The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-08
SCkening Disaster At Rocky Hollow
Ends Happy Picnic
SiQht OF Children On The Bank In
spires Only Survivor

trophe which reduced the survivors
to terrified unnatural state of disbe.
lief that the drowning had really hap
pened. They could only think that the
whole procedure was a mere ugly
dream-that it could not be true!
The four bodies of the victims, re-
claimed from the waters of the Ko-
kosing, were horrible evidence that
the family had actually been bereft of
three, of it's mother and two little
daughters brought to a condition of
orphanage. The bodies were brought
to this place in automobiles at $50
o'clock, about two hours after the
dire fatality.
PARSONS STORY
Frank Parsons, son and brother of
three of the victims and only sur
vivor of the drowning, narrates the
following sorry of the appalling affair:
Mrs. Gravin and ! came down
from Akron and father and mother
came over from Nashville yesterday
to spend the day with our daughter
and sister, Mrs. Mowery. We had all
planned to return home last night
and so, as special little celebration
of this reunion of four of eight mem
bers of our family, an all-day picnic
was arranged, the same to be held at
Rocky Hollow.
eve do not assemble as a family
much any more and, consequently, we
were all happy as young kids, so the
day was just continuous round of
fun and merry-making.
"In the afternoon, some of the
party got the notion they would like
to go in bathing, so father (Mr. Par
sons), my sisters (Mrs. Mowery and
Mrs. Gravin), as well as Mr.. Mowery
and myself, took off our shoes and
stockings and waded around for a
while in the water. Mother, my wife
and children and Mae Blubaugh Of
Danville, remained on the bank. This
was about 2:30 o'clock.
Finally getting tired of wading, all
of us returned to the bank, with the
exception of father and Mrs. Mowery.
They still played about in the water
and, hand-in-hand were walking out
from the shore when their faces sud
denly became white with fear and
they shouted for help. It was plain
that they had walked off a shelf in
the bottom Of the river and sister was
gripping father in such a way that he,
a good swimmer, could do nothing.
''Mr. Mowery, Mrs. Gravin and my
self, all jumped in the water after the
drowning two. Mowery and I can't
swim very well, but we did our best
to be of assistance to the drowning
pair. Father still seemed unable to
take care of either himself or Mrs.
Mowery and I suddenly saw funny
look come on his face, he sort OF nod
ded and then sank. Mrs. Mowery was
on top of the water all the time.
''In the meanwhile, Mr.. Mowery and
Mrs. Gravin, awfully scared, had
spent all their energies and they sank
also. / could still see Mrs. Mowery
floating on top of the water and sup
posed she was all right.
81 went under twice l remember
that, although everything got kind of
mixed up, with the screaming both in
the river and on the bank l knew
that at least three people were drown
ed and this fact, instead of bracing
me up and making me fight, mad some
how a discOuraging effect upon me.
I felt the battle was hopeless; that |
couldn't possibly reach shore and re-
allied I was sinking for the third
time.
at was then that my eyes strayed
toward the shore and I saw my wife
and children on the bank. I recover.
ed myself and with the last tiny bit OF
strength I possessed, struck out and
by some means or other. managed to
get foothold, so that ! could wade
from the stream.
81 was tired out when I reached
the bank, but glanced back at the
river, saw only one body afoat and
then the truth of the tragedy struck
me more than ever before, with my
self standing safely on the bank and