RIVER TRAGEDIES
Drowning Suspicions
(1887)
(1887)
In October of that very same year, the body of a man washed up along the river bank near Dead Man's Hollow. The victim was later identified by the local newspaper as Elizabeth Township resident, George Edward Woods. It was reported that the 74 year old man was crossing the Youghiogheny River on a ferry boat when he lost his balance and fell into the water. Oddly enough, witnesses on the boat with Woods offered conflicting stories about the incident. Their version of the story suggested that Woods was intoxicated and creating a disturbance. When some of the passengers attempted to restrain the drunken man, he eluded them by leaping into the river. Another account implied that Woods left the boat dock and was later seen conversing with a group of men near Dead Man's Hollow. Although his death was officially ruled as an accident, there was still skepticism about whether or not Woods went into the water on his own free will or if he had 'help' from someone else. One popular belief was that a passenger on the boat intentional pushed an unruly Woods overboard in order to 'sober him up'. When the drunken man turned up dead, the fear of murder accusations may have prompted those involved to deviate from the facts. Still, others believed that Woods was indeed the victim of foul play after the hat that he had been wearing was found in Dead Man's Hollow... Bone dry.
The Accidental Drowning (1914)
The temperature on Monday, July 20th, 1914 had nearly reached the 90 degree mark when Franklin Markle Sr. ended a full day of painting houses in the McKeesport area. When he arrived at his home in Dead Man's Hollow, the 57 year old man was greeted with a kiss from his wife Elizabeth. Next, he found himself surrounded by the enticing aroma of the meal that she had prepared for him. Before sitting down at the dinner table though, Markle Sr. decided to bathe in the Youghiogheny River as he had done so many times before. With the remnants of a bar of soap, a tattered old towel, and a promise to be back shortly, the Lincoln Township man made his way to the river.
The dinner had become cold by the time that Elizabeth Markle set out to look for her husband. When she reached the riverbank, the sight of Markle Sr. floating face down in the gentle water caused her to panic. Her screams immediately caught the attention of employees working at the Union Sewer Pipe Company. Within minutes, a group of men had assembled along the edge of sleepy Youghiogheny. Attempts to calm the hysterical woman fell short as the drama of retrieving the lifeless body from the water unfolded.
Franklin Markle Sr. was laid to rest in Versailles Cemetery in McKeesport a few days following the tragedy. It was later reported that the cause of death was accidental drowning in the Youghiogheny River.
The dinner had become cold by the time that Elizabeth Markle set out to look for her husband. When she reached the riverbank, the sight of Markle Sr. floating face down in the gentle water caused her to panic. Her screams immediately caught the attention of employees working at the Union Sewer Pipe Company. Within minutes, a group of men had assembled along the edge of sleepy Youghiogheny. Attempts to calm the hysterical woman fell short as the drama of retrieving the lifeless body from the water unfolded.
Franklin Markle Sr. was laid to rest in Versailles Cemetery in McKeesport a few days following the tragedy. It was later reported that the cause of death was accidental drowning in the Youghiogheny River.
Youghiogheny River Tragedy
(1944)
(1944)
Mike Wassel and his wife, Mary watched as the train pulled into the station at noon. The couple, along with a young woman named Anna Rusnak, were waiting to greet Mike's younger brother, John. Twenty year old Anna was overjoyed by the sight of her future husband stepping down from the passenger car in his military uniform. The young serviceman had just returned home to the McKeesport area on a five day furlough from the Armed Forces. After a few warm embraces, the group made their way back to the Wassel's home in Dead Man's Hollow. The next day, John and Anna spent the afternoon dodging raindrops while visiting family and friends. Toward evening, the couple reunited with Mike and Mary to celebrate John's homecoming with dinner and drinks. While enjoying themselves inside a local restaurant, the group was unaware that a severe storm was blowing in.
As the hour grew late, John Wassel and company left the establishment in Versailles and headed for home in the rain. When they reached the Youghiogheny River, the group boarded Mike Wassel's homemade skiff as fast as they could. In the dark, it was almost impossible to see how choppy the rising waters of the Youghiogheny had become. The young women huddled nervously underneath an umbrella that they were sharing as the lightning spidered across the sky. For reasons unknown, there were now concerns that the small wooden craft would not support the weight of four people despite being able to on the previous trip across the river. Mike decided that he could wade across the river directly behind the boat. Not wanting to waste time, John dropped the oars into the water and began to row back to Dead Man's Hollow. Soon, he found himself struggling to keep the boat under control in the rushing water. The roar of thunder added to the tension building on the river. At that moment, the night sky opened up. The rain began to fall so hard that it made the water next to the boat appear as if it were boiling. Without warning, a strong gust of wind caught the umbrella and pulled it to the side of the skiff. As both women tried to hang onto the umbrella, the sudden weight shift caused the small boat to capsize. All three occupants were forced into the murky water. Before Mike had a chance to react to the situation, the strong current quickly separated him from his brother and the two women. When John surfaced, he could hear both women screaming somewhere in the darkness. He immediately tried to swim to Anna but his heavy combat shoes were making it extremely difficult to tread water. As the raging water carried the sound of screams further away, John had no other choice but to focus on saving his own life. After an exhausting fight against the Youghiogheny River, the young serviceman finally made it to the muddy bank.
When the lightning illuminated the sky again, John could see that his brother was only a few yards away from him. The two men began a desperate search for Anna and Mary along the shoreline. Recognizing the need for more help, the eldest Wassel raced to a neighbor's home in Dead Man's Hollow.
As the night rolled on, a growing number of people joined in the search efforts. Unfortunately, any hopes of finding the two women alive were vanquished by the morning light. Heartbreaking news fell upon the region when the authorities pulled the lifeless body of one of the missing women from the river. A short time later, more disappointing news followed with the discovery of the second victim's body further down the river near McKeesport. The events that occurred on a stormy night in during the World War II era would become the very last tragedy to befall on Dead Man's Hollow.
As the hour grew late, John Wassel and company left the establishment in Versailles and headed for home in the rain. When they reached the Youghiogheny River, the group boarded Mike Wassel's homemade skiff as fast as they could. In the dark, it was almost impossible to see how choppy the rising waters of the Youghiogheny had become. The young women huddled nervously underneath an umbrella that they were sharing as the lightning spidered across the sky. For reasons unknown, there were now concerns that the small wooden craft would not support the weight of four people despite being able to on the previous trip across the river. Mike decided that he could wade across the river directly behind the boat. Not wanting to waste time, John dropped the oars into the water and began to row back to Dead Man's Hollow. Soon, he found himself struggling to keep the boat under control in the rushing water. The roar of thunder added to the tension building on the river. At that moment, the night sky opened up. The rain began to fall so hard that it made the water next to the boat appear as if it were boiling. Without warning, a strong gust of wind caught the umbrella and pulled it to the side of the skiff. As both women tried to hang onto the umbrella, the sudden weight shift caused the small boat to capsize. All three occupants were forced into the murky water. Before Mike had a chance to react to the situation, the strong current quickly separated him from his brother and the two women. When John surfaced, he could hear both women screaming somewhere in the darkness. He immediately tried to swim to Anna but his heavy combat shoes were making it extremely difficult to tread water. As the raging water carried the sound of screams further away, John had no other choice but to focus on saving his own life. After an exhausting fight against the Youghiogheny River, the young serviceman finally made it to the muddy bank.
When the lightning illuminated the sky again, John could see that his brother was only a few yards away from him. The two men began a desperate search for Anna and Mary along the shoreline. Recognizing the need for more help, the eldest Wassel raced to a neighbor's home in Dead Man's Hollow.
As the night rolled on, a growing number of people joined in the search efforts. Unfortunately, any hopes of finding the two women alive were vanquished by the morning light. Heartbreaking news fell upon the region when the authorities pulled the lifeless body of one of the missing women from the river. A short time later, more disappointing news followed with the discovery of the second victim's body further down the river near McKeesport. The events that occurred on a stormy night in during the World War II era would become the very last tragedy to befall on Dead Man's Hollow.
The tragedy that occurred on the evening of May 24rd, 1944, had been etched into the memory of Liberty Borough resident, John Canelle for over sixty-seven years. Canelle, who was born and raised in Dead Man's Hollow, remembered that fateful night as if it happened only yesterday. It began with the sound of someone's fist pounding on the front door of his family's home. His mother opened the door to find their friend and neighbor, Michael Bendzuch Sr. standing on the porch. Canelle vividly remembered the severity of the storm as Bendzuch stood there in a rain soaked slicker. The former Dead Man's Hollow resident then recalled Bendzuch's words. "Annie! Annie! Come quick! The girls... They went into the river," he said. Canelle added, "I was eight years old when that happened. I'll never forget it."
In addition to his first hand recollection, John Canelle provided this website with copies of the newspaper article and photographs that he had saved. The following material was published by the Daily News on Thursday, May 25th, 1944. This material is used by permission.
In addition to his first hand recollection, John Canelle provided this website with copies of the newspaper article and photographs that he had saved. The following material was published by the Daily News on Thursday, May 25th, 1944. This material is used by permission.