Lawrence bathhouse tragedy
Lawrence bathhouse tragedy
On June 30, 1913, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the runways to the city bathhouses collapsed, sending 50 to 75 boys into the Merrimack River and killing 11 of them.
A crowd of boys was waiting on a wooden runway near McFarlin Court while bathhouse keeper William Blythe returned from dinner. Around 2:00 PM, as Blythe approached, the boys jumped with excitement. The end of the runway sagged about 18 inches and the railings gave way, dumping the boys into the river. Rescue efforts followed as bathers and others pulled people from the water.
The first bodies were recovered by members of the Lawrence Canoe Club; police recovered the others, but no more victims were found after divers searched. Mayor Michael A. Scanlon ordered all city bathhouses closed the next day because inspectors said the bottom timbers were waterlogged and unsafe. The bathhouses were never reopened.
On August 10, 1913, three bathhouses, including the one where the drownings occurred, were destroyed by arson. Police suspected a parent who had lost a child might be responsible. An inquest found the accident was caused by inadequate support of the runway and railing and could have been prevented with two ledger boards instead of one; John Battershill, who supervised repairs, resigned afterward.
Lawsuits by parents against the city were rejected by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, which ruled that a municipality cannot be sued for deaths at a public recreation site. Henry Hinchcliffe, a 16-year-old who helped rescue many boys, was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Bravery.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:01 (CET).