"TERRIBLE FATAL OCCURENCE
Mrs. Albert Himsel and Four of Her
Children and Miss Dillon Drowned
in White River
Mr. Himsel Saves own Life by Crawling
to Shore Under Water
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Mr. Albert Himsel, of near Flat Rock, and one of the wealthiest farmers of Boone Township, was driving home from his Daviess Co. farm Wednesday evening , where he had been engaged in thrashing wheat, and had his family of seven and three ohters in his wagon. About sundown he attempted to drive on his ferry, when the stake holding the ferry broke, just as the mule team got aboard, and the ferry shot out into the river. The wife of one of Himsel's employees jumped out with her baby and saved herself and the child, though she got into the water up to her arm-pits. Himsel sank twice and then crawled out. An 8 year old boy was saved by getting out of the wagon just before it started on the ferry. Mrs. Himsel and four of her children were drowned and Miss Dillon, a nurse girl who was staying with them, was also drowned; making six altogether who found a watery grave. Three of the bodies were recovered shortly after, and search was being made for the others all nignt.
One of the mules got loose from the wagon and swam out. The other one and the wagon sank. A messenger came to Jasper at 4 o'clock Thursday morning to telephone Louisville relatives in regard to it. Mrs. Himsel has several relatives in Jasper.
As White River was rapidly rising, and the current strong, it is doubtful if the other bodies will be-found where lost."
The following is the report of a Coroner's Inquest appearing in the same newspaper on September 1, 1899:
"Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Justice of the Peace of Boone township, Dubois County, Ind., was ordered upon the 18th day of Aug., 1899 to hold an inquest on dead body of Mary A. Dillon, a girl nine years of age and upon viewing the body, I found it was in such a condition of decomposition that it was unadvisable to hold the body until the Coroner could be notified and view the body. I therefore proceded to hold the inquest, and after examination, and commiting to writing the evidence of witnesses, I returned the following verdict:
'The undersigned Justice of the Peace in and for Boone Township, Dubois county, Ind., acting as Coroner on the 18th day of Aug., 1899, reported that the name of the dead person is Mary A. Dillon, that at the time of her death was about nine years of age, and that the cause of her death was accidental drowning in the East Fork of White River on the 16th day of Aug., 1899, that she was of dark complexion, and was dressed in a blue calico dress, cotton underwear, black stockings and shoes, and no valuables were found on her body. ..... under my hand and seal as Justice 23ed day of Aug., 1899.'
Thomas W. Hays, J.P. (seal)
