Southwick Ponds Excursion in Mourning
Saturday, August 14, 1886, was meant to be a day of celebration at Southwick Ponds.
The New Haven & Northampton Railroad had organized a grand excursion that day, offering free passage to railroad employees and their families. Twenty passenger cars pulled by two engines brought an estimated 1,550 people to the popular tourist destination. Among the excursionists were John Donovan, who worked in the New Haven railyard, and his fiancée, Miss Nellie Barry. The couple, both residents of New Haven, Connecticut, had postponed their wedding from the previous Wednesday and were planning to marry the following week.
A Day of Merriment
The atmosphere at Southwick Ponds that August afternoon was one of pure joy. An orchestra filled the air with lively music as crowds of railroad workers and their families enjoyed their day of leisure. Laughter echoed across the grounds as children played games and athletic competitions drew enthusiastic spectators. On Congamond Lake, swimmers splashed in the water while approximately twenty-five rowboats glided across the surface, their occupants enjoying the summer sunshine. It was a scene of carefree celebration—a well-deserved respite for the hardworking railroad men and their loved ones.
The Invitation
That afternoon, John invited Nellie to join him for a row around the lake. As they rowed, the couple noticed another boat capsize nearby, throwing its occupants into water estimated to be thirty-five feet deep.
John immediately rowed toward the struggling swimmers, but another boat reached them first. In the attempted rescue, that second boat also capsized, plunging three more people into the lake. According to varying accounts, either two women grabbed hold of Nellie and John's boat, causing it to overturn, or Nellie stood up to reach one of the drowning women and lost her balance. Regardless of the exact sequence, six people were suddenly in the water, though one man managed to pull himself up.
A steamer operating on the lake spotted the commotion and rushed to assist. Four people were pulled from the water alive. Only then did someone notice that Nellie was missing. Some of the boaters believed that when the boat capsized, it had struck Nellie in the head, which would explain why she was unable to surface.
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| Rowing on Congamond |
A Man Undone by Grief
When John realized his fiancée had likely drowned, witnesses reported that he "went insane" with grief. The steamer transported the survivors to shore before returning with grappling irons to search for Nellie's body. John's reaction grew so violent that several men were forced to restrain both his hands and feet to prevent him from harming himself.
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| Rowboats along the shore of Congamond Lake |
Completely overcome, John attempted to kill himself and threatened those around him. The shock of losing his bride-to-be just days before their wedding proved too much for him to bear. He was eventually handcuffed and placed on the next southbound train to New Haven, where a police ambulance waited at the depot. Still unable to calm him, authorities had to bind his feet as well before transporting him to an insane asylum. Because New Haven police lacked keys to the handcuffs, asylum staff were forced to file them off once John was subdued.
The tragedy brought an abrupt end to the day's festivities. The orchestra fell silent, and athletic games were canceled as somber crowds boarded the trains approximately two and a half hours early, heading home in stunned silence.
Recovery and Funeral
Nellie's body was recovered on Sunday afternoon in approximately forty feet of water. Here remains were loaded into a baggage car and transported back to New Haven, where an undertaker's mourning carriage carried her remains from the depot to her family home. Her mother went frantic upon seeing her daughter. An informal wake was held at the residence that evening.
John, reportedly much improved, was released from the insane asylum on August 16. The following day, Tuesday, August 17, 1886, Nellie Barry's funeral was held at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in New Haven—the day before the couple was to wed at the same church.
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Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes
John Donovan was 26 years old. Nellie Barry was 23.
Nellie Barry was "quite attractive and a favorite among young men."
One source estimated that 2,000 attended the excursion, and another estimated 1,600.
Nellie’s uncle was Patrick Barry of 243 Hamilton Street, New Haven.
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