Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-11-15
OVER DAM TO HIS
DEATH IN A BOAT
Richard WheIan Drowned at Pow
or Plant in Vernon
Thomas owens Also Carried over and
Had Terrible strugaIe--Thlrd Man
Saved by clinslng to Fiashboards.


Saved by cllnslng to Fiashboards.
Two men in a boat were swept over
the Connecticut River Power company's
dam at Vernon Sunday afternoon at
Las o'clock and Richard Whelan, master
mechanic for the power company, was
drowned. Thomas owens, another en-
ploye miraculously saved his life after a
terrible struggle with the waters. Mar
tin Whelan, a pump tender and brother
of the drowned man, was working with
the others, but he stood on the fash
boards and was not in the boat
During the high water two weeks
ago several of the 1ashboards were
washed away and Sunday afternoon the
master mechanic and the two men
started out to remove the driftwood and
replace boards that had disappeared, at
a point a little more than midway of the
dam, toward the New Hampshire siie.
They were in small scow that was
used for this work by employees of the
company. This boat was operated by
means of a cable suspended from poles
on each shore of the river, a rope be-
ing attached to the cable and to one
end of the craft.
When the men started from the Ver-
mont side an employe started the motor
which operates the cable and when 1t
was about halfway across the river
on shore to stop the motor. The stop
was brief and again the men in the
boat signaled the man on shore to send
them farther toward the New Hamp-
shire end of the dam. The scow con-
tinued until 1t was beyond the break
in the fashboards at the New Hamp-
shire end. The cable was stopped and
the men prepared to repair the break.
No water was going over the flash
boards, but at the open space in the
boards the water was two to three feet
deep and eddying and curling about,
and the rope from the scow to the
cable was under a heavy strain.
Martin Whelan stepped from the boat
to the flashboards and, standing on one
of the upright boards, grasped an iron
rod to support himself Hardly had he
regained an upright position when the
boat began to head through the break.
Either the rope had broken or the
staple to which it was attached had
pulled out, it is supposed, and with
nothing to hold it back the boat drifted
with great rapidity through the break
in the fashboards. Both men in the
boat realized that they were going over
the dam, but 1t was too late to save
themselves. Owens jumped and chung to
a piece of heavy driftwood. Whelan
remained in the boat and was seen in
it as it plunged into the foaming cur
rent DelOW ,tHe udnl.
Onlookers saw Owens go over and
within a few seconds he reappeared
clinging to the heavy board. The waters
tossed him about but he chung to the
driftwood and struggled for life against
the tumbling waters. Persons on both
sides of the river watched him, but
were powerless to lend a hand and sew
eral times he was buried in the foam
ing water At last he was thrown away
swift
on the board with all his strength, he
managed to make his way to a ledge
near the east end of the dam, and
there he lay exhausted and weak.
After he had reached a place of safe
ty anxious watchers waited for some
gone over with it. Several minutes
passed, but nothing was seen. There
was a lapse of 10 minutes and then
from the white foam under the dam
the scow appeared. One end was shat
tered and boards in the bottom appear
ed to have been wrenched off. But
nothing was seen Of Richard Whelan.
SO feet and then the craft was swept
around in a curve and began to. go
upstream. Near the foot Of the dam 1t
was again caught in the current and
swept under. 1t came to the surface
again and this time was washed nearer
the Vermont shore. Again 1t went down
the river and this time 1t continued I'M
til out of sight.
Persons living in Vernon and employ
es Of the power company remained on
the shore in the hope that the body of
Whelan might appear. Mrs. Whelan and
her three small children, the Oldest
four and the youngest a baby in arms,
stood near the power station watching
the swirling waters with the others. At
90 ,,.tn ut 5apt
that II the body was recovered 1t would
be impossible to resuscitate the man,
and Mrs. Whelan was told that there
was no hope that her husband would be
saved. Surrounded by little knot of
neighbors the grief-stricken woman and
her children returned to their cottage
on the hill north of the power station.
When the two men went over the
dam Martin Whelan stood several min
utes gazing into the waters below for
a glimpse of his brother. He watched
Owens's struggle for life and then made
his way on the flashboarjs to the New
Hampshire side. At that end of the dam
there is wing, from the top of which
several men dropped a rope and pulled
him up. Owens was pulled from his
place on the rocks in the same way
and then the two men were brought
back in a boat to the power station.
The river was dragged below the dam
several hours Sunday afternoon and all
day Monday men were at work trying
TO locate the body of Whelan, but with
out success The 10 foodgates in the
dam were open at the time of the &C.
cident, and 1t Is believed that the cur
rent carried the body down stream.
Immediately after the accident Mr.
Whelan's father and mother, who live
in Schaghticoke, N. Y, were notified
They arrived in Vernon Monday morn
Ing and have been with Mrs. Whelar
since then.
Richard Augustine Whelan. 20. wa,
born in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, coun
ty N. Y, son of Michael and Mary
Ann (Nehan) Whelan. He attended tn,
schools of his native town and Nov. 28
1906, married in Utica, N. Y, Miss Mary
McManus of that city. Three years age
he came to Vernon and at the time O
the accident was head mechanic for tn,
Connecticut River Power company. III,
always was efficient in his work and b,
his knowledge and capability had beer
advanced to the position he held at tn,
time of his death. When Superintendent
J. B. Mahoney was transferred to Shell
burne Falls to have charge of all tn,
power stations operated by the com
pany Mr.. Whelan was given complete
charge of the local station. He mad
numerous friends here and the men VIII
worked under his direction are unani
nous in their expressions OF regard 70
him. He was member of Leo council
X. OF c., of Brattleboro and attende
st, Michael's Roman Catholic church
Il a \