Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-24
SWEPT OUT BY THE TIDE.
A STRANGER DROWNED WHILE
BATHING AT TYBEE.

a I-ifeless Body Washed up on the North
Beach ellis the StOry-The Unfortu
nate MEu's Clothes Found in an Ocean
House Bathhouse, but Nothing to Give
a Clue TO His Identity.
The first drowning at Tybee this sum
fner occurred yesterday afternoon. The
unfortunate was an unknown man Of per-
hsps 40 or - years, and about 5 feet 9
inches in height, with light mustache and
fun forehead. Between and 10 O'Clock
last night as Capt. J. J. Paulsen was re-
turning from the Ocean house TO the west
side Of the island the waves castup on the
beach almost at his feet a lfeless body,
clad in a batting suit.
The spot was half way between the
signal station and the wharf, and
after trying unsuccessfully TO make out
who the drowned man was by the light OF
the moon. be fastened of for assistance.
Several went back with him to where the
body lay, but no one was able 70 recOg-
nEe f. The victim wore an Ocean house
bathing suit and on one finger a chased
gold ring which, however, had no inscrip-
ton. IL was evident that the body had
been in the water only q few hours, and
as was learned later, was one Of those
who went in the surf during the after
noon. probably about O'clock When
Manager Bresnan was notified Of
the finding OF the body and the
circumstances. a search was made
through the bath ,use. Room No. p
was locked. When it was opened a new
suit Of black clothes and a blue flannel
shirt, aud undertaking were found.
There was nothing in the pockets 70 give
the least clue to the mans identity.
There were no letters or notes or mark
OF any kind, not even on the clothing.
Twenty cents were taken from one OF the
pockets, but that was all. From the
flannel shirt il Was supposed
tlat the owner was possibly a mechanic.
Mr.. Bresuan remarked that during
the afternoon a stranger left in his care
sum 81 money and said that his name
was John Wall. The money was not
called for, and the incident suggested that
the drOw ed man and the man who de-
posted the money with Mr.. Bresnan
might be the same person. The Savannah
directory for 1855 does not contain sucl b
name.
The steamer st. Nicholas carried down
q large number of excursiOnists in the
afternoon, and il was estimated that there
were not less than 400 visitors on the
island. As soon as the train stopped at
the Ocean House a crowd rushed Of and
We're soon in the surf. The breakers were
adl-c duU the UuutIL0W unusually stTOuEs
A heavy current swept around the
island toward the north end and
even the hest swimmers did not dare to
venture out far. Every body kept well in
shore, and even then were often carried
ffty yards down the beach in spite Of
themselves. 1t was next to impossible
either to swim or walk against the
current in water waist deep. Several
narrowly ESCAPED being carried out The
noise of the waves was loud enough to
drown the sound Of a voice 8 few rods
away, and there being 50 many i'm the sea
a single person could easily nave been
swept out without being observed.
The distance from the Ocean house to
the place where the body was thrown up
is about three miles. Capt. Paulsen took
charge Of the body and sent a dispatch to
Coroner Dixon notifying him of the acct
dent.
II the body is not Wallis, there is moth
ing 10 discover its identity.
In 1854 a man named John Wall kept q
grocery store on the corner Of East Broad
and Jones street, but he has since moved
ont along the line Of the City and Subur-
ban railway.