The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-09-18
.SEARCHERS Find
D|GGS BOYS BODY
Was Brought to Surface
With Hook Fastened to
along Pole.

The body Of Joseph Diggs. Jr., was
found in the eIMonogahelaj river this
morning near the foot OF Twelfth
street and less thensse sfeet from
iwhere;te acei dent occurfed yesterday
noon. ~ q :
Earl Davis, caught the lbodylwith n
hook fastened, TO the end OF a pole and
made Of gas pipe 35 feet long about
1880 o'clock while searching with three
companions In boat. The body was
drawn to the surface an dtaken to the
undertaking rooms of Eli Musgrave
and Son In Monroe street, where It
waE prepared for burial.
Stimulated by. the offer Of reward
OF $50 by Thomas Deveny for. the re.
covery of the body, men and boys
worked all night on the river with
hooks fastened to long poles and with
dynamite. Sixteen charges OF explo.
sive. including more than 200 sticks,
were set off for the purpose OF bring,
ing the body to the surface, but with
out result.
After the unsuccessful use OF dyna.
mite, the search was continued with
graphing hooks by several searching
parties In boats. A half an hour before
the body was brought to the surface,
Davis and companion in his boat
with pole five feet shorter than that
used by Davis, noticed bubbles burst
Ing on the surface while they worked
the poles. The S0.foot pole. however,
did not reach the bottom OF the river.
but efforts to snarethe body with the
S5.foot pole were at length successful.
The body was placed In boat and
taken to the warf at the East Side end
Of the river bridge, where 1t was plac.
ed in the undertaker's black wagon
and removed to the undertaking rooms
Preceding the finding OF the body,
preparations were under way for a
long continued search. A house boat
was being towed to place where the
accident occurred to be used as head
quarters for the searchers. This boat
has already been returned to its moor
ings.
Joseph Diggs. Sr., the father of the
victim, had assisted in the search un.
til late hour last night, when he went
to his home in Madison street west OF
Jackson street to comfort the grief.
stricken mother and to get a short
rest. He was on his way back to the
river when message reached him
that the body had been found.
A huge fire of dry boards and sticks
was kept burning all night on the river
bank to afford light for the searchers
at the long gruesome task. After eacli
OF the 16 charges OF dynamite had been
exploded the men would row about the
water as the waves caused by the ex.
plosions subsided seeking the body In
the dark shadows cast by the fire
among the trees whic hoverhang the
river.
The ,searchers recalled the story
told b y Roy Dunn Of his sensational
adventure with alleged bandits whom
he had declared had bound him and
thrown him into the river from a high
bridge near where the Diggs boy was
drowned, after he had overheard plot
to dynamite the homes of wealthy res.
idents OF Fairmont. the story told by
Dunn being later discredited.
The cearch during the early part Of
last might for Diggs' body was con.
dutced with hooks afstened to ropes
an dtrailed through the water, and It
was not until hooks fastened to poles
wer used that any headway was made
towards finding the body.
It Is believed that the failure OF thsi
dynamite to bring the body to the sur.
face was due to the small quantities
exploded at a time. II the entire 200