Miscellaneous, Fatal Accident on the Chenango Canal, 1860

The following news item is from a time prior to the railroad when the Chenango Canal was  major transportation route that ran through the center of the city of Norwich, Chenango Co., NY.

Sad and Fatal Accident

Chenango Telegraph, Jan. 25, 1860

One of the most painful accidents even known in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY] occurred on Wednesday evening last, at about half past seven o'clock.  At that hour our citizens were startled by the report that a man and woman had been thrown from a cutter into the canal just below Maydole's Hammer Factory, and but a few moments elapsed before a crowd of several hundred had assembled at that point to aid in rescuing them.  The facts were simply that Mr. F.D. Eldridge, a well-known citizen, had, while riding with his wife, attempted to drive a skittish horse around the narrow turn between the bank of the canal where the waste water enters it below the lock and the building on the corner of Mr. Maydole's lot, and the horse became so badly frightened as to be unmanageable, finally furning around and backing the cutter over the bank, and falling with its occupants into the open water at the lower end of the race.  Mr. Eldridge cried out for help as soon as he could get free from the sunken cutter, and Mr. C.C. Gager, who was fortunately near the spot, succeeded in reaching him and drawing him from the water.  After Mr. Eldridge was rescued it was with the utmost effort that those who came up prevented him from plunging in again to search for his wife, and it was only by using considerable force that he was taken from the scene of his calamity.  He was found to be much hurt about the head and body, but is now doing well.  After a search of nearly an hour the body of Mrs. Eldgridge was found some two or three rods below the place where the cutter was tipped in.  It would seem that she was rendered insensible at the very first by some injury inflicted by the horse, as her body showed no sign of any struggle in the water.  Every effort made for her recovery was, of course, fruitless, though Dr. Smith did all that could be done to that end.  A more sorrowful accident than this has not occurred in this village within our knowledge. We trust that some means wil be used to make the point where it happened more safe for passengers, or that the road itself will be made impassable by those who own the "right-of-way."