The true Democrat., 1855-08-14
A Tragedy ai Coney Island + < Methodist
 Preacher and Daughter Drowned.


 ! sad accident occurred on Wednesday, at Coney Island, \. Y., where number of per sons from Williamsburg were bathing The Herald says:
 All passed off pleasantly until cry was rais- ed, the undertow!" "t the undertowl" and on looking towards the ocean the company saw with dlsmay live of their party drifting out to sea. Great confusion immediately prevailed, and efforts were made to procure boat, but none could be found for mile either way along the beach. No other resource being left, the bathing houses were torn off and showed out after the persons in the water, and two of them were saved thereby.
 But the most melancholy part of this story remains to be told. It appears the difficulty originated by young lady named Mary Ann Elliott getting beyond her depth, and feeling the undertow taking her out, she screamed out, "I am sinking, save me!'' Her father, Rev. J ohn Elliott, who was ill the water, seeing the danger of his child, swam towards her; but be- fore reaching the spot where she was, he was also taken with the current and drifted out to sea and soon sank. He rose once to the sur face and threw his arms wildly in the air then sank again and was seen no more.
 The peril of Miss Elliott was also seen by a | the lady, who immediately waded and swan to where she was struggling in the water, and sue" ceeded in holding her up for some time. The greatest exctemet prevailed at the moment the tragedy Was being enacted, and no one seemed able to offer any assistance. The couple were borne out rapidly and those on the shore gave them up for lost, when 1t was seen that Mir. Gibbons had secured piece of timber and had selZed It tor support, butitw not large enough to uphold both, and MT. Gibbons disengaged himself from Miss Elliott and told her to grasp the suspenders of his bathing dress behind, while he held on to the wood. This she did for time; but with true woman's devotion. seeing that her lover was sinking and fearing that he would drown, she suppressed in that moment of peril, when the horrors of death were clustering around her, the selfish instinct of her nature for life and let go her hold, though hc begged her for Gods and her own sake to never mnd him, but herself. She soon sank ? and wasseen no more. Mir Gibbons was fortu- ! nately drlited towards point on the island where he found foothold and was dragged ; ashore by means of ropes.
 Two other persons, Mir Henry Boyd, ir, and ! 2 Miss Eastman. Were also caught in the same ! current, but fortunately managed to secure one of the boafi5 floating about and lowed towards 2 the shore. Miss Eastman had sank once or . twice and was 50 overcome Ay terror and her lnihlcs that it is feared she win not recover.-- She Was taken to the Ocean House, and nou [ lies there ln q dangerous condition. Mir Boyd
 escaped unhWt.
 7 This melancholy affair caused deep feeling on the island and the 5eIf-devoton ex hibitel by
 the unfortunate girl was the theme of many an
 adn,rng euogy She was quite young, and I sad 10 b. ot rare beauty of person and anna tlGty of disposition. It will be q heavy blow
 Q hor relatives in Williamsburg Her father.
 nho Va drowned, WIS local preacher in thc z Methodist church and was much respected for | hh gany ntupS.