August 16 Monday – In Weggis, Sam recorded a local tragedy in his notebook:

Monday, Aug. 16. Last night there was a Fest, & a torchlight procession of wheelmen from here (Weggis) to Viznau [Vitznau] & back. After midnight 4 villagers out in a boat—they had been drinking too much—got upset & 3 were drowned: a cook [August Theodor Eugen Burtschi], a confectioner [Philipp Wilhelm Wäspi] , & a locksmith [Alois Sutter]—all young men of the village. It has made a deep sensation. Today the people stand about in groups talking low & looking sad. There is but one topic. Even our family finds itself personally affected by the tragedy; for we find that our fruit-shop woman lost her son by it—a young fellow of 27. She & her daughter go on with their work to-day as usual—(the poor have no emancipation from work) but they are very sad [Locher 19; NB 42 TS 25].