It becomes our duty, as the publisher of a newspaper, to give an account of an accident whereby one of Salida's most estimable young ladies lost her life. Sunday morning Miss Addie Ayres took the nine o'clock train for Howard's station, twelve miles below Salida, to visit Miss Retta Collins, an old acquaintance and playmate of hers from Chillicothe, Missouri. Soon after arriving at her destination she started, in company with Miss Retta and Miss Florence Collins, to attend services in a church distant from the station about two miles, and on the opposite side of the river. When they reached the point where the river was to be crossed and where the only means of crossing was by a foot-log not more than eight or ten inches in thickness, Miss Retta Collins said to her sister and Miss Ayres to sit down and wait until she went down the river some distance and secured the assistance of a man and boat to carry them over the river. Miss Retta had proceed[sic] but a few rods when Miss Ayres said, "Oh, I can walk that log," and in spite of the remonstrances and entreaties of her companions she started across. She had nearly reached the opposite bank when she lost her balance and fell into the stream. The young ladies with her at once screamed at the top of their voices to attract the attention of some men who were a few hundred yards distant. At the same time the elder of the two young ladies with her, Miss Retta Collins ran to the river bank and jumped into the water to render Miss Ayres assistance. Miss Collins struggled through the swift running water and when almost within arm's length of Miss Ayres called out to the latter to reach out her hand, Miss Ayres put out her hand but just as they were about to clasp hands Miss Collins' feet were swept from under her and she was carried under water for some distance, all the time endeavoring to gain a foothold. She finally caught her arms around a boulder in the bottom of the stream and saved herself and turned her attention again to Miss Ayres. Having been in the river before she was not scared and had presence of mind to hold her breath and keep her mouth shut. By the time Miss Collins had recovered herself Miss Ayres had floated some distance, and before she, with some men who had begun to arrive, could get to the unfortunate girl, who had by this time been in the water about twenty minutes and floated downstream twenty-five or thirty rods, it was too late. The body was taken out and taken to the residence of Mr. Alexander, about a quarter of a mile from the scene of the accident, where all the methods known by those present for the resuscitation of drowned persons were resorted to and kept up for two or three hours to no avail. It was about a quarter after eleven o'clock when Miss Ayres fell into the river, and soon after Mr. D. H. Craig, of Salida, was notified by telegram. In company with some friends Mr. Craig went down on the 2:50 train and returned with the body on the evening train. Miss Addie Ayres was twenty-four years of age and had no near living relatives. Her mother died when she was quite young and her father died several years ago in Colorado. Miss Ayres was raised by a Mrs Drake in Chillicothe, Missouri. She came to Salida something over a year ago with Mrs. D. H. Craig, with whom she was living at the time of her death. Mr. Craig telegraphed Mrs. Drake for instructions as to the disposition to be made of the body and received in reply a request that the burial should take place here. Accordingly the remains were buried in the Poncha Springs burying grounds this afternoon, funeral services being held at the residence of D. H. Craig and conducted by Rev. H. M. Whaling. Miss Ayres had many warm friends in Salida who sincerely mourn her untimely death. To Mr. and Mrs. Craig, who were sincerely attached to Miss Ayres, the friends extend their sympathy.
--Mountain Mail (Salida, CO) Aug. 26, 1882
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Doddridge H. Craig
Laura Hollis Craig
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