Aged 47 Yrs.
Reported in the Port Huron Daily Times on 23 Jul 1896:
A most sad accident brought to a sudden close the fishing tournament at Stag Island Wednesday afternoon, by which Wm. M Cline, the attorney, lost his life. Mr. Cline went to the island with the Fishermen's club and started out to fish in a small boat, in company with J J Cronan, Dr. W S Henderson and James Boardman. The boat was a small one and the four occupants overloaded it, but this fact was not noticed at the time.
The party rowed to the Canadian shore and anchored out in the stream nearly opposite the Haynes cottage on Stag Island. The anchor rope was fastened to a seat near the center of the boat instead of at the bow as is customary, and the boat swung broadside to the current. Fishing had been in progress but a short time when the trouble began. The boat made a sudden pitch toward the down stream side, probably caused by the swells of some passing steamer, and Mr. Cline threw himself to the opposide side to which the anchor line was fastened.
This threw the edge of the boat under the water and in an instant the current carried the boat over and the action of the anchor was to put it beneath the surface. Mr. Croman say that when he reached the surface of the water the boat could not be seen and he struck out for the shore, which was about 200 or 250 feet away. Mr. Cline started to follow, but after swimming twenty or thirty feet he evidently felt that he was unable to go so far and turned back to the boat which by this time had come back to the top of the water again.
When within about fifteen feet of the boat he was seen to throw up his hands and as he cried, "Hurry up," went down and was seen no more.
Dr. Henderson and Mr. Boardman clung to the boat and were rescued. Boardman, however, losing his hold and going down twice before being saved.
The only witnesses of the accident were Charles F Bachers and A S Phillips, who had hauled their boat up on shore a short distance above the place where the accident occured. They called to Fred Wargowski and Peter Hill, jr, who were in a boat a short distance below rowing upstream. They quickly appraised the situation and were the first to arrive. They pulled Boardman into their boat just as he was going down for the third time, and towed Dr. Henderson into shallow water.
They did not realize that one of the party had been lost till Mr. Cronan came running along the beach and asked had become of Cline....
William M Cline was born in Canada, on 31 Jul 1851. His ancestors on his father's side were from Pennsylvania and on his mother's side from Scotland. His parents moved to Michigan and settled in Sanilac county in 1859, where he attended school and became a teacher in the public schools of that and St. Clair counties.
He also attended the state normal and agricultural college. He commenced the study of law in Oct 1874 and attended the law department of the Michigan University in the winter of 1874 and 1875. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and in 1877 located to Port Huron. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession here.
In 1888 Mr. Cline was elected state senator, and for four years was a member of the board. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, Woodmen of the World, Knights of the Macabees and Oddfellows, in which organizations he carried $10,000 insurance. he leaves a wife and three children.
Reported in the Port Huron Daily Times on 23 Jul 1896:
A most sad accident brought to a sudden close the fishing tournament at Stag Island Wednesday afternoon, by which Wm. M Cline, the attorney, lost his life. Mr. Cline went to the island with the Fishermen's club and started out to fish in a small boat, in company with J J Cronan, Dr. W S Henderson and James Boardman. The boat was a small one and the four occupants overloaded it, but this fact was not noticed at the time.
The party rowed to the Canadian shore and anchored out in the stream nearly opposite the Haynes cottage on Stag Island. The anchor rope was fastened to a seat near the center of the boat instead of at the bow as is customary, and the boat swung broadside to the current. Fishing had been in progress but a short time when the trouble began. The boat made a sudden pitch toward the down stream side, probably caused by the swells of some passing steamer, and Mr. Cline threw himself to the opposide side to which the anchor line was fastened.
This threw the edge of the boat under the water and in an instant the current carried the boat over and the action of the anchor was to put it beneath the surface. Mr. Croman say that when he reached the surface of the water the boat could not be seen and he struck out for the shore, which was about 200 or 250 feet away. Mr. Cline started to follow, but after swimming twenty or thirty feet he evidently felt that he was unable to go so far and turned back to the boat which by this time had come back to the top of the water again.
When within about fifteen feet of the boat he was seen to throw up his hands and as he cried, "Hurry up," went down and was seen no more.
Dr. Henderson and Mr. Boardman clung to the boat and were rescued. Boardman, however, losing his hold and going down twice before being saved.
The only witnesses of the accident were Charles F Bachers and A S Phillips, who had hauled their boat up on shore a short distance above the place where the accident occured. They called to Fred Wargowski and Peter Hill, jr, who were in a boat a short distance below rowing upstream. They quickly appraised the situation and were the first to arrive. They pulled Boardman into their boat just as he was going down for the third time, and towed Dr. Henderson into shallow water.
They did not realize that one of the party had been lost till Mr. Cronan came running along the beach and asked had become of Cline....
William M Cline was born in Canada, on 31 Jul 1851. His ancestors on his father's side were from Pennsylvania and on his mother's side from Scotland. His parents moved to Michigan and settled in Sanilac county in 1859, where he attended school and became a teacher in the public schools of that and St. Clair counties.
He also attended the state normal and agricultural college. He commenced the study of law in Oct 1874 and attended the law department of the Michigan University in the winter of 1874 and 1875. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and in 1877 located to Port Huron. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession here.
In 1888 Mr. Cline was elected state senator, and for four years was a member of the board. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, Woodmen of the World, Knights of the Macabees and Oddfellows, in which organizations he carried $10,000 insurance. he leaves a wife and three children.
Aged 47 Yrs.
Reported in the Port Huron Daily Times on 23 Jul 1896:
A most sad accident brought to a sudden close the fishing tournament at Stag Island Wednesday afternoon, by which Wm. M Cline, the attorney, lost his life. Mr. Cline went to the island with the Fishermen's club and started out to fish in a small boat, in company with J J Cronan, Dr. W S Henderson and James Boardman. The boat was a small one and the four occupants overloaded it, but this fact was not noticed at the time.
The party rowed to the Canadian shore and anchored out in the stream nearly opposite the Haynes cottage on Stag Island. The anchor rope was fastened to a seat near the center of the boat instead of at the bow as is customary, and the boat swung broadside to the current. Fishing had been in progress but a short time when the trouble began. The boat made a sudden pitch toward the down stream side, probably caused by the swells of some passing steamer, and Mr. Cline threw himself to the opposide side to which the anchor line was fastened.
This threw the edge of the boat under the water and in an instant the current carried the boat over and the action of the anchor was to put it beneath the surface. Mr. Croman say that when he reached the surface of the water the boat could not be seen and he struck out for the shore, which was about 200 or 250 feet away. Mr. Cline started to follow, but after swimming twenty or thirty feet he evidently felt that he was unable to go so far and turned back to the boat which by this time had come back to the top of the water again.
When within about fifteen feet of the boat he was seen to throw up his hands and as he cried, "Hurry up," went down and was seen no more.
Dr. Henderson and Mr. Boardman clung to the boat and were rescued. Boardman, however, losing his hold and going down twice before being saved.
The only witnesses of the accident were Charles F Bachers and A S Phillips, who had hauled their boat up on shore a short distance above the place where the accident occured. They called to Fred Wargowski and Peter Hill, jr, who were in a boat a short distance below rowing upstream. They quickly appraised the situation and were the first to arrive. They pulled Boardman into their boat just as he was going down for the third time, and towed Dr. Henderson into shallow water.
They did not realize that one of the party had been lost till Mr. Cronan came running along the beach and asked had become of Cline....
William M Cline was born in Canada, on 31 Jul 1851. His ancestors on his father's side were from Pennsylvania and on his mother's side from Scotland. His parents moved to Michigan and settled in Sanilac county in 1859, where he attended school and became a teacher in the public schools of that and St. Clair counties.
He also attended the state normal and agricultural college. He commenced the study of law in Oct 1874 and attended the law department of the Michigan University in the winter of 1874 and 1875. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and in 1877 located to Port Huron. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession here.
In 1888 Mr. Cline was elected state senator, and for four years was a member of the board. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, Woodmen of the World, Knights of the Macabees and Oddfellows, in which organizations he carried $10,000 insurance. he leaves a wife and three children.
Reported in the Port Huron Daily Times on 23 Jul 1896:
A most sad accident brought to a sudden close the fishing tournament at Stag Island Wednesday afternoon, by which Wm. M Cline, the attorney, lost his life. Mr. Cline went to the island with the Fishermen's club and started out to fish in a small boat, in company with J J Cronan, Dr. W S Henderson and James Boardman. The boat was a small one and the four occupants overloaded it, but this fact was not noticed at the time.
The party rowed to the Canadian shore and anchored out in the stream nearly opposite the Haynes cottage on Stag Island. The anchor rope was fastened to a seat near the center of the boat instead of at the bow as is customary, and the boat swung broadside to the current. Fishing had been in progress but a short time when the trouble began. The boat made a sudden pitch toward the down stream side, probably caused by the swells of some passing steamer, and Mr. Cline threw himself to the opposide side to which the anchor line was fastened.
This threw the edge of the boat under the water and in an instant the current carried the boat over and the action of the anchor was to put it beneath the surface. Mr. Croman say that when he reached the surface of the water the boat could not be seen and he struck out for the shore, which was about 200 or 250 feet away. Mr. Cline started to follow, but after swimming twenty or thirty feet he evidently felt that he was unable to go so far and turned back to the boat which by this time had come back to the top of the water again.
When within about fifteen feet of the boat he was seen to throw up his hands and as he cried, "Hurry up," went down and was seen no more.
Dr. Henderson and Mr. Boardman clung to the boat and were rescued. Boardman, however, losing his hold and going down twice before being saved.
The only witnesses of the accident were Charles F Bachers and A S Phillips, who had hauled their boat up on shore a short distance above the place where the accident occured. They called to Fred Wargowski and Peter Hill, jr, who were in a boat a short distance below rowing upstream. They quickly appraised the situation and were the first to arrive. They pulled Boardman into their boat just as he was going down for the third time, and towed Dr. Henderson into shallow water.
They did not realize that one of the party had been lost till Mr. Cronan came running along the beach and asked had become of Cline....
William M Cline was born in Canada, on 31 Jul 1851. His ancestors on his father's side were from Pennsylvania and on his mother's side from Scotland. His parents moved to Michigan and settled in Sanilac county in 1859, where he attended school and became a teacher in the public schools of that and St. Clair counties.
He also attended the state normal and agricultural college. He commenced the study of law in Oct 1874 and attended the law department of the Michigan University in the winter of 1874 and 1875. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and in 1877 located to Port Huron. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession here.
In 1888 Mr. Cline was elected state senator, and for four years was a member of the board. He was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, Woodmen of the World, Knights of the Macabees and Oddfellows, in which organizations he carried $10,000 insurance. he leaves a wife and three children.
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