Monday Jun 17, 1946 Taunton Daily Gazette page 1
Police, augmented by volunteers, were dragging Taunton River south of Weir Village today in a search for the bodies of two boys believed to have been drowned Sunday afternoon as they paddled a leaking canvas duck boat on the river. It was the first drowning of the section of the city.
Antone C. Abreau, 15, son of Frank Abreau, 152 Berkley Street, a freshman at Taunton High School and Clement J. Champagne Jr., son of Mrs. Mary Champagne, 4 O’Keefe Street, a pupil in the fifth grade at Walker School.
Hope that the boys might have gone ashore and been lost in dense woods in Berkley was blasted at 2:10 this morning when the boat, property of Roland Collins 12, of Berkley Street was found filled with water on the bank of the river near Baker Road. In the boat found on the Berkley shore by Patrolman Martin J. Galligan, who had been travelling the river in a power boat owned by David Dean, were a pair of (illegible). Police started the search shortly before 10 Sunday night after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son missing. The frantic mother who said she had cautioned her son about rowing on the river when she learned he had been in the boat Saturday, had spent several hours looking for him before she notified police.
The boys were last seen about 2:30 Sunday afternoon by Melvin Bernard, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S.Bernard, 123 O’Keefe Street, who said Abreau and Champagne were paddling the boat near Table Rock just down river from John R’s bend. It was first thought the boys might have been claimed by the river in a swimming accident, especially after Joseph S. Rose of the McCabe Sand and Gravel Company, who joined the search today, reported seeing three boys on the river bank, two of them in swimming on the Taunton side of the river as he travelled downstream in his cruiser at 2 Sunday afternoon. The theory was discarded this morning however, after Patrolman John Flynn and Rose had questioned the Bernard boy and learned that the missing boys had not gone swimming at least up to 2:30 when they were last seen by Bernard.
Also from the Bernard boy, police learned that paper had been wedged into a hole in the bottom of the canvas duck boat to retard its filling with water and sinking, an occurrence which happened at least once an hour, according to young Collins, who owned the boat.
From the families of the two boys it was learned that Champagne was a capable swimmer, but that the Abreau boy was unable to swim.
Police started a search, which continued throughout the night within a few minutes after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son was missing. Shortly after the Abreau boy was also reported missing. Patrolman Martin J. Galligan went to the Taunton Yacht Club where he boarded the boat of David Dean and started up river, while Patrolman Norman Lemaire boarded the boat of Clinton P. Rounds and a search was made of the upper stretches of the river. Meanwhile Dighton police and firemen, under the direction of Chief John Synan swept the river with spot lights from Dighton fire apparatus from Broad Cove at the Dighton-Somerset line in Berkley Bridge. They also used a speedboat, the property of Wilbur Menges, Dighton. Chief Synan was assisted by Harry McConville and Fred Carrier of the South Dighton fire department. Dighton authorities abandoned the search at 1:30. Patrolmen Owen Coyle and Callahan McCarthy joined Taunton police in the search during the night, and early this morning Mrs. Champagne walked two miles along the bank of the river in a search for her son.
Mrs. Champagne told police she saw some foot prints on the bank on the Berkley side of the river and described them as being some distance upstream from where the boat was found. The search was continued this morning by Captain James Rositer and Galligan, Lemaire, Marsden, Young, William Bresnahan and Armand Gamelin. They were augmented by dozens of civilians. Dragging operations however were abandoned by a high tide and swift current.
The Abreau boy is one of five children. He was three brothers, Ferdinand, 26, Walter, 24, at present in the Philippines, and Francis, 10, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Calderia 25, and Nuella, 20.
The Champagne boy has one sister, Elaine M., 16, and a brother Kenneth D., 4.
Police, augmented by volunteers, were dragging Taunton River south of Weir Village today in a search for the bodies of two boys believed to have been drowned Sunday afternoon as they paddled a leaking canvas duck boat on the river. It was the first drowning of the section of the city.
Antone C. Abreau, 15, son of Frank Abreau, 152 Berkley Street, a freshman at Taunton High School and Clement J. Champagne Jr., son of Mrs. Mary Champagne, 4 O’Keefe Street, a pupil in the fifth grade at Walker School.
Hope that the boys might have gone ashore and been lost in dense woods in Berkley was blasted at 2:10 this morning when the boat, property of Roland Collins 12, of Berkley Street was found filled with water on the bank of the river near Baker Road. In the boat found on the Berkley shore by Patrolman Martin J. Galligan, who had been travelling the river in a power boat owned by David Dean, were a pair of (illegible). Police started the search shortly before 10 Sunday night after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son missing. The frantic mother who said she had cautioned her son about rowing on the river when she learned he had been in the boat Saturday, had spent several hours looking for him before she notified police.
The boys were last seen about 2:30 Sunday afternoon by Melvin Bernard, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S.Bernard, 123 O’Keefe Street, who said Abreau and Champagne were paddling the boat near Table Rock just down river from John R’s bend. It was first thought the boys might have been claimed by the river in a swimming accident, especially after Joseph S. Rose of the McCabe Sand and Gravel Company, who joined the search today, reported seeing three boys on the river bank, two of them in swimming on the Taunton side of the river as he travelled downstream in his cruiser at 2 Sunday afternoon. The theory was discarded this morning however, after Patrolman John Flynn and Rose had questioned the Bernard boy and learned that the missing boys had not gone swimming at least up to 2:30 when they were last seen by Bernard.
Also from the Bernard boy, police learned that paper had been wedged into a hole in the bottom of the canvas duck boat to retard its filling with water and sinking, an occurrence which happened at least once an hour, according to young Collins, who owned the boat.
From the families of the two boys it was learned that Champagne was a capable swimmer, but that the Abreau boy was unable to swim.
Police started a search, which continued throughout the night within a few minutes after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son was missing. Shortly after the Abreau boy was also reported missing. Patrolman Martin J. Galligan went to the Taunton Yacht Club where he boarded the boat of David Dean and started up river, while Patrolman Norman Lemaire boarded the boat of Clinton P. Rounds and a search was made of the upper stretches of the river. Meanwhile Dighton police and firemen, under the direction of Chief John Synan swept the river with spot lights from Dighton fire apparatus from Broad Cove at the Dighton-Somerset line in Berkley Bridge. They also used a speedboat, the property of Wilbur Menges, Dighton. Chief Synan was assisted by Harry McConville and Fred Carrier of the South Dighton fire department. Dighton authorities abandoned the search at 1:30. Patrolmen Owen Coyle and Callahan McCarthy joined Taunton police in the search during the night, and early this morning Mrs. Champagne walked two miles along the bank of the river in a search for her son.
Mrs. Champagne told police she saw some foot prints on the bank on the Berkley side of the river and described them as being some distance upstream from where the boat was found. The search was continued this morning by Captain James Rositer and Galligan, Lemaire, Marsden, Young, William Bresnahan and Armand Gamelin. They were augmented by dozens of civilians. Dragging operations however were abandoned by a high tide and swift current.
The Abreau boy is one of five children. He was three brothers, Ferdinand, 26, Walter, 24, at present in the Philippines, and Francis, 10, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Calderia 25, and Nuella, 20.
The Champagne boy has one sister, Elaine M., 16, and a brother Kenneth D., 4.
Monday Jun 17, 1946 Taunton Daily Gazette page 1
Police, augmented by volunteers, were dragging Taunton River south of Weir Village today in a search for the bodies of two boys believed to have been drowned Sunday afternoon as they paddled a leaking canvas duck boat on the river. It was the first drowning of the section of the city.
Antone C. Abreau, 15, son of Frank Abreau, 152 Berkley Street, a freshman at Taunton High School and Clement J. Champagne Jr., son of Mrs. Mary Champagne, 4 O’Keefe Street, a pupil in the fifth grade at Walker School.
Hope that the boys might have gone ashore and been lost in dense woods in Berkley was blasted at 2:10 this morning when the boat, property of Roland Collins 12, of Berkley Street was found filled with water on the bank of the river near Baker Road. In the boat found on the Berkley shore by Patrolman Martin J. Galligan, who had been travelling the river in a power boat owned by David Dean, were a pair of (illegible). Police started the search shortly before 10 Sunday night after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son missing. The frantic mother who said she had cautioned her son about rowing on the river when she learned he had been in the boat Saturday, had spent several hours looking for him before she notified police.
The boys were last seen about 2:30 Sunday afternoon by Melvin Bernard, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S.Bernard, 123 O’Keefe Street, who said Abreau and Champagne were paddling the boat near Table Rock just down river from John R’s bend. It was first thought the boys might have been claimed by the river in a swimming accident, especially after Joseph S. Rose of the McCabe Sand and Gravel Company, who joined the search today, reported seeing three boys on the river bank, two of them in swimming on the Taunton side of the river as he travelled downstream in his cruiser at 2 Sunday afternoon. The theory was discarded this morning however, after Patrolman John Flynn and Rose had questioned the Bernard boy and learned that the missing boys had not gone swimming at least up to 2:30 when they were last seen by Bernard.
Also from the Bernard boy, police learned that paper had been wedged into a hole in the bottom of the canvas duck boat to retard its filling with water and sinking, an occurrence which happened at least once an hour, according to young Collins, who owned the boat.
From the families of the two boys it was learned that Champagne was a capable swimmer, but that the Abreau boy was unable to swim.
Police started a search, which continued throughout the night within a few minutes after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son was missing. Shortly after the Abreau boy was also reported missing. Patrolman Martin J. Galligan went to the Taunton Yacht Club where he boarded the boat of David Dean and started up river, while Patrolman Norman Lemaire boarded the boat of Clinton P. Rounds and a search was made of the upper stretches of the river. Meanwhile Dighton police and firemen, under the direction of Chief John Synan swept the river with spot lights from Dighton fire apparatus from Broad Cove at the Dighton-Somerset line in Berkley Bridge. They also used a speedboat, the property of Wilbur Menges, Dighton. Chief Synan was assisted by Harry McConville and Fred Carrier of the South Dighton fire department. Dighton authorities abandoned the search at 1:30. Patrolmen Owen Coyle and Callahan McCarthy joined Taunton police in the search during the night, and early this morning Mrs. Champagne walked two miles along the bank of the river in a search for her son.
Mrs. Champagne told police she saw some foot prints on the bank on the Berkley side of the river and described them as being some distance upstream from where the boat was found. The search was continued this morning by Captain James Rositer and Galligan, Lemaire, Marsden, Young, William Bresnahan and Armand Gamelin. They were augmented by dozens of civilians. Dragging operations however were abandoned by a high tide and swift current.
The Abreau boy is one of five children. He was three brothers, Ferdinand, 26, Walter, 24, at present in the Philippines, and Francis, 10, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Calderia 25, and Nuella, 20.
The Champagne boy has one sister, Elaine M., 16, and a brother Kenneth D., 4.
Police, augmented by volunteers, were dragging Taunton River south of Weir Village today in a search for the bodies of two boys believed to have been drowned Sunday afternoon as they paddled a leaking canvas duck boat on the river. It was the first drowning of the section of the city.
Antone C. Abreau, 15, son of Frank Abreau, 152 Berkley Street, a freshman at Taunton High School and Clement J. Champagne Jr., son of Mrs. Mary Champagne, 4 O’Keefe Street, a pupil in the fifth grade at Walker School.
Hope that the boys might have gone ashore and been lost in dense woods in Berkley was blasted at 2:10 this morning when the boat, property of Roland Collins 12, of Berkley Street was found filled with water on the bank of the river near Baker Road. In the boat found on the Berkley shore by Patrolman Martin J. Galligan, who had been travelling the river in a power boat owned by David Dean, were a pair of (illegible). Police started the search shortly before 10 Sunday night after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son missing. The frantic mother who said she had cautioned her son about rowing on the river when she learned he had been in the boat Saturday, had spent several hours looking for him before she notified police.
The boys were last seen about 2:30 Sunday afternoon by Melvin Bernard, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S.Bernard, 123 O’Keefe Street, who said Abreau and Champagne were paddling the boat near Table Rock just down river from John R’s bend. It was first thought the boys might have been claimed by the river in a swimming accident, especially after Joseph S. Rose of the McCabe Sand and Gravel Company, who joined the search today, reported seeing three boys on the river bank, two of them in swimming on the Taunton side of the river as he travelled downstream in his cruiser at 2 Sunday afternoon. The theory was discarded this morning however, after Patrolman John Flynn and Rose had questioned the Bernard boy and learned that the missing boys had not gone swimming at least up to 2:30 when they were last seen by Bernard.
Also from the Bernard boy, police learned that paper had been wedged into a hole in the bottom of the canvas duck boat to retard its filling with water and sinking, an occurrence which happened at least once an hour, according to young Collins, who owned the boat.
From the families of the two boys it was learned that Champagne was a capable swimmer, but that the Abreau boy was unable to swim.
Police started a search, which continued throughout the night within a few minutes after Mrs. Champagne had reported her son was missing. Shortly after the Abreau boy was also reported missing. Patrolman Martin J. Galligan went to the Taunton Yacht Club where he boarded the boat of David Dean and started up river, while Patrolman Norman Lemaire boarded the boat of Clinton P. Rounds and a search was made of the upper stretches of the river. Meanwhile Dighton police and firemen, under the direction of Chief John Synan swept the river with spot lights from Dighton fire apparatus from Broad Cove at the Dighton-Somerset line in Berkley Bridge. They also used a speedboat, the property of Wilbur Menges, Dighton. Chief Synan was assisted by Harry McConville and Fred Carrier of the South Dighton fire department. Dighton authorities abandoned the search at 1:30. Patrolmen Owen Coyle and Callahan McCarthy joined Taunton police in the search during the night, and early this morning Mrs. Champagne walked two miles along the bank of the river in a search for her son.
Mrs. Champagne told police she saw some foot prints on the bank on the Berkley side of the river and described them as being some distance upstream from where the boat was found. The search was continued this morning by Captain James Rositer and Galligan, Lemaire, Marsden, Young, William Bresnahan and Armand Gamelin. They were augmented by dozens of civilians. Dragging operations however were abandoned by a high tide and swift current.
The Abreau boy is one of five children. He was three brothers, Ferdinand, 26, Walter, 24, at present in the Philippines, and Francis, 10, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Calderia 25, and Nuella, 20.
The Champagne boy has one sister, Elaine M., 16, and a brother Kenneth D., 4.
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