warning.
The warning was not needed. and
the young OarSman kept on rowing un-
I'll he found that tine lock was closed.
He attempted To turn the boat. which
was then about fifty feet from the
dam and twenty-five feet from shore.
but he turned the wrong way. 4 mo-
Iaent 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 control of the
boat Swiftly ii was carried toward
the brink OF the falling waters. and
inst at it reached the breast of the
dam, over which thirty inches of water
was passing. the entire eight stood up.
and the boat went over stern first.
Drops Twelve Feet 10 the Rocks.
The drop 10 the rocks below is ap-
prONimatcly twelve feet The boat
struck the water bottom up, and as it
disappeared the whole party was nm
der il. Nothing more was seen 10y the
few persons who saw the accident for
almost a minute. when the boat reap
peared with one boy clinging to its
keel. Then the other young man was
seen to come to the surface and make
frantic effort to reach shore Ivy
swimming. The six girls never rose to
the surface. The boy was was swim
ming. and who proved TO he OSmond.
became exhausted and sank before he
could be rescued. Moore. the other
hoy. who was clinging TO the boat.
flOated fully n balf-mile down the
river before bc WAS reScupd