Long Pond Tragedy History
On August 9, 1913, tragedy struck Long Pond, resulting in seven (7) dead, making it the single worse boating accident in Lakeville's history.
The overloaded boat, named the "Farina", owned by Albert Joan on Brockton MA. The boat was intended to be used for an evening cruise to Lakeside Park (Freetown side), located at the southern portion of the pond, where a dance was scheduled.
The visitors from New Bedford would be returning to the city by trolley, while the out of town visitors would return to Lewis Island where they would stay the night as guests at privately owned cottages. Those using the boat were invited to do so by Luther M. Dayton (24) from New Bedford also owned a cottage on Lewis Island.
Dayton along with his neighbor on Lewis Island, R. James Stevens and his fiancée Attie Hamilton (32), four (4) women from New Bedford (Emma Boyle (28), Mabel Brown, Anne Sweeney (18), Sadie McCabe) and their chaperon Mrs. Henry Raymond (40), and George Wright (22) and his fiancée Edith Haven who were all guests on Lewis Island.
The voyage began well, however as they passed Goat (Ram) Island, the Farina entered open waters and began to leak and was taking on water. As water poured in the bottom of the boat let go, dumping the occupants into the pond. Dayton and Stevens made great efforts to save the occupants, but but one by one they would slip silently into the blackness.
The effort to render aid to the passengers was hampered by the lack of navigation lights on the boat coupled as well as the fact that those who heard the desperate cries for help may have initially discounted them. The people struggling in the 7-feet deep water continued to yell till one after another they sank exhausted.
The news media reports from that time vary greatly. Among the known rescuers was Frederick Macy, treasurer of the Soule Mill at New Bedford. Macy who had been standing on the shore of the pond at his cottage along with of his sons, Andrew and George, heard the cries for help as did many others along the shore of the pond. Upon realizing the nature of the cries, Macy immediately launched his row boat into the pond. Macy was reported to have reached the scene quickly. Macy’s was the first boat to arrive on the scene, and was first noted as finding Dayton, Stevens and Mrs. Raymond floundering in 7 feet deep water, with the two men holding up Mrs. Raymond. Miss Attie Hamilton was pulled into the Macy boat, but showed no signs of life.
Among other boats which were launched was one by George H. Allen of Brockton, and another from the Twin Pine Camp by Benjamin Almond, Walter McAulay and George Hayward.
New Bedford Police were the first authorities to be notified, and though it is not reported who contacted the New Bedford police department, it was likely a member of Macy’s household as he was a resident of that city. Though Long Pond was well outside the jurisdiction of the New Bedford city police, Sergeant McLeod was immediately dispatched with medical equipment, arriving in under 20 minutes. Initially, in the confusion, the rescuers believed that all of Farina’s passengers had been saved. There was a great shock when the saved individuals told them that there were six persons unaccounted for. The boats put out again, manned by searchers carrying lanterns, in the hope of saving other lives.
Doctors C. D. Burt of New Bedford, A. G. Weeks of Taunton, J. H. Broadhead of Middleborough and Southworth of Taunton all arrived shortly thereafter. Hampered by the relative darkness, and with no hope of retrieving any further survivors, the pond was not dragged that night. The remaining bodies were recovered in the morning, all within twenty minutes. All the bodies were recovered within a radius of 15 feet. The recovered bodies were laid out on the shore near the Macy cottage until claimed by New Bedford, Taunton and Middleborough undertakers.
Who were the victims?
George E. Wright, 22, Brockton
Wright was the son of Ellery C. Wright, retired junior partner in the shoe lace manufacturing firm of Woodward & Wright of Brockton. He had driven his automobile down to Long Pond for the weekend in the company of his fiancée, Edith Haven, where the two were weekend guests at the Joan Cottage on Lewis Island.
Edith E. Haven, 21, Brockton
Engaged to Wright, Mrs. Havens was a guest at the Joan cottage, Lewis Island. She was the estranged wife of Henry G. Haven of Brookline whom she had wed four years previously and whom she had left following only one year of marriage. Haven planned to get a divorce to marry Wright. Her husband claimed the remains for burial at Brookline.
Emma Boyle, 28, New Bedford
Boyle was one of four female employees of the Sharp Mill, New Bedford, who had planned to come out for the afternoon to Long Pond, and return by way of Lakeside Park in the evening. Boyle, Brown, Sweeney McCabe were all guests at the Dayton cottage where Mrs. Raymond acted as their chaperone.
Mabel Brown, New Bedford
Miss Brown was an employee of the Sharp Mill, at New Bedford, and the fiancée of Luther M. Dayton.
Annie Sweeney, 18, New Bedford
Miss Sweeney was a Sharp Mill employee and guest at the Dayton cottage.
Sadie McCabe, New Bedford
Miss McCabe was also a Sharp Mill employee and a guest at the Dayton cottage. She was the first of the New Bedford victims to be buried, on August 12.
Attie Hamilton, 32, Taunton
Miss Hamilton was the fiancée of R. James Stevens of Taunton and a guest at his cottage. She was the second guest of the Stevenses to drown in the pond that summer, Harry R. Chace of Middleborough having lost his life while crossing the channel between the island and the mainland on July 12, 1913.
Investigation and Findings
The Farina was raised by its owner, Albert Joan, with the assistance of George and Andrew Macy. Once emptied of water, it was found to be in good condition and intact. This discovery would lead to questions regarding the cause of the tragedy. Dayton, Stevens and Mrs. Raymond all initially stated that the bottom of the boat fell off. An examination of the craft revealed only a slight leak around the stuffing box such was common in boats of this type.
The New Bedford Police investigation determined the boat was heavily over loaded and that caused the water to came in over the sides. Additionally, the occupants became nervous at the sight of the water and shifted positions to one end of the boat. Albert Joan, owner of the boat, stated the boat was no worse condition than it had been before the tragedy. He also agreed that overloading the boat had caused its sinking.
The presence of either life preservers or navigation lights would have helped minimize if not entirely prevented the loss of life. Immediately following the accident, Dayton became an advocate of improved safety measures for craft operating on inland waterways. While the Motor Boat Act of 1910 mandated inspections of recreational and commercial boats, this did not apply to craft less than 40 feet in length.
On August 9, 1913, tragedy struck Long Pond, resulting in seven (7) dead, making it the single worse boating accident in Lakeville's history.
The overloaded boat, named the "Farina", owned by Albert Joan on Brockton MA. The boat was intended to be used for an evening cruise to Lakeside Park (Freetown side), located at the southern portion of the pond, where a dance was scheduled.
The visitors from New Bedford would be returning to the city by trolley, while the out of town visitors would return to Lewis Island where they would stay the night as guests at privately owned cottages. Those using the boat were invited to do so by Luther M. Dayton (24) from New Bedford also owned a cottage on Lewis Island.
Dayton along with his neighbor on Lewis Island, R. James Stevens and his fiancée Attie Hamilton (32), four (4) women from New Bedford (Emma Boyle (28), Mabel Brown, Anne Sweeney (18), Sadie McCabe) and their chaperon Mrs. Henry Raymond (40), and George Wright (22) and his fiancée Edith Haven who were all guests on Lewis Island.
The voyage began well, however as they passed Goat (Ram) Island, the Farina entered open waters and began to leak and was taking on water. As water poured in the bottom of the boat let go, dumping the occupants into the pond. Dayton and Stevens made great efforts to save the occupants, but but one by one they would slip silently into the blackness.
The effort to render aid to the passengers was hampered by the lack of navigation lights on the boat coupled as well as the fact that those who heard the desperate cries for help may have initially discounted them. The people struggling in the 7-feet deep water continued to yell till one after another they sank exhausted.
The news media reports from that time vary greatly. Among the known rescuers was Frederick Macy, treasurer of the Soule Mill at New Bedford. Macy who had been standing on the shore of the pond at his cottage along with of his sons, Andrew and George, heard the cries for help as did many others along the shore of the pond. Upon realizing the nature of the cries, Macy immediately launched his row boat into the pond. Macy was reported to have reached the scene quickly. Macy’s was the first boat to arrive on the scene, and was first noted as finding Dayton, Stevens and Mrs. Raymond floundering in 7 feet deep water, with the two men holding up Mrs. Raymond. Miss Attie Hamilton was pulled into the Macy boat, but showed no signs of life.
Among other boats which were launched was one by George H. Allen of Brockton, and another from the Twin Pine Camp by Benjamin Almond, Walter McAulay and George Hayward.
New Bedford Police were the first authorities to be notified, and though it is not reported who contacted the New Bedford police department, it was likely a member of Macy’s household as he was a resident of that city. Though Long Pond was well outside the jurisdiction of the New Bedford city police, Sergeant McLeod was immediately dispatched with medical equipment, arriving in under 20 minutes. Initially, in the confusion, the rescuers believed that all of Farina’s passengers had been saved. There was a great shock when the saved individuals told them that there were six persons unaccounted for. The boats put out again, manned by searchers carrying lanterns, in the hope of saving other lives.
Doctors C. D. Burt of New Bedford, A. G. Weeks of Taunton, J. H. Broadhead of Middleborough and Southworth of Taunton all arrived shortly thereafter. Hampered by the relative darkness, and with no hope of retrieving any further survivors, the pond was not dragged that night. The remaining bodies were recovered in the morning, all within twenty minutes. All the bodies were recovered within a radius of 15 feet. The recovered bodies were laid out on the shore near the Macy cottage until claimed by New Bedford, Taunton and Middleborough undertakers.
Who were the victims?
George E. Wright, 22, Brockton
Wright was the son of Ellery C. Wright, retired junior partner in the shoe lace manufacturing firm of Woodward & Wright of Brockton. He had driven his automobile down to Long Pond for the weekend in the company of his fiancée, Edith Haven, where the two were weekend guests at the Joan Cottage on Lewis Island.
Edith E. Haven, 21, Brockton
Engaged to Wright, Mrs. Havens was a guest at the Joan cottage, Lewis Island. She was the estranged wife of Henry G. Haven of Brookline whom she had wed four years previously and whom she had left following only one year of marriage. Haven planned to get a divorce to marry Wright. Her husband claimed the remains for burial at Brookline.
Emma Boyle, 28, New Bedford
Boyle was one of four female employees of the Sharp Mill, New Bedford, who had planned to come out for the afternoon to Long Pond, and return by way of Lakeside Park in the evening. Boyle, Brown, Sweeney McCabe were all guests at the Dayton cottage where Mrs. Raymond acted as their chaperone.
Mabel Brown, New Bedford
Miss Brown was an employee of the Sharp Mill, at New Bedford, and the fiancée of Luther M. Dayton.
Annie Sweeney, 18, New Bedford
Miss Sweeney was a Sharp Mill employee and guest at the Dayton cottage.
Sadie McCabe, New Bedford
Miss McCabe was also a Sharp Mill employee and a guest at the Dayton cottage. She was the first of the New Bedford victims to be buried, on August 12.
Attie Hamilton, 32, Taunton
Miss Hamilton was the fiancée of R. James Stevens of Taunton and a guest at his cottage. She was the second guest of the Stevenses to drown in the pond that summer, Harry R. Chace of Middleborough having lost his life while crossing the channel between the island and the mainland on July 12, 1913.
Investigation and Findings
The Farina was raised by its owner, Albert Joan, with the assistance of George and Andrew Macy. Once emptied of water, it was found to be in good condition and intact. This discovery would lead to questions regarding the cause of the tragedy. Dayton, Stevens and Mrs. Raymond all initially stated that the bottom of the boat fell off. An examination of the craft revealed only a slight leak around the stuffing box such was common in boats of this type.
The New Bedford Police investigation determined the boat was heavily over loaded and that caused the water to came in over the sides. Additionally, the occupants became nervous at the sight of the water and shifted positions to one end of the boat. Albert Joan, owner of the boat, stated the boat was no worse condition than it had been before the tragedy. He also agreed that overloading the boat had caused its sinking.
The presence of either life preservers or navigation lights would have helped minimize if not entirely prevented the loss of life. Immediately following the accident, Dayton became an advocate of improved safety measures for craft operating on inland waterways. While the Motor Boat Act of 1910 mandated inspections of recreational and commercial boats, this did not apply to craft less than 40 feet in length.