Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1875-01-09 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

DREADFUL BOAT ACCIDENT ON THE TYNE.  NINE LIVES LOST.  Little more than twelve months ago eighteen of the workmen of the River Tyne Commissioners were drowned at Howden by the sinking of the tug boat Gipsy Queen, on board of which they were passengers. On Monday, an accident almost as a, ailing in its character occurred on the river at Blaydon, by which the lives of nine of the Commissioners' workmen were lost. On Monday the river was in s, highly dangerous state, owing to the heavy fresh running down, bearing with it huge blocks of ice. It had been high tide at two o'clock, so that at four o'clock or a little after, just as twilight caused the workmen on the island to cease their toil, the tide would be nearly down to half ebb, and everything was conducive to an exceptionally quick flow. A few of the men had crossed the river in small lots, but not in the regular ferryboat. Reuben Ayre, the boatman, seems to have had some slight thought of inconvenience in crossing, and to allow for the increased speed of the current he dragged his boat to a point on the island about 300 yards above his regular starting point. Eleven men and three boys took their places in the craft, and with Ayre and a man named Mace at the oars, the boat commenced her fatal passage. All went well until the boat WU within a few yards of what is known as Cowen's Quay, a point much higher up stream than the customary place of landing. It is not known exactly whether the boatman intended to attempt a landing here or not, or whether his craft was driven within. the projecting jetty of the quay by the force of the ice and stream. Certain it is despite all the efferts of the oarsmen to keep the boat from the timbers of the jetty, it was driven up against them with some force, and a block of ice gliding beneath the other side of the craft, turned it completely over. What took place in the gathering gloom of the dismal twilight it was almost im• possible to discover. Loud shouts were at once raised by those who saw what occurred, but, under the circumstances, no effectual aid could be rendered in time to have saved a single life. Men and boat were swept down by the turbulet tide, and in less than two minutes from the first contact of the boat with the piles of the jetty only five heads were to be seen above water, the remainder having sunk below the ice. How any lives were saved seems almost a miracle. But the fact is that the great packs of floating ice which had been the cause of the accident proved the salvation of the survivors. One man, named William Robson, got upon a block of ice with his feet, and standing perfectly upright upon it, he floated away down stream for some 400 or 600 yards. Ile was able to swim, and beginning to think rescue from the shore impossible, he proceeded to undress with the intention of swiming on shore. Before adopting this last resource, however, he was overtaken by a man named George Armstrong in a small boat, and thus saved. William Darby, another of the survivors, came floating swiftly down kneeling on a piece of ice, and was also Raved by Armstrong. The same gallant fellow also picked up William Feeney, a boy of thirteen and these three rescued ones were put quickly ashore, and at once conveyed to their homes. Robson had been floated down nearly half a mile, and Darby and Keeney were picked up nearly opposite the Chemical Works. Wm. Ormston and T. MoGee, who had put off in a boat, picked up another man named Thomas Murray, who had kept afloat on the ice, and another of the passengers in the unfortunate boat, John Procter, was carried down to Nicholson's Quay, where he managed to get hold of a rope, by means of which he was drawn ant of the water by William Ward and others. Immediately on reaching the shore the rescued men were taken to their several abodes and at once attended by Drs. Rutter and Parker, who applied the necessary restoratives. The following is a list of the drowned :—Joseph Liddell (29), Swalwell, married, 2 children; Patrick Curley (25), Blaydon, single; Thomas liewison (14), Blaydon; William Gibson (26), Winlaton, married, no children; William Coleman (28), Bwalwell, married, 3 children; Anthony Kent (60), single; George Mace (29), widower, 3 children ; Reuben Ayre (30), Blaydon, single; and Thomas Daley (16), Blaydon.  SUICIDE THROUGH DISAPPOINTED Lovs.—On Mon. day, at an inquest held at Reading a case of suicide enough disappointment in love came to light. The deceased is a young country tradesman, named W. J. White, of Great Lea, Shinfield, and it appears that while in Reading he purchased of a chemist a packet of vermin powder, and mixing the powder with some whiskey, he took a draught and killed himself. Four letters were produced at the inquest, which he had written just previous to committing the rash act, in all of which he announced his determination to poison himself, showing the act was deliberate.— The jury, in giving their verdict, were divided, eight being of opinion that he was temporarily insane, and the remainder that he wee not.