Winona Daily Republican July 8, 1878

Sad Case of Drowning
A Young Lady and a Little Girl Drowned at Richmond

A telegram was received in this city about noon on Sunday announcing the sad news of the drowning of Miss Annie M. Sweet at Richmond in the county. Her mother and two brothers, Hiram and Albert Sweet, reside on the corner of Fifth and Grand streets, and were overwhelmed with grief at the terrible nature of the news conveyed in the brief dispatch. Hiram Sweet at once left for the scene of the accident. Meantime the news began to spread upon the streets and everybody was eager to learn some particulars of the sad affaire. It was at first reported that Miss Sweet, Mrs. Bissett and Miss Kennedy were going across the river in a skiff to attend church at Trempeleau (Wisconsin) and the boat capsized, drowning the two first-named ladies, while Miss Kennedy escaped. The most profound sorrow was expressed by the friends of the family here. Miss Sweet was highly esteemed. She was a member of the Lodge of Good Templars and was generally liked by her acquaintances. For some time past she has been teaching school in Richmond, giving great satisfaction. She had come home to spend the fourth and was stopping at Richmond on her way back to her school duties in the Dix District, when she lost her life in the heroic effort to save another.

FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER
The following letter arrived by the morning mail, Monday: Correspondence of the Winona Republican, Richmond, Minn. July 7, 1878
Miss Annie Sweet of the city of Winona and Miss Maud Bissett of Richmond were drowned in the Mississippi River, Sunday morning, July 7th, at Richmond. Mrs. Bissett and her two daughters and Miss Annie Sweet, Miss Nellie Kennedy and Miss Emma Fleming went to the river to bathe and stepped into deep water, where Miss Sweet and Miss Bissett soon went down to come up no more. Mrs. Bissett and her other little daughter were sinking when Miss Kennedy reached them with a skiff and saved both the mother and the daughter from a watery grave. Miss Sweet had taught two terms of school at Richmond and was held in high esteem by this community. She is now in the Mississippi river with little Maud – one of her former scholars whom she held in hers when both disappeared – and it is supposed the Miss Sweet lost her life in her effort to save the little girl. J.P.N.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
The same mail brought a letter from Hiram Sweet to his mother and brother reciting the details of the distressing accident. From his statement it appears that Miss Sweet and Maud, daughter of Geo. M. Bissett, of Richmond, were drowned about 9 o'clock Sunday morning. Miss Sweet, returning from a holiday visit at her home in Winona, to her school in the Dix District, went down on the train Saturday evening from Winona to LaMoille, intending to stay over Sunday at Mrs. Bissett's in the company of Miss Nettie Kennedy. During the extreme heat of Sunday morning they sought the cool and delightful shade of the island opposite by crossing in a boat in company with others. The boat returned and still others – women and children – crossed. Shortly afterwards some of them waded out upon the treacherous sand bar. Mrs. Bissett lost her footing and went off the steep bank of the bar into deep water below. Miss Sweet, in attempting to rescue her, was drawn into the current. The two children of Mrs. Bissett had preceded her and the whole four were now struggling for life. At this moment Miss Kennedy heroically seized the boat and rowed to the rescue. She grasped Mrs. Bissett by the hair and a little girl by the wrist, dragging the latter into the boat and retaining her hold of Mrs. Bissett until they floated into shallow water. But the others were beyond help. Miss Sweet and the little girl Maud, ten years old, locked arms and sank to rise no more. Up to 9 o'clock on Monday morning the bodies had not been recovered. The people of Richmond and vicinity were doing all in their power to make the search successful. The dragging was continued until 12 o'clock Sunday night.

A special meeting of the Good Templars of Winona was held on Monday morning to take preliminary steps for the funeral in case the body of Miss Sweet is recovered, in which case it will be at once brought here by her brother.
Miss Kennedy, the young lady who rendered such valuable assistance and saved the lives of Mrs. Bissett and one of her little girls, is a daughter of Mr. James Kennedy, of Minnesota City, and is engaged in teaching school in Richmond.
LATER – a dispatch was received from Hiram Sweet at half past three this afternoon saying that his sister's body had been found and would be brought to this city this evening.

Winona Daily Republican July 9, 1878
The Richmond Accident
Recovery of the two bodies – funeral of Miss Sweet
The only consolation left for the mourning relatives and friends whose home was darkened by the sad drowning affair at Richmond on Sunday was the recovery of the bodies, and in the search the unwearied help of two hundred or three hundred people living in the neighborhood of the accident was kindly given. The river was thoroughly dragged for a great space in the vicinity of the place where the drowning occurred, but as it afterwards proved the current carried the bodies downstream, although they must have remained near where they sank for about twenty-four hours. The LaCrosse (Wisconsin) Democrat states that a Mr. Donaldson, who runs a skiff ferry between that city and Dresbach, on the way down on Monday discovered floating in the current the body of a young girl, evidently about the age of Maud Bissett, and although he was not personally acquainted with the family, he had no doubt of her identity. He took the body ashore, and sent work to Mr. Bissett's family of his discovery. Mr. Donaldson lives at Dresbach, which is four miles below Richmond. It was some eight or nine miles below where the accident occurred that the body was found.
On Monday afternoon, the body of Miss Sweet was discovered floating about seven or eight miles below Richmond, face downwards. The light dress which she had on at the time of the accident was clinging about her form. A boy brought the body to the shore, whence it was subsequently taken to Richmond together with the body of the little girl of Mr. Bissett. On being taken from the water the remains showed signs of rapid decomposition, and as soon as possible it was dressed and placed in a burial case and brought home in a wagon by Mr. Hiram Sweet, the brother of the deceased, who was accompanied by another man. They arrived in Winona about 11 o'clock in the evening and proceeded to the sorrowful home, where the aged mother and her son were in waiting. A sister of the deceased arrived on the midnight train from near Sleepy Eye Lake, where she has been engaged in teaching.
The funeral took place on Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock from the residence, corner of Fifth and Grand Streets, the services being conducted by the Rev. W.D. Thomas, of the Presbyterian church. The casket was placed on the front porch and was covered with exquisite floral tributes. The regalia of the deceased which she wore as a Good Templar was placed upon the coffin. Among the friends present was a large delegation of Good Templars from the ledge in this city, who escorted the remains to the cemetery at Minnesota City.
Some further particulars are given of the heroic action and great presence of mind displayed by Miss Nellie Kennedy, who saved the lives of Mrs. Bissett and one of her little girls. Miss Kennedy did not go into the water with the rest of them but remained on the bank. When she saw them struggling for life she screamed for help and ran for the boat, which lay some four hundred feet or more down stream. Jumping into it she grasped the oars and rowed to the help of the drowning ones. As she neared the spot Mrs. Bissett came to the surface and near her rose one of the little girls. Leaning over the side of the boat Miss Kennedy with her right hand seized Mrs. Bissett by the hair and with her left caught the little girl by the right arm above the elbow. In this position she held them – both insensible – trusting that aid would soon arrive. She saw Miss Sweet and Maud go down locked in each other's arms, and was powerless to save them. Presently the girl held by Miss Kennedy recovered consciousness, and by the aid of Miss Kennedy got in the boat. Help soon arrived and Mrs. Bissett was taken home, but it was not until she reached there that she came to her senses. Too much praise cannot be spoken for the self-possession and noble action shown by Miss Kennedy.
To the sorrowing families the sympathy of the community is shown in their bereavement.