CHARLES MCLEAN
PETE MCGONIGLE
Arizona Republican Newspaper
August 11, 1903

A week ago last Monday Charles McLean of Flagstaff went out 
to the canyon to relieve Pete McGonigle, who had been acting 
as watchman at the Bright Angel Creek Power Company camp on 
the north side of the canyon says the William News.

McGonigle met McLean at Cameron's camp at the Indian gardens 
and started to take him across the river and show him where 
the camp was located.  He stated at Cameron's that he would 
probably return that same evening, but the next day and still 
the next day passed and he did not show up.  Niles Cameron 
then became anxious and taking several sticks of dynamite 
with him went down to the river.  He could see where the 
boat had been pushed off but not trace of it nor the men was 
to be seen on the opposite bank.  Here the walls are close 
together and the current very swift.  Cameron saw the men's 
burros feeding on the other side of the river and knew then 
that they had not reached the other side in safety, as the 
animals would have been taken on to the camp.  He exploded 
the dynamite as a signal, but received no response.  Word 
was telegraphed to the missing men's relatives at Flagstaff 
and a search party organized, which reached the river Tuesday 
of this week but a thorough search failed to reveal the 
whereabouts of the missing men.

McGonigle was a cousin of Charles McGonigle, foreman for the 
Arizona Lumber and Timber Company of Flagstaff and made his 
home with William Friedlein from whose these particulars were 
gleaned, he having gone to the canyon to satisfy himself of 
the awful truth.

It is thought the current probably overturned the boat and 
they were drowned in the rapids a short distance below.

This is the same place at which T.A. Fleming had such a narrow 
escape a few years since when Russell was drowned.  His body, 
or a body supposed to be his, was later found on a sandbar some 
distance down the river and a watch will no doubt be kept at 
the same place for the appearance of these bodies as there is 
a strong eddy at that point.

Did the men escape to the bank at a point below, there is 
little possibility of their getting out alive, as the walls 
are almost perpendicular and they would starve before help 
could reach them.  Thus is closed another chapter in the 
silent tragedies enacted in the great gorge.