Carlisle Patriot 01 June 1844 01 June 1844 Fatal Accident-Keswick Lake

01 June 1844 Fatal Accident-Keswick Lake

On Sunday last a melancholy accident occurred on Derwentwater, which has caused the utmost affliction to several highly respectable families in Keswick.        It appears that about three o'clock in the afternoon, four gentlemen all natives of Keswick, namely, Mr. William DIXON, Draper; Mr. John AIREY, jun., black lead pencil manufacturer; Mr. Isaac BANKS, gardener; and Mr. Richard THORNTON, son of Mr. William THORNTON, tallowchandler, - went upon the lake to enjoy an aquatic excursion in the John Bull sail boat. A heavy gale was blowing from the north-east at the time, and on going up towards the head of the lake the boat ran before the wind at a fearful rate. When the party were in the very centre of the lake, between  Barrow House, late the seat of Jos. Plockington SENHOUSE, Esq., on the East side of the water and Mutton pye Bay on the west, the boat ran into the agitated water, and in a moment went to the bottom, where the lake was at least eight yards deep, when, dreadful to relate, three out of the four gentlemen instantly met with a watery grave!        The occurrence was observed by W. H. PETERS, Esq., of Barrow House, who in the most laudable manner and with the utmost possible promptitude, instantly called his coachman and gardener, who entered a boat with their master, and pulled at the oars with all their might on their way towards the awful scene, which they reached in about 20 minutes after the accident had occurred. The first object rescued from the water was a favourite little dog belonging to Mr. DIXON, which was the means of their discovering Mr. AIREY, who was buoying himself up with an airbag and an oar that he had got hold of as the boat was going down; he was in a very exhausted state, but the moment he got hold of the stern of Mr. PETER's boat, he begged to make towards Mr. DIXON, even before he was taken into the boat himself. Mr. DIXON was at that time a short distance from the boat, into which the party took Mr. AIREY, and then pushed on towards Mr. DIXON who was still struggling in the water; but alas! before the rowers had made half a dozen strokes with their oars, Mr. DIXON, who had become completely exhausted, sank never to arise again alive!        It is supposed that the other two men had both sunk with the boat as they were never seen after it went down. The unfortunate party in the sail boat, it appears, had four airbags with them,  which had never before been used, and in consequence of the weather being windy and squally, they took precaution to fill them previous to embarking on the lake, and thus inflated they were lying at the bottom of the boat. When the accident occurred Mr. AIREY had snatched up one air bag, and Mr. DIXON another, and the former gentleman, who cannot swim, was saved whilst the latter who was an excellent swimmer, was drowned. Whilst struggling in the water it appears, Mr. DIXON was much annoyed and burthened by his favourite dog, which got upon his back; he however, succeeded in shaking the animal off, when it immediately made for Mr. AIREY, upon whose back it also got, and who did not shake it off without considerable difficulty,the poor animal being so anxious to escape destruction.        Mr. DIXON was one of the most respectable tradesmen in Keswick; he hasleft a wife in a state of bordering to insanity for his loss, and three young children, the youngest only three weeks old. Mr. THORTON, has also left a wife and three young children, at Penrith where he resides, but he had been at Keswick for the last few weeks assisting his father. BANKS was a single man, but we understand that he was on the eve of marriage.        Mr. AIREY on being landed was taken to Barrow House, where every kindness and attention were paid to him by Mr. and Mrs. PETERS, where he soon came round, but is still in a distressed state of mind, owing to the loss of his companions. The most diligent search was made for the bodies, but it was not until Monday morning that the body of Mr. DIXON was found, by Mr. W. ELLERAY, about twenty yards from the spot where the boat foundered.        On the same morning, a boatsman discovered a mast just under the surface of the water; and Mr. NASH, of Cross-street, Manchester, went there with a boatsman, and assisted in endeavouring to weigh the boat. Before long there were no fewer than thirty boats at the spot, but they could not succeed in raising the sunken vessel; which, it was believed, contained the bodies of the two men. Mr. PETERS had a large sailing boat, and tried, by setting sail, to weigh the sunken boat, but could not succeed in getting her up. At last the boat was drawn on shore, and the body of THORNTON was then found. Next morning, renewed exertions were made to recover the body of Banks, which were at last successful.        It is nearly thirty years since a similar accident took place on this lake, when three were drowned, and one swam ashore. An inquest was held this afternoon, at the Royal Oak Inn, before Mr. LUMB, coroner, verdict: "Accidental death, with a deodand of one shilling upon the boat."

 

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