TRAGEDY IN BELMOND
At the east end of the bridge, or rather where it stood, is the Belmond mills, consequently, the milldam was a very short distance above the bridge.
Shortly after the bridge being carried away by the ice, a party of five men undertook to cross from the west to the east side of the river in a boat, in the vicinity of the dam, but who, when once embarked, were destined to never set foot on land again. The particulars of this most sad event, so far as we could learn, were about as follows: On the afternoon of Saturday, the 9th of April, 1870, William Rowen, George W. Royce, and Dudley Gillman, of Belmond, in company with R. P. Rowley of Horse Grove, and 8. F. Ainsley of Clarion, ventured to take passage across the river in a boat that had been used for the same purpose by other parties. If we are correctly informed, they made the venture with no other propelling power than a pole, and to this may he attributed the sad result that followed. Ags already intimated, the point of embarkation was but a short distance from the dam, and much nearer the dangerous eddy than they had thought of. Before they had reached half-way across the river they discovered to their great dismay that the boat was being fast drawn into the whirlpool or chasm caused by the great rush of water flowing over the dam, and which seethed and frothed in all its fury when it came in contact with the water below. Every effort was put forth to avoid the thereatened danger, every nerve was strained to steer the boat clear of the yawning gulf; but all in vain. Out on the deep water they discover that the pole on which they depended to guide themselves across, is too short to reach the bottom, and each moment draws less to avoid the impending doom that too surely awaited them, one of the five, William Rowen, jumped from the boat as a lest resort. Fatal leap! For no sooner hed he touched the water than he was drawn bemeath the surface and borne away beneath the waves out of sitet. On seeing him take the leap, one wild cry arose from the spectators, who, however Willing, Were unable to extend any aid to avert his fate.
Scarcely had the form of Mr. Rowen disappeared beneath the waves, than the treacherous boat capsized, and the other four occupants were precipitated into the boiling, seething water. One wild and heartrending shriek from the lookers on burst upon the air, which terminated in one long continued wail of grief, Gloom depicted on every countenance, and the Women gave way to paroxysms of grief and wild despair.
All was now bustle and confusion. Men ran frenetically to and fro in quest of something to use in search Of the bodies, while the women gathered in groups, and midst wringing of hands and lamentations of We, mingled their tears of grief together, as they rushed forth in an irresistible stream of sorrow. On the necessary preparations being made, was immediately instituted to recover the bodies, and that same evening those of Mr. Rowan and Mr. Gillman were found about a quarterof a mile below the scene of the disaster.
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