National Republican., 1883-09-10
EDDIE L1rrLE,s DROWNING.
Statement by One OF tho Party Who Were
In the Water.

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Statement by One OF tho Party Who Were
in the Water.
The following statement of tho circum-
stances surrounding the unfortunate drown
ing of the son of the Rev. George Little by
Mr.. /. G. Kimball who himself came near
losing his life, was read from the pulpit of the
Assembly church yesterday morning:
The earlier accounts of the accident were
80 confused and inaccurate that we embrace
the opportunity offered by the happy recov-
cry of the bodies to lay before our readers u
correct narrative Of the occurrence which we
have derived from those who took part in it.
On Thursday, Aug. %, party of sixteen
guests of the Cliff house went to Ogunquit
beach for surf bathing This beach, which
many of the former accounts have confoundcd
with Wellss beach, extends for three miles in
general northeast direction from the mouth
of Ogunquit river. To the north OF this beach,
and separated from it by cove and rocky
promontory, on which stands the Atlantic
house, runs Wells beach, or Wobannot beach,
as ii is sometimes locally called from the river
which empties near it.
This beach, owing to the rocky promontory
Just mentioned, is, as is well known, one of
the safest bathing places on the Atlantic
coast.
At Ogunquit beach, at certain unusual
states of the sea and tide bathing, as this
event has proved, is perilous. Several mem
bers of the above party have bathed upon the
beach for years; in fact the majority had bathed
there in safety the day previous. But on the
day of the accident an exceptionally heavy
sea had, without the suspicion of any of the
party, scooped out deep gully inside the bar
and at its lower end cut its way TO the open
sea. Ordinarily, the water on the bar is shall
lower than just within it. At the time the
party went in bathing the tide was turning to
flood, and knowing that, with such heavy
sea as was then rolling, to go beyond the bar
was dangerous, our bathers remained upon 1t
or just within it, where the water when level
was not more than knee deep.
Some of the party had finished their bath
and returned to the shore. Two others also,
viz Miss Stafford and Edward Gould, had
started to return, leaving all the rest of their
companions on the bar standing in circle
holding one another by the hand. But in
sensibly to themselves the whole party had
been gradually moving northward until they
had reached point at which the deep guch
spoken of before had intcrvened between
them and the shore. They were first made
aware ofthe existence of the gulch and their
consequent peril by the cry for help raised
by the couple just named on finding them
selves suddenly over their heads. Imme-
diatcly four Of the five gentlemen who had
not quit the bar, Rev. George o. Little and
his sons, Arthur NJ. Little and Edward n.
Little, together with Greenough Thayer,
went to their aid, leaving three ladies, viz,
Mrs. Little, Miss Marsh, and Miss Emma
Gould, together with Mr. l. G. Kimball. The
gentlemen reached the imperled ones
and restored Miss Stafford to her place
on the bar, where two of them remained
with her, while young Gould, released from
her convulslve grasp swan for the shore,
which he reached much exhausted. Mean
while Mr.. Kimball found that his party were
being swept by the current and wave into the
same peril with Miss Stafford. In spite of his
most vigorous efforts to prevent this result II
ensued and they soon found themselves be-
yond their depth. The ladies naturally
tightened their grasp upon him, and one OF
them seized hold of his neck, and in this pre-
dicament all went down together. His
safety, therefore, on which theirs depended,
compelled him to free himself from them.
This he succeeded in doing with great diff
Guilty, at the same time raising cry for help.
Rev. Mr.. Little and his son Arthur responded
to the cry Arthur was caught by the cur
rent and swept to the shore without being
able to reach them. Before MIR. Little
reached them Miss Gould had sunk and Miss
Marsh had hoated away. His was keeping
herself above water and when he came to her
she grasped him, and they went under again.
Freeing himself from her. almost exhausted
he turned on his back for breath, when he
saw her swimming enough to keep her head
above water AS soon as he touched ground
with one foot he was able to grasp her with his
left hand when Arthur, catching him by his
right hand and with Mr.. Kimball's help
Kiinball, observing that Mrs. Little's safety
seemed to be provided for by the presence OF
her husband and failing to discover Miss
Gould turned his endeavors safely to the
rescue of the third lady, Miss Marsh. This
lady, apparently in Il state of unconscious.
ness, was drifting rapidly down the deep
channel above described. Mr. Kimball
succeeded in reaching her and barely
bringing her to the shore where his fail
ing strength was supplemented by the timely
intervention of Mr.. Gould, the father of Ed
ward and Emma Gould, who partly dressed
heard the cries for help and went to their as
sistance. Efforts for her recovery were soor
rewarded by signs of returning animation
and were efficiently seconded by Messrs
William Hamilton and Samuel Perkins, who
had crossed the river from Ogunquit in response
to the cries of young Gould. Others soon came
upon the scene and the rescued ladies, still
insensible, were carried across the river tt
the office of DIR. Gordon, where, after foul
hours of unremitted and skillful efforts in
which many willing hands bore efficient
part, their restoration was assured.
But the saddest part of the affair is yet tC
come 1t will be remembered that Miss SAT
ford and the gentlemen who cam9 to her hell
wero left upon the bar in apparent safety
Not long after, however, they had all disap
pearcd-in fact, they were not again seen by
any of their fellow bathers. One eye witness
however, mentions having seen the three
swimming. Another clearly, at a later mo
mont, saw but two, and almost in an instan
thereafter they were seen no more.
This sad accident seems largely to have
been due to the concurrence Of an UNUSUAL,
'" high tide and wave and the continuance o
the latter through the several successive day
and nights delayed the recovery of the dead
Not the first intmation of danger had beel
made known to any member of the party a
any time previous or on the day of the acci
dent. The villagers of Ogunquit and q
Wells Beach expressed the warmest sympath,
with the bereaved and left no means untrie
for the recovery of the bodies. These gencr
Gus and devoted endeavors were at last sue
pasSfnl