Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Downer, Virginia June 18, 1905
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Suzy Ward Fleming wardflemin@aol.com December 17, 2016, 9:55 am

Alexandria Gazette, June 19, 1905
A Distressing Accident

A sad accident occurred about ten o’clock last night at the river opposite 
the city by which Miss Virginia Downer, aged 18, of Norfolk, was drowned. 
The unfortunate women had been visiting the residences of Mr. J. T. Burke, 
Prof. A. Hoxton, on Seminary Hill, and Miss Bessie Jones, daughter of Dr. T. 
M. Jones, and during the short time she had been in the city had made a 
number of acquaintances, and her death and circumstances in connection with 
the same have thrown a gloom over the community, especially in the younger 
circles in which she had been moving.
The circumstances in connection with the drowning are as follows: Miss 
Downer had entered a canoe belonging to the Old Dominion Boat Club in the 
company of Mr. John Burke, Jr., her cousin, to enjoy a moonlight trip upon 
the river. They had nearly reached the channel on the opposite side of the 
river when three excursion steamers came along. Two were on the way up the 
river and the other was going down. Miss Downer was seated in the bow and 
Mr. Burke in the stern of the canoe. Both were paddling the boat. The swells 
from the three steamers sent the little craft upon the top of a wave, 
causing it to careen, when Miss Downer lost her equilibrium and fell out, 
the boat overturning in the meantime in the trough of the sea. Mr. Burke 
with the presence of mind, took hold of his companion and succeeding in 
righting the canoe and told her to hold on until they could be rescued by 
parties from the shore. The young women however, attempted to get into the 
canoe and in doing so rolled it over, bottom-up. This act she repeated three 
times, until she finally prevailed upon by her companion to cling to the 
overturned boat and remain passive until relief arrived. Both the young man 
and young woman were almost exhausted by this time, and a huge swell coming 
along washed both from the canoe. Miss Downer was seen no more, but Mr. 
Burke, after many efforts to rescue his companion managed to regain the 
canoe, to which he held until aid reached him, a boat which chanced to be 
near by having gone to his rescue. 
Mr. Burke’s shouts for help had attracted considerable attention from people 
on the wharves, and it having been noised throughout the city that a young 
women had been drowned, hundreds of people subsequently gathered on the 
river front and a number of boats proceeded to the scene of the accident and 
an immediate search for the body was instituted, which was continued today, 
more than a dozen engaging in the work. This morning the Washington police 
boat Vigilant came down and aided in the search for the body.
About ten o’clock the body was recovered by Messrs. Jos. Mills, Alpheus 
Robey, Harry Arnold and Guy Wood, who were in a boat dragging the river for 
it. Mr. J. T. Burke shortly after hearing of the drowning offered a handsome 
reward for its recovery.
The remains were taken to Demaine & Son’s undertaking establishment. After 
having been prepared they were removed to Mr. Burke’s residence. They will 
be forwarded to the home of the deceased. They will leave here on the 
Norfolk steamer this evening. 
Miss Downer was a native of Norfolk, where her mother, Mrs. Eliza Downer, 
formerly Miss Eliza Green, who is well-known in this city, resides. Her 
brother is a lieutenant of the command at Fortress Monroe.
Miss Downer had been visiting Miss Jones for the past week. About a year 
ago, it will be remembered, Miss Jones visited Norfolk. While there she 
narrowly escaped drowning at Virginia Beach. Yesterday at dinner reference 
was made to the coming outing in the canoe. Dr. Jones referred to the narrow 
escape his daughter had near Miss Downer’s home a year ago, and expressed 
his apprehensions at the indulgence in such sport by young women. Miss 
Downer merely laughed at what she considered unnecessary alarm about the 
canoeing and went out. 
It is further said that the mother of the unfortunate young women also had 
her anxieties, and that at her solicitation Miss Downer mad the trip from 
Norfolk to the city by rail instead of by water.


Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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