"On Saturday morning last our whole community was thrown into consternation and excitement at the report that several young ladies were drowned by falling through the ice on the opposite side of the river from this town.
The ice being dammed up below the town, had raised the water over the western bank of the river, requiring two ferries between this place and Kingston, and the cold weather for the two or three days after, freezing it so that a large field of ice was formed.
As soon as the report reached town, the bridge and road leading was thronged with people. On visiting the spot, it was ascertained that a daughter of Judge Woodward, aged about fourteen years - a young woman of about twenty-one years of age, a daughter of Mr. William Butler, formerly of this town, now Mauch Chunk, whom the Judge had raised up in his family - and a Miss Benner, on a visit to his home from Bellefonte, aged about seventeen years, were all under the ice - and before assistance could be rendered, were all drowned.
It seems they, in company with some smaller girls, were sliding on the ice - the water under, being 6 or 7 feet in depth. From the best information we could gather, Miss Benner first broke through, and Miss Butler in attempting to rescue her, went in also - and her cries for assistance brought the daughter of Judge Woodward to save her, who was also pulled into the water. The three together, went to the bottom, and when brought up, which was the best part of an hour afterwards-so thoroughly were they embraced in death together, that it was attended with difficulty to separate them.
The dead bodies were first removed to the house of Mr. John Lazarus-who resides within a quarter of a mile of the place where the catastrophe occurred. Medical aid was upon the spot, and everything done that could be to restore life; but it availed not. The King of Terrors had done his work.
From then they were carried to the residence of Judge Woodward. We did not see them, but were informed by a gentleman who did, that the scene was heart-rending. Side by side, lay the dead bodies of three young and beautiful girls, who but an hour before were filled with hope, and mirth, and animation. No change of feature betokened that there had been a struggle for life-as when the strong man in his vigor, dies-calm and composed they lay, as if it were sleep-and the next moment would re-awaken the dead.
The body of Miss Benner, we are told, was started for Bellefonte on Sunday morning for the reception of her parents-What a summons! The other two were interred on Monday in this place.
The impression upon this community is sad-and it was the only topic of conversation during the whole of Saturday; but to others who had a nearer relation to the dead-we cannot answer for them. We can sympathize-but there is an aching throbbing heart, that those who have known affliction like it, can only judge of its magnitude.
What increases the affliction attending this drama, was the fact that the signals of distress made by the smaller girls-waving of shawls, etc., where discerned and seen by a family living on the farm of Judge Woodward-but as it was considered of no moment, and they were too distant to hear their cries of alarm-it passed off; otherwise timely aid might have been given and the young women saved.
The residence of this family was not a quarter of a mile off from the spot where the accident occurred. The ice, however, lying between-they who were left to give the alarm, dared not pass over it-but going a great way round by land-before timely aid could be given it was too late."
(The Luzerne Union, Wilkes-Barre, PA: 23 Jan 1850)
The ice being dammed up below the town, had raised the water over the western bank of the river, requiring two ferries between this place and Kingston, and the cold weather for the two or three days after, freezing it so that a large field of ice was formed.
As soon as the report reached town, the bridge and road leading was thronged with people. On visiting the spot, it was ascertained that a daughter of Judge Woodward, aged about fourteen years - a young woman of about twenty-one years of age, a daughter of Mr. William Butler, formerly of this town, now Mauch Chunk, whom the Judge had raised up in his family - and a Miss Benner, on a visit to his home from Bellefonte, aged about seventeen years, were all under the ice - and before assistance could be rendered, were all drowned.
It seems they, in company with some smaller girls, were sliding on the ice - the water under, being 6 or 7 feet in depth. From the best information we could gather, Miss Benner first broke through, and Miss Butler in attempting to rescue her, went in also - and her cries for assistance brought the daughter of Judge Woodward to save her, who was also pulled into the water. The three together, went to the bottom, and when brought up, which was the best part of an hour afterwards-so thoroughly were they embraced in death together, that it was attended with difficulty to separate them.
The dead bodies were first removed to the house of Mr. John Lazarus-who resides within a quarter of a mile of the place where the catastrophe occurred. Medical aid was upon the spot, and everything done that could be to restore life; but it availed not. The King of Terrors had done his work.
From then they were carried to the residence of Judge Woodward. We did not see them, but were informed by a gentleman who did, that the scene was heart-rending. Side by side, lay the dead bodies of three young and beautiful girls, who but an hour before were filled with hope, and mirth, and animation. No change of feature betokened that there had been a struggle for life-as when the strong man in his vigor, dies-calm and composed they lay, as if it were sleep-and the next moment would re-awaken the dead.
The body of Miss Benner, we are told, was started for Bellefonte on Sunday morning for the reception of her parents-What a summons! The other two were interred on Monday in this place.
The impression upon this community is sad-and it was the only topic of conversation during the whole of Saturday; but to others who had a nearer relation to the dead-we cannot answer for them. We can sympathize-but there is an aching throbbing heart, that those who have known affliction like it, can only judge of its magnitude.
What increases the affliction attending this drama, was the fact that the signals of distress made by the smaller girls-waving of shawls, etc., where discerned and seen by a family living on the farm of Judge Woodward-but as it was considered of no moment, and they were too distant to hear their cries of alarm-it passed off; otherwise timely aid might have been given and the young women saved.
The residence of this family was not a quarter of a mile off from the spot where the accident occurred. The ice, however, lying between-they who were left to give the alarm, dared not pass over it-but going a great way round by land-before timely aid could be given it was too late."
(The Luzerne Union, Wilkes-Barre, PA: 23 Jan 1850)
"On Saturday morning last our whole community was thrown into consternation and excitement at the report that several young ladies were drowned by falling through the ice on the opposite side of the river from this town.
The ice being dammed up below the town, had raised the water over the western bank of the river, requiring two ferries between this place and Kingston, and the cold weather for the two or three days after, freezing it so that a large field of ice was formed.
As soon as the report reached town, the bridge and road leading was thronged with people. On visiting the spot, it was ascertained that a daughter of Judge Woodward, aged about fourteen years - a young woman of about twenty-one years of age, a daughter of Mr. William Butler, formerly of this town, now Mauch Chunk, whom the Judge had raised up in his family - and a Miss Benner, on a visit to his home from Bellefonte, aged about seventeen years, were all under the ice - and before assistance could be rendered, were all drowned.
It seems they, in company with some smaller girls, were sliding on the ice - the water under, being 6 or 7 feet in depth. From the best information we could gather, Miss Benner first broke through, and Miss Butler in attempting to rescue her, went in also - and her cries for assistance brought the daughter of Judge Woodward to save her, who was also pulled into the water. The three together, went to the bottom, and when brought up, which was the best part of an hour afterwards-so thoroughly were they embraced in death together, that it was attended with difficulty to separate them.
The dead bodies were first removed to the house of Mr. John Lazarus-who resides within a quarter of a mile of the place where the catastrophe occurred. Medical aid was upon the spot, and everything done that could be to restore life; but it availed not. The King of Terrors had done his work.
From then they were carried to the residence of Judge Woodward. We did not see them, but were informed by a gentleman who did, that the scene was heart-rending. Side by side, lay the dead bodies of three young and beautiful girls, who but an hour before were filled with hope, and mirth, and animation. No change of feature betokened that there had been a struggle for life-as when the strong man in his vigor, dies-calm and composed they lay, as if it were sleep-and the next moment would re-awaken the dead.
The body of Miss Benner, we are told, was started for Bellefonte on Sunday morning for the reception of her parents-What a summons! The other two were interred on Monday in this place.
The impression upon this community is sad-and it was the only topic of conversation during the whole of Saturday; but to others who had a nearer relation to the dead-we cannot answer for them. We can sympathize-but there is an aching throbbing heart, that those who have known affliction like it, can only judge of its magnitude.
What increases the affliction attending this drama, was the fact that the signals of distress made by the smaller girls-waving of shawls, etc., where discerned and seen by a family living on the farm of Judge Woodward-but as it was considered of no moment, and they were too distant to hear their cries of alarm-it passed off; otherwise timely aid might have been given and the young women saved.
The residence of this family was not a quarter of a mile off from the spot where the accident occurred. The ice, however, lying between-they who were left to give the alarm, dared not pass over it-but going a great way round by land-before timely aid could be given it was too late."
(The Luzerne Union, Wilkes-Barre, PA: 23 Jan 1850)
The ice being dammed up below the town, had raised the water over the western bank of the river, requiring two ferries between this place and Kingston, and the cold weather for the two or three days after, freezing it so that a large field of ice was formed.
As soon as the report reached town, the bridge and road leading was thronged with people. On visiting the spot, it was ascertained that a daughter of Judge Woodward, aged about fourteen years - a young woman of about twenty-one years of age, a daughter of Mr. William Butler, formerly of this town, now Mauch Chunk, whom the Judge had raised up in his family - and a Miss Benner, on a visit to his home from Bellefonte, aged about seventeen years, were all under the ice - and before assistance could be rendered, were all drowned.
It seems they, in company with some smaller girls, were sliding on the ice - the water under, being 6 or 7 feet in depth. From the best information we could gather, Miss Benner first broke through, and Miss Butler in attempting to rescue her, went in also - and her cries for assistance brought the daughter of Judge Woodward to save her, who was also pulled into the water. The three together, went to the bottom, and when brought up, which was the best part of an hour afterwards-so thoroughly were they embraced in death together, that it was attended with difficulty to separate them.
The dead bodies were first removed to the house of Mr. John Lazarus-who resides within a quarter of a mile of the place where the catastrophe occurred. Medical aid was upon the spot, and everything done that could be to restore life; but it availed not. The King of Terrors had done his work.
From then they were carried to the residence of Judge Woodward. We did not see them, but were informed by a gentleman who did, that the scene was heart-rending. Side by side, lay the dead bodies of three young and beautiful girls, who but an hour before were filled with hope, and mirth, and animation. No change of feature betokened that there had been a struggle for life-as when the strong man in his vigor, dies-calm and composed they lay, as if it were sleep-and the next moment would re-awaken the dead.
The body of Miss Benner, we are told, was started for Bellefonte on Sunday morning for the reception of her parents-What a summons! The other two were interred on Monday in this place.
The impression upon this community is sad-and it was the only topic of conversation during the whole of Saturday; but to others who had a nearer relation to the dead-we cannot answer for them. We can sympathize-but there is an aching throbbing heart, that those who have known affliction like it, can only judge of its magnitude.
What increases the affliction attending this drama, was the fact that the signals of distress made by the smaller girls-waving of shawls, etc., where discerned and seen by a family living on the farm of Judge Woodward-but as it was considered of no moment, and they were too distant to hear their cries of alarm-it passed off; otherwise timely aid might have been given and the young women saved.
The residence of this family was not a quarter of a mile off from the spot where the accident occurred. The ice, however, lying between-they who were left to give the alarm, dared not pass over it-but going a great way round by land-before timely aid could be given it was too late."
(The Luzerne Union, Wilkes-Barre, PA: 23 Jan 1850)
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