The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-08-12

Lizzie PateS, IA years old.
Bessie Brum, IA years old.
Myrie Brum, 10 years old.
Ruth Marshall, II years old.
Riley lived near the river in the south
ern part of the city and was accustomed
to battle on the beach in front of his home
after mis- return from work. Friday night
his little daughter begged to go with him
and Riley took her and seven of her lit
tie girl friends to the beach with him.
When they entered the water Riley babe
the children join hands and they all
waded into the river and walked along a
sand-bar which stretches out into the
stream at that point.
Stepped Into Deep Water.
They had gone some distance from the
shore when suddenly the whole party
disappeared beneath the water, having in
The darkness stepped from the sand-bar
into the deep channel. The children
struggled and screamed, fighting desper-
ately to reach the sand bar, where the
water was only a foot or so in depth
Riley, who is said to have been a good
swimmer, is thought to have been made
uClPlCOo Wy IuC SIl ClluSluS W duu
hampering his efforts to save them.
One Girl Saved.
The only one in the party to regain
the sand bar was Mary Timiny, eight
years old. The child is unable OF tell
how she saved herself, beyond the
statement that 81 snatched my hand
loose from the grasp of the little girl
RI 7
could stand up and that the water
only came to my knees" The beach
where the accident occurred is prac-
tically deserted after nightfall and
the screams of the little Timiny girl
failed to attract anyone 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 before her parents
| could gather an account of what had
occurred. Immediately Mr.. Timiny
organized rescue party, but when
| they reached the beach there was 10
sign of Riley and the seven little
girls whom Mary had seen sink before
her eyes. Boats were hastily secured
and in a short time four of the bodies
had been recovered. Searching par
ties worked late into the night.
Little Survivors, Story.
According to the account of the &C
cident given by the little Timiny girl,
after she had been in a measure
| al INV ap re drouyvi no
was caused by the excitement incident
to the passage Of large river steam
er. Mary says that they had waded
some distance into the stream, keep
| ing carefully to the sand bar, when
the wash from the steamer caused
waves of considerable height to come
ashore. Before entering the water
maintain tight grasp on each others
hands, he taking 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 off the
| Sdhu udl lhlO thC ChdhhCl, ldSSlhS
the others with them. Mary was al
the end of the line, and when hel
companions dragged her from the
sand bar she was the nearest to shoa
water, and to that fact she owes hel
escape.
Four Bodies Still Missing.
Alton, ILL.,, Aug. 8. = Only four of the
party of eight drowned in the river here
Friday night have been recovered. The
bodies of Michael Reilly, aged 40 years
Alice Snyder and Lucia Pates were dis
covered during the night. That of Bessi,
Brum was found Saturday. The river i!
being dragged for the remains of Ruth
Marshall, Marie Brum, Elizabeth Refill!
and Eliza Pates, the other little girls il
the party who lost their lives.
An inquest was held Saturday ove
the four bodies first discovered by thu
deputy coroner of Madison county, il
the city hall at Alton. While thii
was in progress the bodies of Rutl
Marshall, Eliza Pates and Marie Brun
were found and were carried down tt
Alton by an electric launch: