New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-24
THE COLUMBIA CREWS LOSS.
1.urrp COysWAIN DROWNED.

Don, COMA LONG SEARCH FOR TUE BODY
TuE RACE WITH HARVARD POSTPONED.
inY TELEGRAPH rRIBgSG-l
Nrw-I oSDON Conn June ga sudden tragedy
has turned CoumbIas buoyant young representa-
tlNes into mOurners and has spread feeling Of
gloom among colegians and citizens alike Column
bias coxswain Edmund Benjamin. only nineteen
years old was drowned while bathing this after
noon. lie was one Of the ablest scholars in the
class of 's3, and has repeatedly college honors
This was his third year a. coxswan. In his fresh
man year he stored his class crew and last year as
this was coxswain of tho Varsity. He
had become general favorite among
tae Harvard and the citizens
with whom ne was brought in contact, and he was
literally The pet of the Columbia crew. The SAD
news srnt at once TO his brother that he might
break the tidings at his home, No. % East Sixty
srventh-St.. New-York The story Vt the accident
appears to be the old one Of cramp from bathing
incautiOusly while heated. soon after noon RoSs-
ter and Pupkc. the Columbia substitutes pulled
across the river to the Harvard quarters IN q
par-oarcd boat while Benjamin held the
rudder lines After leaving some mail
for the Harvard crew. the boat was showed
away from the float and it rocked under
the push Benz Imin exclaimed laughing: Look
out; You'll upset u.s. The three returned TO the
Columbia bOai-house. and Benjamin announced bis
determination 10 90 in swimming. Rooster and
Pupke tried 10 disSuade him, he had been sitting
in the sun for some hours and was very warm, hut
he insisted He had learned TO swim when the
freshman cOxswaln, and although not a strong man,
could ord narIly keep himself ahoIt readily Taking
an ordinary rowbOat, he roSed ont about
three hundred feet frIm shore. and
hundred feet above the new Columbia boat-house,
which just at the starting point of the fourmiIe
course.
Hc plunged into the water. keeping hold Of the
painter of the boat. which was an unusually long
rope. He padded about for a few Minutes when
Rossiter and Pupke who ching him from
the boat noticed that lie had let 90 of the painter
and that the boat was drifting away from him.
Although lie made cutlery, they at
once jumped into rowhoat and pulled
toward him as fast possible. As they
approached he lay on his back, struggling
little and apparently trying to keep himself float
ing but while the boat was fully thirty or forty
feet away he struggled conyulsively and suddenly,
without sound, sank TO the bottom OF the rvcr.
Not word or cry ESCAPED his lips all this time.
Rossiter Instantly reaching the SCOT. tore Oft his
rowing-clothcs, Owed and swan about under
water but was unable to find Benjamin. Although
aided by Pupke, he continued the search with un-
avail,ng energy. Meantime the alarm had been
given. and the members of the Columbia
/ crew with Mr. Goodwin, came running down the
bank from the quarters They put of IN boa's, and
| several men plunged into the water and renewed
| the search, bu vainly.
| The Harvard men. seeing that some accident had
happcueI, crossed the river IN their launch to offer
assistance Both the Columbia and Harvard
! launches steamed down 10 New-London to obtain
some grapples drag was mproyised Of large cod
| hooks and lines weighted with lead, and the sad
work of dragging for the body was begun.
| 1t was a strikingly mournful scene. The
say, as if in sympathy. had become overcast with
clouds On the rocks sat Columba's oarsmen. still
in boating dress, occasionally wiping away. honest
tears as they spoke of their friend, so suddenly
taken away In the Columbia launch and half a
dozen small boats men prosecuting the search
! for the body In almost perfect silence. Opposite
the flags waved at half-mast the Harvard qurar-
ters The news had spread in NewLondon. and
! soon the scop yacht Anne, Of New-l0rk, came up
the rI7er offer help. bearing party OF Columbia
men and nyiug the blue and white flag at half-maSt.
Ii was not until $50 that the grapples truck the
hnJv which had been moved a lIttle by the tide Ii
was ca ght by the drag under tie arm, brought to
the surface ana tenderly lifted on the bOat. / he
! hands half clenched, the arms ilgldly bent
and the legs drawn up showing that Benjamin had
! been suddenly seized with cialnr H8 lace was
calm and peaceful. There was dense bank Of eel
| grass where he was drowned, aud Il WAS probably
| owing TO the eniahglcneut IN inns that lie
never reappedIed after sinking the first time. Ihe
water was icy cold and this must have brought on
| cramp. The body was borne on shore and LAID on
| the bank. whore efforts al resuscltdtIOu were en-
ployrd but Vainly. 10 was then nearly i've hours
that he had been IN the wafer All that was .cft OF
! Edmund benjamin wrapped IN sail and LAM IN
| the beach, watched 10y ms Borrowing friends, wnle
Mr. food win the launch went 10 new London Tor
/ the coroner, without whose permit the body
| could not DC removed. The oarsnen kept
| iheir sad vigil until darkness fell, and the
! body vas removed house 10 await
! the arrival Of Marquis Benjamin, the dead
! coxswains brother. who had been tcrgrapaeu
for early IL Tie afternoon. OF course the ouy
Diet Tor a corOucIs jury Is That Of accident drown
| ing The CoUmDIa men are completely broken
! down by thi, sud. en- dIsas CT.
The HaryHru-C OIumbIa race will not be rOwcd
| tomorrow and II Is very doubtful whether II will
be rONel at all On the'iattrr point the members of
/ the COlumbI crew about equally divided. Under
the cIrcumst auces the liaIvdrIneu have SAID Moth
lng III reg I'd race. Tho question OF rowing
| Oh Monday viii be settled tomorrow. HE Harvard
/ men viii PROBABLY BE- unwilling To postpOur the
race further than Tuesday ~ latest on account Of
FRIDAY race wIth Yale. This s the third accident
| thai has occurred at New-LOuOOu durIug tie stay
OF college crews. lrumbull, Of the Yale crew, was
drowned here III ISIS. Mr.. DR.. lllialn Appleton
! and President Lincoln, of the Boston and Albany
Railroad were kulod ~ accident on tbe Obserya-
ton tram III 1850 and now BrujamIn's death com
/ pietes the IIs winch makes New London seem al
! II-Oucned place.
/ f. b. Benjamin the father of the dead student,
rived d late train ght, and Will take the body
! 10 New ORR III the morning.
|