OBIT: Mary DONAVAN, 1880, Millville, Cambria County, PA

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SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT.
A Little Girl Falls in the Water at Millville and is Drowned.

  On Friday evening last Mary Donavan, a daughter of John Donavan, of 
Millville, Cambria county, was drowned in Hinkston's run, a short 
distance above the Conemaugh.  The girl, who was between 9 and 10 years 
of age, attended school during the afternoon, and after the pupils were 
dismissed she went down to the stream with two companions of about her 
own age.  A foot-log spans the run at the point where they thought it 
would be the best place to view the rushing torrent, as the water was 
running higher than at any former period for over a year past.  One of 
the girls suggested the idea of walking across the log, which presents 
a flat surface of about fourteen inches, and as all of them had 
frequently tried the experiment when the water was low they did not 
have the least bit of fear on this occasion.  Mary started first, and 
made but a few steps when she was overcome by dizziness, and her 
youthful companions noticed her falling.  One of them tried to clutch 
her dress, and succeeded in catching hold of a cloak which she had on, 
but it was not securely fastened and remained in the hands of the girl, 
while Mary fell over into the rapidly-running water, and was carried 
down the stream.  She did not sink immediately, as a gentleman named 
Goggin, who happened to be passing several rods below the point where 
she fell in, noticed her head and hands above water.  An alarm was 
immediately given but all efforts at rescue were unsuccessful.  The 
body was not discovered until about noon the next day, at which time 
Thomas Parfitt, one of the gentlemen engaged in searching along the 
shore of the river near the railroad bridge over Hinkston's run, had 
his attention drawn to an object which was floating in the eddy caused 
by the meeting of the water in that stream with the swifter current of 
the Conemaugh.  Upon making closer inspection it was found that it was 
the body of the girl, and no time was lost in securing it.

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday, February 16, 1880