Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-21
A Thrilling Rescue.
What Happened on a Rockaway Excur- siOn-Failure of Steamboat Men to Make"nny Effort to Save n Drowning

\
 What Happened on a Rockaway Excur- siOn-Failure of Steamboat Men to ! Make"nny Effort to Save n Drowning Girl
 From the Paterson Press, July 1s.l The Patersonians (and there were a large l number) who went to Rookaway yesterday | were the witnesses of thrilling scene en. 1 acted at the Rockaway pier just before the Grand Republic was cast off for her return 1 trip at 4:30 p. m. The last whistle had blown and the officers were hurrying the passengers aboard, many of whom, as usual, waited un- til the last minute, causing a crush on the gang plank In the struggle to get through young girl of about thirteen years was pushed off into the water, and the tide going out, she was carried beyond reach very rap idly, and before the danger had apparently
 been realized she was perhaps a hundred feet or more from the boat. The attention of the passengers was first called to her by woman on the middle deck screaming, "A woman over board. Oh, dear oh dear!" For a few seconds it seemed as though everybody was paralyzed. not single effort being made to- ward her rescue In the meantime the drowning child kept her left hand closed over her mouth, reaching with her right to catch something to support her. The people and deckhands began throwing life preservers overheard, all falling wide of their object No
 
 ready to risk his life to save that of the drowning girl. A sloop close by was hailed to drop her stern boat and go to the rescue, but all to no purpose Boats remained tied to ste kes not hundred yards from the spot and not heart in all the hundreds looking on horror-stricken had courage enough to fly to the rescue of a drowning fellow creature. Women were screaming shame 7" men stared with blanched faces and children were crying as though their little hearts would break. It seemed as though the unfortunate girl was doomed to perish, for her strength was fast giving way, and every succeeding wave kept her under longer than the one preceding it. Still she kept her hand over her mouth, with her head thrown back, trying to reach the float ing objects with her other hand, only to fail at every attempt At this critical mo- ment, when she appeared to rise gasping for breath for a final struggle, a brave young fel- low on the lower deck (not an officer nor a deck hand) jumped on the rail of the boat and calling out, 'Is any one going over to save that child ?" instantly leaped overheard, coat, shoes and everything on, and struck out bravely, amid the cheers of the multitude, for the fast disappearing form. Reaching her he raised her above the surface, when she appeared to empty her mouth of the sea water and take in good full breath. She grasped her rescuer by his coat at the back and he made an effort to swim to shore, but the tide was too strong for him. He gave that up and tried to keep afoat until aid should be sent to save them both, the waves constantly breaking over them until they were both becoming exhausted and appeared It was an awful moment, when & boat manned by a single Rockaway police man appeared on the scene, and he, pulling for dear life, reached them apparently just in time. Reaching out all oar to the drowning couple it was caught hold of by the man, when they were pulled to the side, and with great presence of mind the almost exhausted young girl reached up with both hands, catching the side of the boat and clinging there until the gallant po- iceman could pull her in. The poor fellow who had gone to her rescue also caught the side of the boat, but seemed too far gone to climb over the side, and was watched with agonizing and breathless interest by the vast audience that had gathered on the beach and boats in the vicinity. When he did finally pull himself up and roll over into the boat the air again rang with deafening cheer after cheer, which were continued at short inter vsls as the rescued and rescuers reached the Grand Republic, and were finally landed safe on board It was a truly thrilling scene, and one never to be forgotten by the thou sands who witnessed it. The young girl said that "a big man deliberately pushed her overheard to make more room for himself" She was in company with her mother. They are residents of Jersey City Heights. She said she realized everything that was going on around her, and she thought if she could only keep from swallowing too much water she could keep afioat long enough for help to reach her. And that was the only thing that did keep her from going down and stay ing there.
 The young man who saved her life is a res- ident of Brooklyn. He said this was his ninth rescue; but he added if the boat had not reached him just when it did it would have been his last effort and they would cer- taiuly both have been drowned, for when the crowd called to him to keep the girls head out of water it was all he could do to keep his own out. few more seconds would have finished him and her too, he said.