Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-07-31
DAILY VIRGINlAN.
A Trsgedy at Coney Island "A Methodist
Preacher and Daughter Drowned.

sad accident occurred on Wednesday, at
Coney Island, y. Y, where number of persons
from Williamsburg were bathing. The Herald
says:
All passed af pleasantly until cry was rails
ed, "thc undertow!" 1.-THE updertowi" and on
looking towards the ocean the company saw with
dsIpay five I their party drifting out TO sea-
Great confusion Immediately prevailed; and eff
forts were lnnde 10 procure boat, but none
could be found for mile either way along tho
beach. No other resource being left, the doors
of the bathing houses were torn off aud showed
out after the persons i'll the water, and two of
them were saved thereby.
But the most melancholy part Of this storv re-
mains to be tnld. II appears the difficulty orig
mated by ung lady named Mary Ann Elliott
getting boYoH2 fer depth, and feeling the under.
tow taking bnr out, she screamed out, III am
sinking. savr Iuoi" Rev. John Elliott. who was
in the watcr -eeinl tho danger of hr child. swan
towards h'ri hut before reaching the spot where
sh' wns he Wis also lnken with the current and
drttd out To rca aud soon sank. lie rose once
Ia the surface .nd threw his arms wildly in the
the air then sank again aud was seen no more
The peru n Miss Elliott was also seen by
Mr.. Ihomns Gibbons. the atlinnced bus sband ofthe
Indy, who immediately waded and swan to where
she was struggling III tho water, and succeeded
in holding her up for some time. The greatest
excitement prevailed at the moment the traAgedy
was being enacted, ana no one seemed able to
offer any assistance. The couple was borne out
rapidly and tho=e on the shore gave them up for
lost, when il seen TINT Mr.. Gibbons had Sc
cured piece Of timber, and had seized il for sup
port, but II WIS not large enough 10 uphold both
and Mr.. Gibbons ,lisengag'd himself from Miss
Eli, and tod her To grasp the saspenders Of
his bathing dress h.hind while he held on to the
wood. This she I'D form time, but with n true
woman's devotion. seeing that her lover was
sinking, and eatng that he woad drown, she
suppressed II thnt momcnt OF peril when tho
horrors of dc h "ers clustering around her, the
selfish instinel # har nature for life, and let 90
her hold, thouea he begged her for Gods and
her own snne - never mind him, but herself
She soon sank nd seen no more. Mr.. Glib
hons wns fortuaately driticd towards n point on
the island where he found n foothold, aud was
dragged ashore by means of ropes.
Two other i-on-, MIR. Henry Boyd jr, and
Miss Eastman, were also cUugh. il he same cur
rent hui fortunately managed 10 secure one of
the boards tnnting about, and were towed towards
the shore. MIS- Eastman had sank once or twice
aud was 81 overc,m by terror aud her injuries
lhnt il is feared he will not recover. She was
taken to the Oeenn House, and now lies there in
dangerous condition. Mr. Boyd escaped un-
hurt.
This melancholy affair caused deep feeling on
the island, aud the sell devotion exhibited by the
unfortunate girl was the theme of many All admir-
ing eulogy. She was quite young. and said 10 be
of rare benuty of person aud amiability Of dispo-
-ition. 1t will be heavy blow to her relatives in
Williamsburg. Her father, wac was drowned.
was local preacher IN the methodist church,
and was much respected for his many virtues.