River Drowning

ALL BODIES IN RIVER TRAGEDY ARE RECOVERED

That of John McKeown Was Found This Morning

POLICE GRAPPLED INDUSTRIOUSLY

Heroic Attempts Were Made to Rescue Unfortunates

Efforts of the police department in the three days' search for the bodies of the victims of Saturday's sad drowning accident were rewarded, today, when the last of the four bodies, that of John McKeown, of 228 South Main St., was recovered shortly after 10 o'clock this morning.

The body was found almost exactly in the spot where the accident occurred, if anything a short distance above the spot pointed out by witnesses of the catastrophe.
Three of the bodies were found yesterday, and although at one time the searchers had McKeown, they lost the body. The work was under the direction of Frank "Bijah" Wiggin of the police department, and he was assisted this morning by Chauffeur Hadlock.

Yesterday the police were assisted by a large number of volunteer crews from the various boathouses along the shore, but today the police were alone in their search.
The first to be recovered was that of little Henry McKeown, four years old, this being raised at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. Soon afterward the remains of Arthur Leacock were found, but it was 6 o'clock last night before the searchers were rewarded again, the final body to be brought up being that of Edward Ahern, of 21 Arkwright St. Once the body of John McKeown was reached, but before it could be brought to the surface the currents tossed it to one side and it was lost.

The accident, which is one of the most terrible in the history of river fatalities, occurred Saturday afternoon shortly after 4 o'clock. A party of six, composed of Henry McKeown, 48 years old, of 228 South Main St., his son, Henry, Jr., aged 4 years, of the same address; Robert Dorriss, of 21 Arkwright St., John McKeown, of 228 South Main St.; Edward Ahern of 21 Arkwright St., and Arthur Leacock, of 27 Wilton St., embarked in a canoe on the east bank of the river, and started for the westerly shore.

A brisk wind fanned the surface of the river into a sea of white caps, and the frail 16-foot canoe, with its load of human freight, was buffeted severely by the breakers. When in mid river near Ray's Rock, at a point about opposite the State Industrial school a paddle became caught in the wind, and before the occupants of the canoe realized what had happened, all six were tumbled into the water, the canoe capsizing. Watchers on the bank who had seen the five men and boy paddling about rushed to the rescue, but before they could reach the scene, four had been drawn beneath the waters.

The rescue party came booming along in the power boat of the Clan McKenzie club, but they were handicapped in their work by lack of ropes which had been stolen from the boat by river vandals. In the power boat were George McClure, George Rollins and Daniel Smith, but while they were engaged in saving Dorriss and the elder McKeown, the others drowned.

Heroic Aspects .

The accident was not without its heroic aspects. John McKeown, who is 20 years old, was one of the best known all around athletes in Manchester. An expert swimmer, a crack soccer football player, and excelling in all lines of sports turned his attention to his young nephew, but with the other four men struggling in the waters about him, he was unable to reach the child and went down in the attempt. The father of the boy Henry McKeown, also did his best to save his child, and was finally hauled on board the power boat in half drowned condition and utterly helpless.
Leacock and Ahern went down when the power boat was almost at their sides, and had the ropes been in the boat when the emergency called for their use, it is probable that all would have been saved. Search was made after the accident and these were found under the bushes on the river bank a short distance above the Clan McKenzie boathouse.

Leacock's lose is mourned by the members of St. Andrews Episcopal church of which he was a prominent member. He was a member of the parish, sang in the church choir, and was a member of the Men's club of the church.
He leaves a mother, Mr. William G. Leacock, and two brothers, Frank H., and William W. Leacock, all of this city. He was 20 years old, and was a native of Manchester, being employed at the time of his death in the cloth room of the Amoskeag Manufacturing company. Ahern was 21 years old, and lived with Dorriss.

Dorriss, who was rescued with the elder McKeown, was injured when the boat turned turtle, his leg being crippled by the overturned boat. Despite his crippled condition he shared in the heroism of the other men, and made rash but fruitless attempts to reach and hold up his less fortunate companions.
The rescue work yesterday was watched by hundreds of people who lined the river banks, and as fast as the bodies were brought to the surface they were removed to the rooms of local undertakers.

The fact that the mills were shut down aided the rescue work, as it stopped, to a certain extent, the swift current of the river. All three bodies were recovered close to the spot where the canoe overturned.

[Source: Manchester Leader and Evening Union - June 30, 1913]
[Submitted by: Helen Coughlin]