St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-06-05
DISTRESSING MEMORIAL DAY ACCIDENT
Herbert and Helen Smythe and Helen Ellis Drowned
Memorial Day-Lewis KmbaiI Had Marrow Escape
Only Two of the Bodies Recovered.

&%AAAy W. VA SAA~
The most shocking river disaster
in years occurred here on Memorial
Day when Herbert w. Smythe, his
sister, Miss Helen Smythe, and Miss
Helen Ellis, were drowned and Louis
Kimball narrowly escaped the same
fate in the Passumpsic River in the
rapids just above Hastings bridge.
The party of four left the boat house
about two o'clock in the afternoon
for paddle up the river. They had
been warned that it was dangerous
to put a canoe on the swollen river
but were anxious for pleasure on
that day and started out.
ALI went well until they approach
ed the rapids just above the bridge.
Mrs. Charles Hunt who lives just at
the end of the bridge saw the canoe
below the bridge and realizing the
danger went to the window near the
river to watch them. Just as they
got into the rapids the canoe swerved
little and overturned. The occu-
pants first clung to the
canoe, and were swept down
stream. They soon lost their
hold and Herbert Smythe took his
sister, and Kimball, Miss Ellis, and
tried to get them ashore. Kimball
struggled until he went under twice
and then lost hold of Miss Ellis. He
saw the three young people together
and knew no more until he regained
consciousness on the bank where he
had been pulled by Wallace Richards,
who had heard their cries and sue
cPQ6a0 in reaching Kimball
Mrs Hunt ran to the telephone
when she saw the accident and tele-
phoned the police and when she got
to the door saw the arms of Miss
Smythe sticking out of the water but
she had sunk in an instant and the
three had perished.
Kimbalrs Story.
The alarm called people from all
sections and soon hundreds of peo-
pie were on the banks watching the
efforts at resuce. Kimball was
quickly resuscitated, taken into Mrs. |
Hunts house where dryfelothes were
put on him and he was taken to his |
room at James G. Moneys on Sum |
mer street, where he roSmed with /
his brother He of course suffered |
from the shock but rapidly recover
add to the account of the affair. Het
said that the two girls went to the
boat house in the forenoon and ask |
ed for a canoe but Mr.. Clark refused /
to let them go on the river alone. In
the afternoon he let the two young |
men take a canoe and the water was /
so high they were obliged to get to I
the shore above the regular landing /
to take the girls in. All went we'll /
until they got above the bridge. They
all realized their danger then and |
Kimball asked Smythe if they should
not go back. He replied he thought /
it safer to go ahead than to try to
turn and an instant later they were
all in the water.
DR.. w. J. Aldrich happened to
be passing as Kimbau was pulled
out and aided in the rescue work.
News of the disaster was tele-
phoned to The Colonial where Mr..
and Mrs. Smythe and Mrs. Ellis were
taking part in the Memorial Day ex-
ercises and Mrs. Roy Eaton had to
break the terrible news to them.
The Work of Rescue.
The police, health officer, the
sheriff's department, village trustees
and selectmen were notified of the
accident and all went to the river to
take charge of putting a crowd of
volunteers searching for the bodies.
All the available boats were first
manned and they began dragging
the river in the vicinity of the acct
dent. Then large raft was con-
structed and ropes fastened to it so
it could be held in any desired posi-
tion by men on the shore and four
examining the river bottom. AS
darkness approached automobile
headlights were secured and placed
on the raft and shores and the work
was continued until nearly midnight.
AS soon as daylight came Friday
the me nwere back at their
work and in boats continued the I
search in all parts of the river above
the Paddock's Village bridge. AL
though it rained and the river was
very high and swift, work was not
abandoned for a minute There were
no results until about half past three
in the afternoon when George Cald-
beck, who was in a boat located the
body of Helen Ellis about 25 rods ,
above the Hooker dam and pulled it 1
out of the water. He then located ]
the body of Herbert Smythe about
SO feet away, but lost it and ". E. J
Lurchin and George Burbee went (
after it and about two hours later
succeeded in getting it out of the ]
water. The bodies were removed to {
undertaking rooms, ]
where they were cared for /
The finding of these two bodies put {
new courage into the searchers and
they redoubled their efforts but I
results. Edward Smythe /
and a stranger worked all night Fri
day and Saturday nights in the effort
to find the missing body. Dynamite :
was exploded along the river Satur-
day and Sunday but it brought no
body to the surface. Sunday morn
ing the men on the raft had reached {