The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-05-11
Thrilling Adventure of Five
Men on Ohio River
Raft Strikes Piling and Threatens
Destruction to Frail Gasoline
Boat.
CABLE BREAKING SAVES THEM

of death by drowning yesterday af-
ternoon at o'clock when large
raft struck sunken piling used by the
Illinois Central transfer boat as a
pier they were:
Charles Brigmeyer. Paducah.
c. B. Witzer Pearl, Ill.
Irving Witzer, Pearl. Ill.
Two unknown owners of the raft
The raft was being towed to
Brookport by the gasoline boat or
the Witzer brothers when the piling,
which the rising river had covered,
was struck. Impelled by the swift
current and the strong wind, the raft
broke asunder and half was forced
upon the piling in a perpendicular
position.
Suspended on the top of the per-
pendicular logs. Charles Brigmeyer,
of Paducah, every moment expected
to be crushed with the downward
plunge of the raft. But the wind
and current held the raft erect Sc
curely until he was rescued by the
owners of the raft In a skiff.
At the same time, the Witzer broth
ers in their gasoline boat were fac
ing instant death by the onslaught
of the raft when through mistake
the engine was started. The sudden
Jerk of the engine gave the boat
squirt, which broke the cable that
tied them to the raft, and their boat
shot out into the river and to safety.
Using their oars frenziedly, the
two owners of the raft escaped. dan
ger from the heavy logs and were
out in the river hundred yards
when they saw Brigmeyer's danger
GUS position. Without hesitation
they returned to his rescue.
All experienced rivermen, they say
that 1t was the closest call of their
lives. The undertaking of towing
the raft with the gasoline boat was
begun reluctantly. but the urgent re-
quest of the raft owners, who said
they were unable to secure help,
caused them to try. Today the raft
is still where 1t struck, half sus-
pended perpendicularly on the piling.
Between 200 and 800 heavy logs
composed the raft and 1t had been
we'll made up or it would have split
in hundred pieces when the collis-
ion with the piling occurred. TO its
holding together as we'll as it did,
they owe the fact that they are alive
as any one of the logs striking the
frail gasoline boat or skiff would
have crushed them, precipitating the
occupants into the river and probab-
ly lnjuring them in the contact.
Helping Them Out.
Shortly after s o'clock yesterday
afternoon skin with the owners of
the raft pulled up to the dry docks
and asked for help in landing the
raft at Brookport Charles Brig
meyer, the Belgian Waterman of the
docks, and the Witzer brothets
agreed to help. The Witzer brothers
came here two weeks ago from
Pearl. ILL.,, with their gasoline boat
to get repairs at the docks. They
also changed the engine from 40 to
so horse power The three men left
for the raft in the gasoline boat
towing the skin with its two occu-
pants.
The raft was just a little above
Brookport, and while the owners
could handle it as long as down
stream course was followed, they
were powerless to stop 1t or to steer
It to the bank. The gasoline boat
hitched cable to the raft and start
ed toward Brookport. Brigmeyer
got out on the raft while the owners
remained in their skiif and the Wit
zers, ran the boat.
No trouble was experienced until
the boat neared the bank. Then
without warning. the raft struck the
supken piling and split in two pieces.
The half -.n which Brigmeyer was
standing, on striking the piling. by
the force of the contact, went bodily
upon it. and in almost perpendicu-
lar position.
The end that went into the air
carried Brigmeyer with It. He was
thrown forward by the collision, his
body falling over the ends of the
logs. There he remained suspended