Peter Washington Howland was born in Eatontown, Monmouth County New Jersey in 1847. He was the son of Stewart Howland, 1811-1855, of New York City and Hannah Slocum of Long Branch, New Jersey, 1818-1866.
At the time of his death, he was a 23 year old carpenter and lived in Branchport, (Long Branch), New Jersey and was a Sunday School Teacher at the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in Branchport along with his fiance. Miss. Libbie E. Styles also a Sunday School Teacher at the Church.
A week before their planned wedding on a Sunday morning 8 September 1870, over 500 men, women and children from the Centenary Church left by train at 6:30 a.m. for a clam bake at Tom's River, Ocean County, New Jersey. On their arrival at the depot they began to saunter leisurely across the bridge in groups. Only a few made it over with another 60 on the bridge when it collapsed and over half of these terrified mostly children were thrown into the water. As is usual in such cases, there were striking instances of heroism. Peter Howland who had been on the bridge and was also thrown into the water saw his 11 year old nephew struggling to stay alive, Peter swam to him and upon reaching shore with him, turned and saw his Libbie struggling. At once blind to all other sights, heedless of the almost certain death from desperate clutching hands that awaited him if he plunged amid the mass of tragic humanity, he dashed into the water. The sight of her there, gasping for breath, was unendurable, for she was his hearts delight and she wore his ring upon her hand, they had only yesterday been looking at wedding garments in which she was so soon to stand up proudly be his side. They were beautiful in their lives, and in death not divided, for he had seized and was bearing her safely to shore when Mrs. Sidney Throckmorton, in her despairing agony sized him by the arm and so hampered him that all three drowned together, although Peter had been an excellent swimmer.
As was very unusual for the time, both Peter and Libbie were interned together wearing the bridal clothes that they would have worn the following week. I thought it fitting to add them to FindAgrave as if they were married. On 12 September the entire population of the village attended the funeral. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows attended in full regalia in honor of Peter as well as the Grand Templars that he was also a member of.
I have pieced this to together from a dozen newspaper articles I have read, I think this is an important story and someday I hope to be able to connect Peter to my Family Tree as his father Stewart has so far been a dead end to my research.
At the time of his death, he was a 23 year old carpenter and lived in Branchport, (Long Branch), New Jersey and was a Sunday School Teacher at the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in Branchport along with his fiance. Miss. Libbie E. Styles also a Sunday School Teacher at the Church.
A week before their planned wedding on a Sunday morning 8 September 1870, over 500 men, women and children from the Centenary Church left by train at 6:30 a.m. for a clam bake at Tom's River, Ocean County, New Jersey. On their arrival at the depot they began to saunter leisurely across the bridge in groups. Only a few made it over with another 60 on the bridge when it collapsed and over half of these terrified mostly children were thrown into the water. As is usual in such cases, there were striking instances of heroism. Peter Howland who had been on the bridge and was also thrown into the water saw his 11 year old nephew struggling to stay alive, Peter swam to him and upon reaching shore with him, turned and saw his Libbie struggling. At once blind to all other sights, heedless of the almost certain death from desperate clutching hands that awaited him if he plunged amid the mass of tragic humanity, he dashed into the water. The sight of her there, gasping for breath, was unendurable, for she was his hearts delight and she wore his ring upon her hand, they had only yesterday been looking at wedding garments in which she was so soon to stand up proudly be his side. They were beautiful in their lives, and in death not divided, for he had seized and was bearing her safely to shore when Mrs. Sidney Throckmorton, in her despairing agony sized him by the arm and so hampered him that all three drowned together, although Peter had been an excellent swimmer.
As was very unusual for the time, both Peter and Libbie were interned together wearing the bridal clothes that they would have worn the following week. I thought it fitting to add them to FindAgrave as if they were married. On 12 September the entire population of the village attended the funeral. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows attended in full regalia in honor of Peter as well as the Grand Templars that he was also a member of.
I have pieced this to together from a dozen newspaper articles I have read, I think this is an important story and someday I hope to be able to connect Peter to my Family Tree as his father Stewart has so far been a dead end to my research.
Peter Washington Howland was born in Eatontown, Monmouth County New Jersey in 1847. He was the son of Stewart Howland, 1811-1855, of New York City and Hannah Slocum of Long Branch, New Jersey, 1818-1866.
At the time of his death, he was a 23 year old carpenter and lived in Branchport, (Long Branch), New Jersey and was a Sunday School Teacher at the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in Branchport along with his fiance. Miss. Libbie E. Styles also a Sunday School Teacher at the Church.
A week before their planned wedding on a Sunday morning 8 September 1870, over 500 men, women and children from the Centenary Church left by train at 6:30 a.m. for a clam bake at Tom's River, Ocean County, New Jersey. On their arrival at the depot they began to saunter leisurely across the bridge in groups. Only a few made it over with another 60 on the bridge when it collapsed and over half of these terrified mostly children were thrown into the water. As is usual in such cases, there were striking instances of heroism. Peter Howland who had been on the bridge and was also thrown into the water saw his 11 year old nephew struggling to stay alive, Peter swam to him and upon reaching shore with him, turned and saw his Libbie struggling. At once blind to all other sights, heedless of the almost certain death from desperate clutching hands that awaited him if he plunged amid the mass of tragic humanity, he dashed into the water. The sight of her there, gasping for breath, was unendurable, for she was his hearts delight and she wore his ring upon her hand, they had only yesterday been looking at wedding garments in which she was so soon to stand up proudly be his side. They were beautiful in their lives, and in death not divided, for he had seized and was bearing her safely to shore when Mrs. Sidney Throckmorton, in her despairing agony sized him by the arm and so hampered him that all three drowned together, although Peter had been an excellent swimmer.
As was very unusual for the time, both Peter and Libbie were interned together wearing the bridal clothes that they would have worn the following week. I thought it fitting to add them to FindAgrave as if they were married. On 12 September the entire population of the village attended the funeral. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows attended in full regalia in honor of Peter as well as the Grand Templars that he was also a member of.
I have pieced this to together from a dozen newspaper articles I have read, I think this is an important story and someday I hope to be able to connect Peter to my Family Tree as his father Stewart has so far been a dead end to my research.
At the time of his death, he was a 23 year old carpenter and lived in Branchport, (Long Branch), New Jersey and was a Sunday School Teacher at the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in Branchport along with his fiance. Miss. Libbie E. Styles also a Sunday School Teacher at the Church.
A week before their planned wedding on a Sunday morning 8 September 1870, over 500 men, women and children from the Centenary Church left by train at 6:30 a.m. for a clam bake at Tom's River, Ocean County, New Jersey. On their arrival at the depot they began to saunter leisurely across the bridge in groups. Only a few made it over with another 60 on the bridge when it collapsed and over half of these terrified mostly children were thrown into the water. As is usual in such cases, there were striking instances of heroism. Peter Howland who had been on the bridge and was also thrown into the water saw his 11 year old nephew struggling to stay alive, Peter swam to him and upon reaching shore with him, turned and saw his Libbie struggling. At once blind to all other sights, heedless of the almost certain death from desperate clutching hands that awaited him if he plunged amid the mass of tragic humanity, he dashed into the water. The sight of her there, gasping for breath, was unendurable, for she was his hearts delight and she wore his ring upon her hand, they had only yesterday been looking at wedding garments in which she was so soon to stand up proudly be his side. They were beautiful in their lives, and in death not divided, for he had seized and was bearing her safely to shore when Mrs. Sidney Throckmorton, in her despairing agony sized him by the arm and so hampered him that all three drowned together, although Peter had been an excellent swimmer.
As was very unusual for the time, both Peter and Libbie were interned together wearing the bridal clothes that they would have worn the following week. I thought it fitting to add them to FindAgrave as if they were married. On 12 September the entire population of the village attended the funeral. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows attended in full regalia in honor of Peter as well as the Grand Templars that he was also a member of.
I have pieced this to together from a dozen newspaper articles I have read, I think this is an important story and someday I hope to be able to connect Peter to my Family Tree as his father Stewart has so far been a dead end to my research.
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