Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1875 — Frozen to Death in the Water. [ARTICLE]

Frozen to Death in the Water.

The Nashville (Tenn.) Banner of a recent date gives the following particulars of the terrible death of two men: “About dusk last evening while two men, whose names we were' unable to ascertain, were seated in a canoe engaged in catching the driftwood floating down the Cumberland, not far above the water works and close to the shore, the canoe capsized, throwing them into the cold depths of the river. The river was not very deep at the point where the accident occurred, bur, as they were unable to swim, their condition was certainly a very critical one. Their canoe drifted away, leaving them standing in the river, which was of course very cold,’rendering them doubly so from the fact that their clothing was saturated with water. They raised their voices to the highest pitch and cried lustily for help, but the seconds lengthened into minutes and still none came. “Their cries were heard at last by a gentleman riding near the bank of the river, and, answering his inquiries, they asked him for God’s sake to send a canoe out to them, or they would freeze to death. He told them that he did not know where he could find one, but would endeavor to do so, and rescue them from their perilous situation. “He galloped away on this mission of life and death,*and at last, after a long interval of time, as it seemed to be, had passed, procured one and hastened to their saccor. As he approached the spot from which he had spoken to them, he called to them, but received no response. After wasting several minutes in this manner Without receiving any answer he went close to the bank, where a sad and ghastly sight met his gaze. Leaning half way out of the water, with their hands clutching in a firm death-grasp some bushes, were the unfortunate men, frozen to death. Their bodies were removed to a suitable place to await the time of their interment.” —Pittsburgh Jost $280,000 by fire last year, with $150,000 insurance.