Obituary – William D. Fisher
Contributed to Genealogy Pit Stop
By Sheila Fritts
East Liverpool Daily Crisis
3 May 1899 – pg. 1
William D. Fisher, brother of Councilman Frank Fisher and Thomas More Bradley, both of this city, were drowned in the Ohio River at a point opposite the north end of Babbs Island near the West Virginia shore, about midnight, Tuesday night. Fisher and Bradley, with John Thompson, of Calcutta, were in a skiff when the craft upset. Fisher and Bradley tried to swim to shore but sank. Thompson clung to the skiff and was rescued by Mate James O’Neill, of the towboat John A. Wood, which is tied up on the Virginia shore about 500 feet below the scene of the drowning. Thompson was taken on board the towboat more dead than alive. As soon as he revived sufficiently he was rowed to the Ohio shore and immediately notified the relatives of the drowned men and Chief of Police Johnson. This morning a large force started to work dragging the river for the bodies. As he sat in a skiff near the spot where his companions were drowned, assisting in the search, Thompson told a reporter the story this morning. “Early last evening,” said Thompson, Fisher, Bradley and I secured a skiff and rowed across the river. We were out several hours and were about 200 yards north of the towboat John A. Wood when the skiff upset. Bradley, who was in the front part of the boat got up to change places with me in the rear. He slipped in the middle of the boat, and it tipped over, and in an instant we were all in the river. The boat filled with water but I hung to it. Bradley and Fisher, I think, tried to swim to shore. They soon disappeared. It was dark and I could not see far. I called to them to try to catch the skiff. They made no sound after we upset. “I managed to get into the skiff again and cried for help and the men on the John A. Wood pulled me in with a boat hook.” Mate O’Neil said he was roused by the cries at 25 minutes to 12, and rushed on deck. He finally discerned the skiff containing Thompson, who was still shouting. O’Neill shoved a boathook to Thompson and held him until a line was lowered to him. The skiff was almost full of water. After Thompson reached East Liverpool he first notified Robert F. Bradley, father of T.M. Bradley, of the fate of his son and Fisher. Together they went to Councilman Fisher’s home in the west end and broke the news there. Bradley was 27 years old and by occupation was a painter and paper hanger. He was married and leaves a wife and one child. He resided at his father’s at 180 Church Alley. Three brothers and two sisters survive. William D. Fisher was born in Calcutta 36 years ago. He is a son of B.D. and Mrs. Mary Fisher, of that place. He was a sanitary ware presser and on next Monday intended to take a position as jiggerman at the plant of the United States Pottery Co., in Wellsville. Surviving are two brothers, Frank of this city and Boone, of Calcutta and five sisters, Mrs. Will Smith of East Liverpool; Mrs. Lizzie Abrams, of Cannons Mill; Mrs. Gertrude Gonzales, of near Calcutta; Mrs. Daniel McLane of East Palestine and Miss Alice of Calcutta.
Note: Thomas Bradley’s brothers and sisters were Joseph, William, John, Augusta, and Jennie.