The Paducah Evening Sun

LAUNCH SCUTTLED BY HER PROPELLER.

Brookport Party Has Trying Experience on Way to Paducah at Night.

Standing knee deep in water in a gasoline launch, Capt. and Mrs. Charles Ford and Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Brown, all prominent residents of Brookport, had an exciting experience last night about 7:30 o'clock at Owen's island in the Ohio river just below Paducah. They decided they would come to this city and see the show at Wallace park and started in the launch "Helen," from Brookport at 7 o'clock. When near the city they heard a blow on the bottom of the boat and in a second they were standing shoe deep in water. Buckets were used to bail out the boat, but it was too slow and grabbing the paddles they started for Owen's island with the boat filling rapidly. Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Brown were calm and coolly put on life preservers and steered the boat while their husbands paddled. As the boat was nearly filled Capt. Ford jumped into the river to relieve the boat of his weight. Soon the boat landed on the island in several feet of water and the party waded ashore. An examination showed the propeller had broken and knocked a hole in the bottom of the boat. They were on the island when J. R. Hill sighted them and went to the island. He was bringing a party from Brookport to the city in a gasoline launch and had a skiff attached. He loaned the party the skiff and they floated back to Brookport. Capt. Ford is captain of the transfer steamer used between Paducah and Brookport.