The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-30
ROMANCE OF LAKE ERIE.
a Couple Mourned as Drowned Re
ported Alive.
From the Baltimore America,

a Couple Mourned as Drowned Re
ported Alive.
From the Baltimore american.
BUFFALO, Aug. 24.-Within the past ten
years the coast of the eastern end of Lake
Erie has been growing rapidly in public
favor as health aud recreation resort. Be-
ginning at the mouth of the little stream
that empties into the lake near Angola, the
building of camps and cottages has spread
in both directions, until now there
is scarce an available headland
or a creek hank between Buffalo
and State Line that does not boast of
from one to a dozen summer houses, and is
bright on a summer afternoon with blazers
and jackets and caps, and all paraphernalia
of a seaside resort. For the most part the
camps and cottages are built in groups by
parties of people who are acquainted with
each other, and are Of sufficiently congenial
taste to want to live in tine same nei ghbor-
hood. There is very frequently a common
dining hall, managed by native, where
the town folks get their meals instead of
bothering with separate kitchens and
dining-rooms for themselves. The
two railroads that run along
the lake shore run trains in a
way to favor the people at these resorts,
and, in consequence, not few people move
INV OOOUdSCc Odl ~ III may anu 11N6 uAo1O
until October, the gentlemen coming to
Buffalo, or going to and from their bust
ness places, wherever they may be, night
and morning, just as they do around New
York city. On Sunday, and commonly on
Saturday, the gentlemen are in camO all
day, and a very comfortable time they have
of it, for there is no end to the delights of
boating and dancing and music and card
parties.
Varv caIdor1 doac on accident bopna, %O
mar the pleasure of these charming resorts.
With one exception, nothing more serious
has happened this year than the upsetting
of boat, which did no more than wet those
in it. The one exception plunged two fam
lilies in mourning. 1t was an accident with
a sequel.
1t was on May 10 last. The day was
pleasant, aud the water on the lake smooth.
Among those who took advantage of the
occasion to go rowing were Mr.. aud Mrs.
Henry Eldridge aud Mr.. aud Mrs. w. D.
Denton. They were canped on headland
with dozen other families, all old friends
and acouaintances, who had leased cottage
sites there for years.
AS is customary among the campers, Mrs.
Denton went rowing with Mr.. Eldridge,
and Mrs. Eldridge with Mr.. Denton. twas
a particularly good arrangement in this
case outside of the social custom, for Mr.
daring of all the campers in facing surf
on windy day, while Mr.. Denton and Mrs.
Eldridge fingered near shore, afraid to
venture about as the other couple did.
When the party went out in their boats
there was little black roll of a cloud get
ting up in the west, but no one paid any at
tention to it, for it was not big enough to
excite the fears even of timorous Mr..
Denton and Mrs. Eldridge As for Mr..
IriI nd Mrs. nanfn1
they grasped the oars, and with strokes
that excited the openly expressed admira-
ton Of the spectators along shore, fairly
lifted their light craft over the little waves.
They rowed out so far that the spectators
along shore could barely see the boat, look
ing like stick bobbing about on the waves.
Then they turned about, and, heading for
the Shore let her drift.
After awhile the little black roll of cloud
became conspicuous. 1t was big black
roll, and the blue sky became gray, and the
sun was blotted out before it had reached
the horizon Both Mr.. Denton and M S.
Eldridge, having fastened ashore, wished
hundred times, and expressed the wish half
as many times. that the pair in the boat
outside would. not take such risks.
There was a squat coming this time and
no mistake. 1t was a whistler People
along shore remember to this day about the
squat of Sunday, May 10. The people in
the camp on the headland saw the wind
coming away off to the west. They saw the
white sheet Of foam that marked the prog
ress cover out of sight the little black OBJ
iect they knew to be the boat with their
friends in it, and then they gathered about
the wife and the husband who were left on
shore, and talked encouragingly about the
splendid skill with the oars which the two
afioat had more than once exhibited, and
a.. - %t,Aa 1a. clyi md ho
short time the sduall was likely to last.
There was need for such talk then, and
need for heartier sympathy later on. An
hour passed, and the squall was done, but
darkness had settled down over the lake.
Everyone went down to the waters edge
from the camp and stared off over the
water. The clouds cleared off; and the
stars came out. They strained their eyes
for a glimpse of the boat. Once man, in
looking through pair of marine glasses,
thought he saw the boat. He was quite
sure Of it, but the firing of pistols and other
signals brought no response When he
looked again he could not find the object.
The men patrolled the beach all night,
and the next morning about daylight found
the boat bottomside up aground where the
low waves broke on the shore, near the
National Guard shooting range. A broken
oar was found nearby that had belonged to
the boat, and farther away still the other
oar and a grating. Last of all they found
the hat "a light straw that bad belonged to
Mr.. Eldridge. 1t was plain to all that the
boat had been upset by the squall. and its
fearless occupants drowned. The man who
had seen the boat through the glass after
the sauall said it did not then seem TO be
upside down, but now he was sure he had
been mistaken. At any rate, he had seen
no one in it.