Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-24
He Battles His Way 10 Safely
While Hundreds Watch.
In a Frail Boat Held by Ropes
In Hands Of Companions.
Misjudged Distance and Called for
Too Much "SIack."

Waterville, Sept. 2S.-fSpeeiaD.- In
the eyes of hundreds who were pow
erless to help them, Michael Melon
aid, aged IS. of Fairfield lost his lite
of Fairfield, had narrow escape from
similar fate, when boat in which
they were working was carried over
the Ticonic Falls and dashed to pieces
on the rocks. II feet below, about )
o'clock. Tuesday afternoon McDon-
aid was evidently knocked unconscious
after being thrown over the dam for
he made no apparent attempt to swim
while Meader allowed himself to be
carried along by the current until lie
reached a point where ne could swim
ashore.
Both men were at work near the
edge of the fails blowing out the
flush boards in order to allow a great
cr flow of water in the log roli~aY
near the east shore of the. river. The
high water caused by the recent ruins
has made work on the new dam dif-
ficult. In order to remedy this Mead
err and Mcdonald were dynamiting the
blanks from the falls The current Is
very strong at this point. and the boat
in which they we're working was con-
nected to the Winslow shore by q
rope held by two men and TO the west
shore by another rope held by two
other fellow employees. As the men IN
the boat neared the falls the holders
of the rope would slack out, as
they received the signal from McDon-
aid and Meader. The men in the boat
evidently misjudged the distance ami
called for too much slack and were
caught in the swift current and hurled
over the falls. AS soon as the bow OIL
the boat had protruded over the edge
of the dam, both men were seen 10
Jump. Their companions on the shore
and others who had been watching the
work shouted for help.
Many Watch Struggle.
The CRY went down along the river
edge and the scores of men who were
at work on the new dam stopped 10
watch the struggle for life, poWeriess
to lend any assistance. Jagged rocks
stand up out of the water from the
falls to below the lower bridge. me
current runs perhaps 10 miles an
hour Meader, who was not seriously
injured by the fall was seen to come
to the surface and use his hands IN
an attempt to guide himself between
the rocks, allowing himself to be borne
MoJ1nnald
to the surface but once, and sank al
most Immediately. When Meadef
reached point almost 100 yards be-
low the bridge, exhausted, cut ana
bleeding he crawled to the WInsloW
shore. His companions body was seen
by bystanders to pass down the river
about 20 feet behind.
The shouting of the laborers on the
East side of the river drew a large
crowd and caused much excitement,
bringing hundreds of employees from
the mills. DR.. M. S. Goodrich was
summoned and, after caring for Mead
er, who was suffering from bruises,
minor cuts, and exhaustion. he had
him moved to his home in Fairfield.
A searching party was at once in
structed to drag the river at point
where the current runs into still water,
but up until dark when the search
was abandoned, the body had not been
recovered. The dragging will be re-
sumed at daylight, Wednesday.
Standing upright under the great
roaring cataract the shelton of the
frail rowboat told of the force the men
had to battle with in their fight
Meader was resting comfortably at
his home in Fairfield. Tuesday night
and his recovery will undoubtedly be
rapid. Mcdonald had a wife and fam
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