Whitestone, Long Island, NY Rowboat Accident and Drowning, Aug 1890

PLEASURE SEEKERS DROWN

A Rowboat Capsizes and Five Occupants Perish.

A shocking drowning accident by which five lost their lives, occurred recently off Whitestone, Long Island, N. Y. The employes [sic] of the Schaeffer Brewing Company of New York were holding their annual excursion at Stimmel's Pavilion at Whitestone.

While the music and dancing were in progress in the pavilion, a party including JOHN LOGAL, HERMAN HUNG, MARUICE STADLER, MARIE PUNTZ, BERTHA SCHOOP and THERESA LOGAL, hired a boat and started out into the bay. Before they had gone a great distance some persons on the shore were startled to hear the women in the boat screaming. The next instant the boat was soon to upset, and all the occupants were thrown into the water.

An eye witness of the terrible occurrence from the shore saw one of the young women clinging to one of the men, who struggled desperately to keep himself and his female companion above water, when suddenly both threw up their hands and disappeared.

One of the first to go to the rescue of the drowning persons was a son of DR. BLOECKER. He saw one of the young women struggling in the water and seized hold of her as she was about to sink. He brought her ashore with great difficulty.

It is believed that the boat was caught in a heavy wash from one of the Sound steamers which was passing at the time, and that when the boat began to rock the women became panic stricken, suddenly jumped up and caused the craft to capsize.

The Cranbury Press New Jersey 1890-08-29
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!