Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-09
THE DROWNED GIRLS.
FUNERAL At 81. JAMES TO-DAY.
Inc Eodies brought 60 Richmond Yesterday
Further Particulars of the DepIorabie Az
fnir-Funeral ARRANGEMENTS.

Monday noon, were brought 10 the city
yesterday, and there will be Joint funeral
thls morning at 10 O'Clock from st. James
Episcopal church.
Miss Charlotte Randolph Williams was
sixteen years and three months old. and
was the daughter Of Mr.. John l.. Williams,
banker and stock-broker, who resides al
600 east Leigh. Miss Susie Eleanor Will
iiains Gibson was in her seventeenth wear.
and was the daughter OF p. II. Gibson,
Esq, secretary OF the State Board Of I'm
derwritors OF Virginia, aud who resides at
6l7 north Sixth street. Deceased were
first cousins, and were at Old Point with
two others) under charge Of their aunts,
Miss sue Williams and Miss Kate SkeltOn.
THE PLACE
where they were drowned was just q
little above-that Is TO say, west of-the
Fortress Monroe steamboat-wharf.
The party were boarding at Mrs. Eaton's,
and bad gone down TO Mr.. kimberleys
batb-hOuse. locality with which they were
familiar from having baihcd there last year
and the year before. Though Miss Gibson
had learned to swim a little. their custom
had been 10 keep near the bath-house, bat
on MONDAY the water was perfectly still and
they veniured forth further than usual and
while tic tide was ebbing fast. All at once
Miss Williams went over her depth. II is
believed that thc washing Of the tide during
TIE winter bad made a PERCEPTIONS bottom
at certain spot there and that she stepped
from il to death. and that Miss Gibson,
trying 10 save her, also got beyond her
depth.
THB DROWNING.
Miss Sue Williams, the aunt, who was
carefully watching them, says that she can
not remember that they made any outcry,
Int she saw from their motions that they
were drowning and appealing for help,
though at first she supposed that their
hands were going up and down in plsy.
She instantly went TO their RELIEF, and got
over her dep,h and was drowning. and one
OF the other girls with her, when Mr.. i. J.
Boyle. Of Baltimore, who was swimming
near by, came to their relief and pulled
them ashore. BY the time this was done
the twO girls were out Of sight.
TEE SEARCH.
Many who were attracted to the spot by
these occurrences say Miss sue Williams
begged and begged those who were admin
istering 90 her in wel-meant Kindness TO
leave her alone and try To get the girii our.
and once she broke away for the water
again. but was caught and held back. Dr.
Hubbard. OF the Marine Hospital Service.
who happened 10 be on the wharf at the
time, plunged in IS soon as possible, but
was unable TO find the drowning girls.
1t was all over in minute.
The correspondent OF the Norfolk LGnd-
mdrt says:
The alarm had now spread. and in q
short time score Of expert swimmers.
who had been idling away pleasant hour
in front Of the hotel, came on the scene,
sud ;t once COMMENCED diving to recover
the missing ones. while several hundred
spectators lined the wharf, eagerly watch
ing the frantic but ffuitlcss efforts Of the
divers. While this was in progress word
had been passed into the fort, and soon
Surgeon Bailey and Stewart Rodgers,
equipped with an electric battery and other
neCdful appliances, arrived, TO be in readi-
ness in case the bodies were recovered, to
10 IcsuScitatc them.
The scene was a most heartrending one.
Miss Williams, the aunt who bad charge Of
the young ladies, was utterly prostrated,
and was kindly removed by her friends.
RECOVERY or THE BODIES.
The efforts Of the divers were continued
with unrelaXed vigor for nearly an hour,
when Jimmy liclan, messenger in the
Chesapeake and Ohio telegraph Office, came
up, and reported that be had found one OF
The ladies, but was uTablc To Iaisc Il. The
spot was pointed out. when Str. Barney
Green, Of the hotel, an expert swimmer,
went down and brought up the remains,
which proved 10 he those Oi Miss Gibson.
Dr. Bailey and his assistant. at once set 20
work. and did everything that human e.
'Ort could TO restore consciousness, but /
without success, as the spirit had long ere |
his passed away.
Shortly afterw9rd General J. G. Tidball, !
commander, sent out the Government |
barge manned with picked crew aud sup |
pied with graphing irons. 10 search for the |
missing one, aud also had two pieces d |
irliilcTy fired over the spot where they had |
but without avail. a number |
1f canoes supplied with oyster tongs were
.oon at work. and after much weary wait
ug the remains OF Miss Williams Were |
brought TO the surface by Dyke, q colored /
FISHERMAN, who turned them over to her |
weeping friends and was liDcrllly rewarded |
or his efforts.
ADDITIONAL.
This correspondent gives to Dr.. Hub
)ard The credit OF saving Miss sue Will |
iams, hut Richmond parties who returned |
lere with the bodies wurc under the im-
preston, from what they heard, that that
was due Mr.. Boyle. However that may be,
both gentlemen did all that they could.
Mr.. Boyle was in the water when the ladies
got 10 the bath-hOuse; but with fine feel
NJ, suppOSing that they would like to be
o themselves, he withdrew TO n cOnsidcra-
DE distance. From this and the fact that
nc was not Il strong swimmer his aid, |
which would have been invaluable. could
lot be lad when il might possibly have
walled to save the two girls.
The whole OF the party at the Point con-
listed OF Misses Charlotte Williams, sue
iibson. Scyne Williams, Mary Cringau,
md two aunts Of the drowned girls-Misscs
susan Williams and Kate Skclton.
The bodies Of the deceased were taken TO
heir respective homes here.
The under-tow possibly had something
o do with the unfortunate occurrence that
md the ebbing tide, too but there Is gen.
raj opinion that Miss Williams first, and
Miss Gibson next, stepped suddenly and
into water over their heads.
they were walking along in the water
.ither hand-in-hand or very close to-
,ether.
The people at Old Point, one and all. but
2ichmonders particularly, showed extreme
distress at the deplorable affair, and were
lnremittng in their efforts to secure the
'odies.
THE DECEASED.
II is no shadow Of variation OF the real
ober truth to say that in the whole city
here could hardly be found two girls more
ruly lovely in life and person than were
be dear little ladies now lying so cold and
till in their cO1ins. Their faces bear no
races OF the agony which must have been
heirs when they found themselves in the
eep water and sinking. On the contrary,
here Is a wonderful beauty and placidty
bout them; ii il not like death or sleep
/ Is Peace.
The Death List.
The following is The official mOrtuary re-
,ort for the city Of Richmond for the week
ndirg Saturday, July ), 1884:
Whole number OF deaths In the city, eX-
lusive Of stilI-births, 80.
Cause OF Death.-Asthma, apopleXy,
brain-dsease, | cancer l; cereOr0-
pinal meningitis, |; cholera-lnfanium, D;