The New Hampshire Gazette

NEWBURYPORT, JUNE 26.

Distressing Casualty.--But seldom are we called upon to record so distressing an event as one which occurred on Wednesday last. Mr. Bennett Flanders, of Amesbury, with three of his sons, on the above day, went down to Ipswich river, on a water excursion. In the course of the afternoon, being on the north side of the river, he was importuned by one of his children to go across the river to hunt woodchucks; they all passed over in their boat, and it was not till evening that they repaired to the boat with a view of returning; soon after pushing off, their boat grounded on an island or tongue of land in the river--they got out in order to ascertain their situation and in wandering round this place the fog came on so thick as prevented them from finding their boat--and, after a fruitless search, knowing the land on which they were, was covered at high water, they thought best to swim on to the main land south, which was supposed to be but a few rods distant. But in the confusion, instead of going back, took the wrong direction, and plunged into the main branch of the river, which is more than half a mile wide. It was now quite dark, and the two oldest boys, it is supposed, soon sunk to rise no more. The youngest kept with the father till exhausted with fatigue, he sunk, when it was out of the power of the father to relieve him. Mr. Flanders continued to swim, without any land mark to direct him, till a flash of lightning discovered to him, his situation, and that the shore was near by, which he soon reached, but so much exhausted, that it was with great difficulty he could crawl up to high water mark, in which situation he was found in the morning, by some people in the neighborhood, unable to walk or stand--it is supposed he must have swam nearly a mile. His distress was increased by knowing that his sons had all perished. Search was immediately made, and was continued till Friday, but none of the bodies have been discovered. The names of the deceased are Isaac R. aged 17; Bennett aged 15, and Peter aged 11.