The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-13

Wilkesbarre, Pa, May 12-Six
girls and two boys, members OF
the graduating and the junior class
es at the Huntington Mills High
School, fifteen miles from here. were
drowned this afternoon IN a mill
pond near the school
-Four other boys reached shore
and saved themselves. All of the
victims were between sixteen and
eighteen years old. They had been
busy during the morning preparing
for the graduating exercises.
The pupils came to the school
from some distance and carried
luncheon. After noon a party of
SIX girls and six boys embarked in
two boats for a row on the mill
pond Fifteen minutes later one Of
the boats capsized.
The dead:
MAUD SUTLLEF. Town Line.
CAROLINE hDoN- Ha1cu-A
RUTH HpNHAN Town Line.
IRIS DAVENPORT Wstsr-o1.
KATHLEEN GOOD Wa----or.
RACHAEL THOMPSON. Town Hl.
ROBERT 1uNNY. Huntington llL-a
RAY Duu>ON. .Huleag--l lITs
No Witnesses to Tragedy.
No one on the shore saw the party ems
bark or witnessed the accident. The r.5T
pond is some distance from the school
The old paper min there is abandoned
and fringe OF trees shut off the road.
The survivors. George Dolscu U-.ar
Weitsei, jay Koons, and HeroA Bell. tell
d confused story. They say tile party
went down To the water in couples AZ
che side Of the dam they go, 20 small
row boats and three boys and three
girls crowded into each There was much
frO.ickiuc and laughter as the boats push
Cd of side by side. There was much
SpIashing Of water with The oars. and
some Of the party used ,helr hands and
threw water ou the others. The boats
dr.fted 10 the middle oC the pond. several
yards apart
Boys Rock Boat; Girls Scream.
In one boat. where the boys and Girls
were having a very jolly time. a boy got
UD To- change his seat. Then others stood
Up, and they began 90 rock the boat
The girls slrieked. and the boys rocked
The boat O. little more. II dipped some
water and the girls sprauE up. The
next instant the boat overturned and all
SIX We're in the water. with a chorus Of
screams for help.
The other boat, only few yards away.
reached the six struggling i'm the water
with half dozen strokes OF the oars.
Those in the boat were apparently as eN-
cited as those in the water. Evervoua
seemed 10 he screaming or shriekins.
Those iu the boat reached out to get
their struggling companions. Those IN
the water seized the sides OF the boat
and tried 90 scramble in. The we.Shr
on the suuwales pulled the boat beneath
the water. and it's six occupants were
also overheard.
Confusion Is Intense.
The four survivors say there was over
whelming confusion. All the boys an
7arently made an effort to save some Of
their companions. The girls cIuug to
them wherever they could seize them.
some around the neck and some around
the bodies. one or Gle survivors. who
broke away after being d-assed down.
saw "a sroup of four all clinsiug together
Each of the boys who escaped tells OF
leins dragged down 10y the girls or other
boys. and fighting 10 get away. and each
cached the shore after a desperate strur-
gle 10 save his own Efc Apparently
here were no towards. The survivors
saved themselves only when it was
impossible 20 save others. and only with
desperate effort They reached the
hore So exhausted that it was some min
ties before they had strength to drag
themselves TO the town and shout for
lelp.
BY the time teachers. other pupils.
amers. and the towusrolk reached the
scene there was not a ripple on the
water. Later this afternoon the bodies
we're recovered. Nearly every victim
vas CiaeDa7 i'm a death ar1br1,o s11,..