Cunningham drowning

CUNNINGHAM

Posted By: Donna Sloan Rempp (email)
Date: 6/13/2016 at 20:17:48

Cunningham, Charlie
Sad Ending of a Picnic
We believe we have never seen a shock so universally felt by the people of Newton as that occasioned by the intelligence received on last Thursday afternoon, that Charlie Cunningham had been drowned in Skunk River. If this was the fact in regard to our people generally, what it must have been to his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cunningham, can better be imaged than tol.d
In the morning, full of life and joyous excitement, he had started with a dozen other young people of both sexes, to enjoy a days’ holliday on the banks of the Skunk river, tin a picnic. After reaching the river, fixing up the grounds for the ladies, and making all arrangements for the day’s sports, he in company with James Davis, Charles Jasper, Bloom Ryan and Mona Robinson, went to a point about a half mile above what is known as the Monroe bridge, for a swim. All were in deep water swimming, except Charlie Jasper, who could not swim. Jim Davis was near youngt Cunningham. Bloom Ryan was swimming down the stream and Mona Robinson some distance below Rayan. The river was high and the current very swift. The river bed gradually sloped off for about ten feet and then there was a perpendicular declivity, and over this the water was 12 or 15 feet deep. Davis first saw that Charley was in danger, he went to him, was caught, and finding that he was about to be drowned, freed himself from him. In the meantime, Jasper had alarmed Ryan, who came up to Cunningham, telling him not to catch hold of him, instead of which, however, he was caught first by the waist and then by the hand, taken down twice, and was so near drowned that he threw up his hands. In going down the third time, and after he was beneath the surface of the water, Jasper succeeded in making Ryan grasp a pole that he had secured, and by the aid of Davis, who had recovered from his strangling, succeeded in bringing Ryan to the shore, but poor Cunningham had gone to the bottom.
Word was immediately brought to town, and our people nobly responeded to the call for help. Long before night not less than 150 men, with boats, hooks etc. were dragging the river, while strong swimmers were in the water, searching the bottom for the lost boy Thursday night, all day and night of Friday and Saturday, the search was continued – powder confined in earthen jugs were exploded at the bottom of the river until two ketgs were consumed – all that men could do was done to find the body, but to no avail. On Sunday morning, at about five o’clock, the body was found in a drift about 80 rods below where it first sank. It is now believed that the body never moved from where it went down, until it came to the surface, there being at that point a very deep hole, and a strong shirling eddy. The body was very much bloated and decomposed. A coffin was procured and all that was mortal of Charlie B. Cunningham taken to Monroe and buried at about six o’clock Sunday evening. A very large concourse of the people from Newton and Monroe followed the body to its final resintg place.
Mr. Joe Cunningham, the father, is the deputy county clerk, moving here from Monroe, of which place he had long been a resident, about four months ago.
Charlie was born in Monroe, this county, on the 12th of January 1868, being just 17 yers, 7 mos. and 1 day old at the time of his death. He was an intelligent and promising young man, of a happy and cheerful disposition, and won the warmetst friendship from all with whom he came in contact. Althought living in Newtont but a few months, in that time he had become popular among the best of oouyr young people, and their love for him is shown by their grief at his sad and sudden death. The grief stricken parents, sister and brother, are almost distracted over the tragic fate which whas robbed them of their loved one. The cloud of sorrow which has suddenly darkened their home, has also cast a shadow over every household in our community, and in sympathy we weep with them in their great affliction.

We would tender our heart-flet thanks to all who so kindly aided in the efforts to recovery the body of our dear boy, and whose sympathices have been so generously extended to us in the great affliction which ahs so suddenly darkedned our home. May God bless you all. Jos. Cunninhgham, Fannie Cunningham.
Source: Newton Journal; 19 August 1885

The recent drowning of young Cunningham, and the narrow escapes of others in the treacherous Skunk river, together with the well-known love of young and old people for an occasional plunge and swim in a body of water of sufficient depth for that purpose, susggests the questions: Is it not possible to construct somewhere in the vicinity of Newton, a place where swimming for both sexes could be indulged in with decency and safety? How would the surplus water from Carrier’s fish pond do? Or is that too far from town? We ask our town readers to think of it, and the first one who can make a practical answer, to send it to us.
Source: Newton Journal; 19 August 1885