The 1938 Muncy Raft crash, also referred to as The Last Raft tragedy, was a

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

accident that occurred on March 20, 1938, in

Muncy Township, Pennsylvania Muncy Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,177 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area. The unincorporated village of Pennsdale is located here. ...

. It killed seven of the 45 people on board; the remaining 38 were rescued.

Background

The trip was a

historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational entertainment, educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspect ...

of log rafting in the

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

, particularly northeastern and central

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

where the logging boom was strongest. Multiple local men decided to hold a memorial rafting trip from

Clearfield County Clearfield County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,562. The county seat is Clearfield, and the largest city is DuBois. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1822. C ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

. The men who had done the trip twice before in years past to honor the logging industry in the area agreed that the 1935 trip would be their last; however, some of the group decided to do it one last time in 1938. This is why it is also known as "The Last Raft Tragedy". The raft was launched on March 14 at McGee's Mill in western Clearfield County. The trip was expected to take a week and a half to complete. In the beginning there were six experienced rafters on board. They tied off multiple times for food, rest and to meet the crowd which began forming along the riverside. The raft picked up dozens of people at

Lock Haven Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven Micropolitan Statistical Area, ...

and Williamsport.

Accident

About six days into its trip, on March 20, the raft entered Muncy Township with 45 people on board. Being over long, the raft was very hard to maneuver. It was approaching the Reading Railroad Bridge when people who were standing on the bridge began shouting at the rafters to try to avoid the pier. The raft struck one of the pillars, and all but two of the 45 people on board were thrown into the river. Hundreds of people were on the bridge watching the raft when it struck, and many jumped into the water to try to save the rafters. Many of the deaths were due to drowning, as most on board couldn't swim very well. Two of the seven bodies were never found.

References

{{reflist 1938 in the United States