The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-21
DROWNED IN THE SURF.

SAD DEATH OF A CoACHMAN AT LONG BRANCH
DIR. LAMBKRT's ATTEMPT TO REVIVE HIM.
Richard Gray. coachman. who had been in the
employ OF Mr.. A. II. Hart, Philadelphia million.
naire, for eight nine years, was drowned in the
surf at Long Branch opposite the Atlantic House
about noon yesterday. Happening at time when
the beach was filled with bashers the accident
created considerable excitement among the
people stopping at the hotels. Gray arrived
in Long Branch Saturday morning from
Philadelphia. and in the evening went
to the Atlantic House. formerly the Pavilion. where
his employer. Mr.. Hart. accustomed to stop.
He was intoxicated and ordered to leave. after
offending several guests but as the servants
stirring yesterday morning he again appeared
and begged his breakfast. He then went to the bar
aud managed to drink considerable liquor. After
making. some disturbance aroAnd the front of the
hotel he was again told to leave He was afterward
heard from at the stables Of the West End Hotel.
where about half-pa eleven he was endesvorng to
make trouble between the stablemen. He finally
challenged Martin Blessem to stay longer in the
water than he Gray could The latter was said to be
the best swimmer the Branch, and Bessem refused
to have anything to do with him. Hewas seen some
time afterward going to Sharps bathing house and
getting suit of bathing clothes. Nobody seems TO
have paid any further attention to him till his body
was seen floating in the water between Emmons' and
Sharps bathing houses by member or the dis
banded Government Life Saving Corps. He
brought to the beach. and after few minutes spent
in attempting to get the water out OF him, WAS pro-
nounced dead by physician who had come from q
hotel. At this time there probably three
four hundred people around the body. 1t rec
ognzsd Grays by some OF the colored servants ut
the Atlantic House. who had given him his break
fast In the morning.
Coroner Britton sent for but previous to his
arrival DIR. Thomas g. Lambert, ex-president OF the
defunct Popular Life Insurance Company. who is ut
present under bail during suspension OF sentence,
made his appearance and. though informed that the
body had been hour out OF water. believed no
could restore 1t to life Many of the crowd. among
whom ladies from the hotels. begged him to
try. The corpse then taken to stable near the
Atlantic House, by permission OF Mr.. Rowland
i've O'Clock Dr. Lambert trsated his patient with the
hope of bringing him to life He first had all the
spare blankets that could be found in the stables
placed around the body Of the drowned man. Then
the servants were requested to boil water. of which,
IL is estimated, nearly twenty gallons poured
by the blankets. DR.. Lambert says he was rewarded
with only witch OF the muscles after he had
worked an hour on his patient The crowd were good
natured and anxious to hulnor the Doctor. Ladies
waited the vicinity of the stable door, anxious to
learn whether he could really bring the man to life.
Meanwhile DIR. Lambert was telling the crowd Of the
numerous persons who had been brought to lfo
after apparent death. Mrs HULL he said. might
have been restored if she had been taken in charge
by physician when the body was found in the
morning."
Coroner Brtton put in an appearance about five
o'clock, and DIR. Lambert forced to acknowledge
that his patient had taken too much liquor before
going into the water. The body then removed
to an undertsker's room. Gray leaves wife aud
two children.