The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-23

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WEDNESDAY. ,....9oLis g = $
A Tragic Fate.
800, n,owSISG OF NON. b. s. FoEr Ar OCEAN
70" CITY.
correspondence Of r. %.'s as'on osl'
OCEAN CRY, July ;so.-The drowning of
HON. B. 5. Ford OF Queen Anne's county.
Md, State ..nator and president OF the
chester River Steamboat Company. in the
,rt this afternoon was tragic affair.
rhorsands OF people lining the, beach IN
irrnt Of the Atlantic Hotel, spell.
nth horror. witnessed strong mans vain
n.,,ie with the sea. and as noble an cxhtbl-
t;nn NJ heroism and courage as hns Which
erave immortality to the name OF Le0nldas.
Mr.. Ford was very handsome man, pos,
sessing those qualities which Impressed
every one fayorably who knew him. Az
o'clock in the afternoons seated on tue
bench With Mrs. E. d. Emory, wife OF |
cen,,en,an OF Centreviile, Md, Just before |
Elm, her 10 for bath. he was the prom.-i
lent figure among group OF chattlnga
fr;ends who lIttle imagined what terrlose
,r.cedy was at hanl, and that their gay
,ssTc 81 the pair as they rushed into the
r;lows was the last they would ever take
Nth a, least one OF them in life.
Thc tide was nearly ut It's Hood, and Toe
sea was darting IN heavy, threatening
hrn.kers uron the beach. Few even OF the
n,os, daring bathers would have yentured
f,r among Them, and at the time there were
No others 10 The water. Mrs. emory ana
her escort. however, plunged boldly IN, ana
heinr fearless and expert, appeared LOT
time 10 experience no difficulty In keeping
their feet. II was nearly time for the ea-
cursion trains to leave, and notices. IMAM
two thousand people, attracted by the I'M
usually heavy sea. were taking last look
Mt old ocean in its fiercest mood.
Suddenly somebody noticed that the Doid
couple had gotten into position in which
they were not able to control their; move
ments, aud that Dir. Ford was rnakihg Wig
orous efforts to push his companion from
among the breakers. now <dashing every
second over them. His endeavors were fu-
tile. and the startling cry" Help! help!"
sent a terrible thrill! OF fear .hrou gh the
crowds upon the shore. Before the sound
had died upon his lips great rolling swell
caught them up and swept them both be.
yond the first line OF breaking surses. "A
crv Of horror burst from the crowd as the
hathers rose and fell helplessly in the foam.
inc pillows. All that n brave heart and q
valiant arm coud accomplish was done by
the gallant fellow, who attempted to swim
Win his companion upon his back to the
hesch, but the cruel waves beat. him back
farther and farther from the shore. -
In the mean time everything possible was;
being dore BY the people on the beach,
Bold swimmers plunged In and attempted
to burst through the line OF breakers, and
gol lid no.
hind them, and attempted to push them III,
but in vain. 1na moment be was COM
PEELED TO use all his strength TO save him
self. The life-saying station was closed,
and there was no boat; but hundred
hands tore the boards from the pavilion on
the beach, and they were carried out by,
those who could swim, while Others ran for
ropes. Between the struggling pair and
those who were attempting to reach them
was the terrific line OF breakers, through
which the strongest swimmers made efforts
in vain to pass. - -
At last, however, when Mr. Ford was
seen to sink beneath his burden, member
OF the Maryland Fifth regiment succeeded
in approaching near enough 10 hurl one OF
the pianks within reach. It was small
one, and although with scarcely strength to
make another stroke, Mr.. Ford gyaspcd 1t
and thrust it into Mrs. Emory's hands.
"Hold on to that and you are safe" said
he. In attempting to push her through the
breakers upon 1t strong sea separated
them. The next bilIow swept the woman
far out into the second llue OF breakers,
which were every moment lifting their
cres,s and beating violently upon the
brave woman, who never lost her hold or
her presence OF mind even in the very jaws
OF death. ...
No pen can describe the awful impression
Of terror which the sight Of what followed
made upon the thousands OF witnesses who
gazed upon it. Some OF the party who were
attempting rescue got close to Mr.. Ford,
be being nearer to shore than Mrs. Emory,
but he cried out, "Go to her. save her !;
never mind me.' His strength was evil
IDENTIFY spent, and unless he could be reach
ed at once there was no doubt OF the issue.
The waves, mountain high, were breaking
over Mrs. Emory every moment, and she
would frequently disappear from sight.
At one time terrific surge hung for q
moment above her head, and broke with an
angry roar full upon her. She sank beneath
the blow, head down, and her feet pointing
stiff TO the sky. Those upon the shore gave
q great cry-"G Good Coo! she is gone !"-
but her arms were locked around the
plank, aud she righted up, only to receive
cruel blow in the face, white and staring
as seen from the beach, from second
surge following the first. At this mo-
ment, as friendly hands were near to
seize him, wave washed Mr.. Ford far
out into the sea, and as he turned his head.
bewildered, towards the sky, q heavy
sea lifted it. and for moment the face,
with an awful and beseeching stare, was
outlined In full view of the crowd against
the billow, which the next second swept
over it. He made no further struggles,
aud when the water receded his ,liteless
body was seen floating face downwards
upon the surface. A succession of very
strong surges swept the body within reach
in a moment. and 1t was dragged to the
beach, Just as Mrs. Emory, completely ex.
hausted, but alive and SAFE, was rescued.
Mr.. William Pitts, Of Berlin, near this
place, and A. S. Lane, OF Washington,
were the fret gentlemen who reached Col
onel Ford. They state that his head was
down in the water when they got to him,
as though he was completely exhausted !;
that his shoulders alone were visible as ne
f1oated in the water; that he bad made no
efforts for some seconds, and that be only
gasped twice after bis body was drawn
ashore. Messys. X. j. Henry, Jr., OF Ber-
lin, Major Macallister, OF Wilmington, and
a number OF others were most active IN
their exertions in reScuing the tive. Mr..
Pitts, on reaching the shore, was completely
overcome, and has not yet fully recovered,
All efforts to re>uScltate MIR. Ford were
unavaiiiDg. DIR. Dennis, OF Princess Anne,
and other physicians did everything known