| Notes |
- Carmel NY Putnam Country Courier
Two Drown Near Niagara F a l l s
Ernest Payne and Miss Mabel Bon-
a c k e r w e r e drowned while b o a t i n g on
t h e river two miles above Niagara
F a l l s . They were sailing for t h e main
l a n d when their boat was s t r u c k by a
sq u a l l a n d capsized. Both were t h r o w n
into t h e river and disappeared be-
I n e a t h the waves. Payne's body was
recovered. Miss Bonacker, was a
d a u g h t e r of Patrolman Daniel Boa-
acker, a n d her d e a t h is t h e t h i r d sud-
den death in the family within a few'
i y e a r s . Payne w a s about twenty years
old and Miss Bonacker about eighteen.
ALSO
Niagara Gazette - 6/22/1904
The upper Niagara river,was the
scene of a sad double: fatality last
night between 8 and 9 o'clock, the
storm which broke'at that lime
overturning a small cat boat which con-
tained Miss Mabel Bonacker and Ernest
Payne, they being precipitated into
the river and drowned. 'The body of
Payne was recovered about 10:30 o'clock
last night but as yet the body of the
of the young woman has not been taken
from the river.
Payne, accompanied bv Miss Bonacker.
went out early last evening for a
sail on the river, in the boat which was
owned jointly by Payne and his brother
and Thomas Panter. Shortly after the
storm broke and when the boat was
running before the wind a short distance
from theAmerican shore Payne
was warned by George Nielson from
the shore that it would be safe for
him to make a landing. The boat
at the time was rounding the head of
Parson's Islad to make Sclosser lock and
was about 125 feet from the American
shore. Payne attempted to make
a tack in older to reach the lower
dock and as he turned about a gust of
wind struck the craft which promptly
turned turtle.
Previous to this it was seen by sev
eral people on the- shore that the craft
was in-danger and Judge Russell, Dr.
F. E. Woodley and Frank Schumacher
prepared' to launch a boat to go to
their aid but before they could get
out the cralt was overturned. The
boat was turned completely over and
the members of the party circled the
craft in the hope of the occupants.
coming to the surface. They remained
under water however the only thing
secured being the young girl's black
chiffon hat which was taken to police
headquarters and there was recognized
by Patrolman Daniel- Bonacker as being
the property of his daughter.
When the Storm subsided somewhat
several boats put out from the shore
in the hope of securing the bodies of
Payne and the- Bonacker girl. John
W. Broderick with a couple- of friends
secured the overturned craft at the
foot of Parsons 'Island and towed it to
the'shore. The work of dragging the
flyer was immediately taken up there
being seven boats engaged in this
work. Thomas Conroy of the fire department
and Officers Radford and
Batts of the police department, men of
considerable experience on the upper
river were detailed by their superior
officers; to.assist'in the search and they
were assisted' by a number of persons
who own boat houses on the river and
who are well acquainted with the currents
in that vicinity. Grappling
hooks were used and about 10:30 o'clock.
George Neilson. was successful in bringing
the body of Pavne to the surface.
The body was taken to the
shore and laid on the bank. Coroner
Hart Slocum directed that it be taken
to the undertaking room of the Picket
Furniture Company where it arrived
about 12 o'clock.
The rivermen continued their search
for the body of the girl until 1 o'clock
this morning when the work was abandoned
until this morning. It was stated
this morning that there was a pos-
sibility of the recoverv of the body
before it had been swept over the
falls. Payne could not swim but
even in that case there would have been
a possibility of one or both being saved
had it not been for the fact that the
girl became panic stricken when the
boat tacked and grabbed Payne about
the neck and they were seen in this
position as the boat turned over.
Coroner Hart Slocum who was on
the ground last night shortly after the
accident, stated this morning that in
his opinion there was no necessity to
hold an Inquest.
Ernest Payne was about 21 years old.
He was a brother of Grace. Mabel,
Walter and Willie Payne. He was an
employe of the Oneida- Community
Company (Limited), and a. boy well
liked by all who knew him. -Miss, Bonacker
was twentv years old and
was a most estimable young lady and
an.employee of the Natural Food Com-:
pany. Her sudden death servesto recall
that a. littlee brother was drowned
in a cellar, while only a few months
ago a sister died suddenly after retiring
for the night. Her death is thus
the third sudden ending in the family.
The funeral, of Pavne Will be observed
on Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock
from the family home No. 1342 Michigan
Avenue. The Rev. J. A. Wharton,
pastor of the Church of Christ will officiate
and the interment will be made
in Oakwood cemetery.
Mabel Bonacker lacked just one
month of being of the .age of Payne.
Mr. Payne and Miss Bonacker had
been keeping company between three
and four years.
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1884 - 1904 (~ 20 years)