The Cairo bulletin., 1909-09-14
ISAVtO TEN But
LOST OWN LIFE
THOUSANDS SEE PTTSsURG
HEROINE SWEPT OVER GOV
ERNMENT DAM.
BY SUPERHUMANE EFFORT
SeVenteen-year-od Grid Held Skft
Against Fierce Current of Mo
nonqahela River Till Ten
We're Rescued.

Pittsburg, Sept 13.-Twelve shrek
ing, panic-stricken children just before
sundown this evening were swept in
a rowboat over the raging dam that
stems the Monongahela river at Eigh.
teenth street, this city. Thousands
OF citizens who We're enjoying the
matchless day on the river banks.
watched, horror stricken, a heroine $
futile efforts to stem the slow move
ment of the cookie shell to where a
frothing eddy marked the twenty-five
foot drop of the river over the gov,
ernment dam
Cecelia Roach, the 17-year-old
daughter Of a South Side business
man, temporarily stemmed the boats
onrush to destruction, and through
her heroisn and presence of mind
enabled the rescue of ten of the
young children she went over the
dana t q death and With her a 13,year-
old child Bessie Timmons. who lay
fainting on the boats bottom.
The sight of Cecelia Roach calmly
tugging at the oars in the river
while one By one the preciors freight
of children was snatched to the safe.
ty of other skifts, caused the cheers
Of thousands to end in dry sobs as
she went with the sMff to the rapids
below It was a magnificent example
Of heroism.
Turns skif Around
This drama of death was enacted
during the dusk aud darkness which
the little heroines figure as
She vanished to death into the mists.
The still pool Of the government
lock today was a fayorite place for
boating parties on the Monongahela
river, and tens of thousands lined
The banks. when without warning
tine raising of the wickets caused an
eddy that insensbly caused the boats
to DRIFT toward the city five blocks
below The boat in which Cecilia
Roach, a high school girl was float
ing with eleven younger children,
catching the fun i>pUse of the tide
FIRST drifted and then sped irresist
IDLY toward destruction.
A groan OF horror went up from
he river bank and many skiffs. man
ned by hardy river men, put out from
the shore, desperately aware that
they had small chances of hating
the doomed cookie shell Cecilia
Roach was seen to huddlc to the
stern the frightened, scre ming chill
lren, ranging in age frcl to l4I
years,
Bodies Not Recovered.
This action caused the PROV to lift
out Of the water and she deity,
turned 1t up stream and attempted to
stay the boats fate with strong even
strokes, The steady rise and fan OIL
the oars attested her calmness and
strength and reduced the headlong
rush to steady drift.
Shrieking thousands on the river
banks told the river men that they
night yet cheat death One boat
gained the imperled one, but in
them tot fell over
'oarl and Mike Hubbard, in charge,
pursued and rescued Maize kearns.
other children Jumped into the water
and were safely landed in the boats.
Meanwhile at the chasms brink Ce-
'elia Roach never wayered.
As third unloaded boat attempted
o rescue her the last clutch of the
'urent seized its prey and tossed
he boat out of sight 10 the maelstrom
lelow. One of the rescuers saw a
golden haired child lying uncon-
'cious under the gunwaie as the boat
disappeared The bodies have not
]een recovered.