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Show Page 16 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume I, Issue XI August 1999 TWO CHILDREN AND A YOUNG MAN DROWNED THREE PERSONS FALL OVER A DAM INTO THE OGDEN RIVER From an article in The Standard, dated Friday Morning, April 27, 1888. “A kiss for oranges tonight, papa,” said the two bright little girls of Mr. W. G. Wilson yesterday morning when he left his home in Ogden Canyon to go to Ogden. He gave the kisses, promised to bring the oranges, and off the little ones went to play. The kisses were the last that papa got from his little darlings, for they now lie in the cold embrace of the mad waters of the Ogden River. The most sorrowful case of drowning reported from these parts for many a day was that which occurred in Ogden Canyon yesterday afternoon about 4 o’clock, resulting in the death of Mary Belle Wilson, aged 7 years on the 9 th of the coming May, Emily Wilson, aged 5 years, daughters of Mr. W.G. Wilson, and George Newby, of Pleasant View, a young man aged 21 years. The particulars are as follows: Hyrum Perkins, who has for more than seven years been in the employ of Mr. Wilson, had constructed a boat, some weeks ago, which he used for crossing the river above Wilson’s mill dam, in Ogden Canyon. The little children were nearly always with him, and he had frequently given them rides in the boat forward and backward over the river. Mr. Newby, who had only on Wednesday been employed by Mr. Wilson, gave Mr. Perkins to understand that he was somewhat familiar with handling the oars, and so was taken into the boat with Mr. Perkins and the children. In returning from the opposite side of the river, Newby became excited owing to the swiftness of the current and would not obey Perkins orders to let his oars rest, so that the boat might cross in safety without being carried down over the dam. The river has raised very much since the rains, and before Perkins could get the boat to shore the stream had carried it to the brink of the mill dam, and it went over with all on board into the whirling waters below. Mrs. Wilson, who had gone to look for her children, arrived just in time to see them go over the dam into the river. Perkins, being used to the waters, managed to get ashore after doing all he could to rescue the children. He says he saw Newby standing in the water after the boat had gone over, but while his attention was directed in his attempt to rescue the children, Newby slipped and the strong stream carried him under and he also was drowned. The feelings of the terrified mother can better be imagine than told. A telephone message was immediately sent to Ogden to Mr. John L. Wilson, a brother to W. G., and a messenger dispatched to inform the father of the fearful fatality. He had left Ogden at 4 o’clock on his homeward journey, was met in the 3675 Ri ver dale Rd. Riv erdale mouth of the Canyon and informed that an accident had taken place at his home. “What is it?” “An accident has happened.” “For God’s sake tell me what it is!” “One of your little girls has fallen into the river.” “Then she is drowned!” “Yes, both your little girls are drowned.” The terrified father hurried home and with the assistance of many kind friends who came from Ogden and other parts spent the rest of the day in searching for the missing bodies, but their efforts were in vain. At 9 o’clock a STANDARD representative visited the residence in the canyon and found the parents prostrated with grief over the terrible occurrence which took home the two little ones. The children were healthy, robust and strong, never having known a day’s sickness. They have four children, the two youngest which are now left to them being boys. “I cannot think that my little girls have passed away from my premises, I think they are not in the rocks close by,” said Mr. Wilson; “In fact” he continued, “I cannot realize that they are drowned. I picked up their little hats on the banks of the river, and I have them in the house. Why, it was only last night when I got home that they got out of their little beds to tell me a little simple tale of their day’s play; and here tonight they are gone from us.” Mrs. Wilson is inconsolable with grief over her bereavement. The young man Newby has been in Pleasant View for sometime, and has relatives residing there, Mr. Sam Berrett being his uncle. Mr. Hyrum Perkins, who escaped, is overpowered with grief over the sad affair, and has often repeated the wish that his life might have been taken instead of the children’s lives. A searching party headed by Joseph Clark, Esq., is making arrangements to catch the bodies at Clark and Eccles mill dam in this City, came across the body of an unknown man about 9 o’clock last evening, but none of the three drowned in the canyon had been found. Mr. Clark, assisted by a number of others, last evening, placed a wire net across the river by the bridge, hoping if the bodies should come so far they might be caught. Mr. Wilson and family will have the sincere sympathy of the whole community in this sad and irreparable loss. Note: Articles appearing in The Standard the following two evenings give accounts of the retrieval of the three youths from the Ogden River. The bodies were located, “opposite Felshaw’s place, a quarter of a mile southeast of the woolen factory.” Funeral services for the two Wilson girls were held at the Mound Fort school house on April 29, 1888 at 1:00 p.m. 394-2647 WE’RE f MOVING TO: OCT. 1 ST 1893 N. VD ON BL WASHINGT VD.. 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