The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-08-13
DROWN IN RIVER
WHILE WAD|NG
Seven Girls and a Man Sink
to Their Death In the
Mississippi.
WAVES FROM STEAMERS WASH
Little Ones Held Tight TO One An.
other When Walking on the Sand.
bar or Alton, and All but One Lose
Lives.

Alton, ILL.,, special: While bathing IL
the Mississippi river Friday night
Michael Riley. his daughter and six
OF the latter's little girl friends were
drowned. One child, who was in the
party, was rescued.
The dead:
Michae. i,iiey. 80 years old.
EIizaheih Riley. IL years old.
ALE Synsr, IA years old.
Lucy Bates. years old.
Lizzie Bates. IA years old
Bessie Bum. IA years old.
Myrtle Brum. 10 years old.
Ruth Marshall, II years old.
Riley lived near the river In the
southern part of the city and was &C
customed to battle on the beach In
front of his home after his return
from work. His little daughter
begged to go with him and Riley took
her and seven of her girl friends TO
the beach with him. The children
joined hands and they all waded into
the river and walked along sandbar
which stretched out into the stream
at that point. They had gone some
distance from the shore. when sud.
denly the whole party disappeared be.
meath the water. having in the DARK
ness stepped from the sand bar into
the deep channel.
Children Struggle for Life.
The children struggled, screamed
and tried desperately 10 reach the sand
bar. where the water was only a foot
or so in depth. Riley. who is said 10
have been good swimmer. Is thought
TO have been made helpless by the
girls clinglng - him and hampering
his efforts TO save them.
The only one In the party to regain
tho sandbar was Mary Timiny. yedis
old. The child is unable to tell how
she saved herself. beyond the state
ment that. II snatched my hand loose
from the grasp OF the little girl mex.
to me. and soon found that | could
stand up and that the water only came
TO Liy knees"
The beach where the accident oc.
Cured is practically deserted after
nightfall, and the screams of tho little
Timiny girl failed TO attract any one
TO the scene. After Riley and her
playmates had disappeared beneath
the water the child ran from the beach
and reached her home screaming at
the top OF her lungs. She was so
hysterical that It was some time be.
fore her parents could gather an ac
count of what had occurred.
Immediately Mr.. TimIny organized a
rescue party, but when they reached
the beach there was no sign of Riley
and the seven little girls. Boats were
hastily secured and in a short time
four Of the bodies had been recovered.
Searching parties worked late into the
night.
Survivor Tells of Disaster.
According to the account of the nc
cident given by the little TIminy girl,
after she had been In a measure
Gained by her parents. the drowning
was caused by the excitement Incl
dent TO the passage of a large river
steamer.
The girl says that they had waded
some distance into the stream. keep
ing carefully TO the stand bar, when
the wash from the steamer caused
waves OF considerable height to come
ashore. Before entering the water
Riley had instructed the little ones
to maintain a tight grasp on each 9th.
er's hands, he taking a place In the
center.
The wash from the steamer created
considerable confusion among the
girls. Mary explains. and In the dark
ness they lost their bearings and be-.
fore they were aware of their danger
two or three Of them had stepped on
the sand bar into the channel. drag.
cling the Others With them.
The Timlny girl was at the end OF
the line and when her companions
dragged her from the sand bar she
was the nearest 10 shoal water and TO
that fact she owes her escape.