The Knoxville Chronicle of Sunday says that on the night of the 31st of May, as J. C. Turnley, Steele Shadden, and three others were coming down the French Broad in a boat the boat struck a rock about two or three miles above Dandridge, and sunk.  John C. Turnley swam safely out, although one of his ankles and a portion of one foot had been mashed to pieces when the boat first struck the rock.  The other three landed safely and uninjured, but Steele Shadden is lost, as the last heard of him he was hallooing "O, Lord!" and similar expressions.

Source:  Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 6 June 1871, page 7 ("Shipping News")

John C. Turnley, Esq., a venerable, and prominent citizen, died on Saturday, and was buried the day following. Mr. Turnley was on the small boat, loaded with corn, which sunk at night, just above Dandridge, on the 31st ultimo; On that occasion Mr. Turnley had an ankle crushed, and his limb was amputated two or three days thereafter. From the first he gradually grew worse, and has now followed to the grave his friend, Steele Shadden, who was drowned outright at the time of this doubly fatal and mysterious accident.

Source:  Knoxville Daily Chronicle, 13 June 1871, page 1

A Noble Act.

A correspondent writing of the accident to the late Mr. J. C. Turnley and others, by the sinking of a flatboat above Dandridge, some time since, mentions the following item instancing Mr. Turnley's courage and presence of mind under the perilous circumstances:  On board the boat was a son of Mr. Pryor, eleven years of age, who was not thought of as the others left the sinking boat, thinking only of their own safety.  The child exclaimed, "Mr. Turnley, are you going to leave me to drown?"  Mr. Turnley replied:  "No, my child."  He then turned back, took the child off, placed an oar under his chin to buoy himself up, and with the help of a plank for himself, and with words of encouragement -- not to be alarmed, that he would take him through safely -- reach the shore about three-quarters of a mile from where they left the boat.  Be it remembered, Mr. Turnley had his ankle crushed, and was an old man of seventy years of age. -- Knoxville (Tennessee) Press.

Source: Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 20 June 1871, page 2