The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-12
FLORENCE GARNER, THE BRIDE.

So much attention is being devoted in
social circles to the American bride of the
English baccarat-player. Gordon Cumming,
that it may be worth while to correct some
errors which are current about her and her
family.
Florence Garner Is not belle, as soma
papers say, but is an exceedingly plain
young woman Of twenty-three or four. She
can hardly be said to be an American,
though she was born in this country. She
was taken to England after her fathers and
mothers deaths, and was brought up there
among English girls, and is, in manner
style and thought, thoroughly English. Her
sister married Frenchman, and is probably
in a fair way of becoming French.
FlOrence's love for Gordon Cumming has
been town talk for some time. He is a
skilled lady-killer. An uncommonly hand
some man. with fine manners, some mill
taTy reputation and excellent social cOnnec-
lions. he has generally been regarded as IL
resstible.
The brides father, William Garner, did
not leave a fortune of ten or twelve millions,
as some of the papers say. He was a cotton
spinner, and owned cotton-mills on the bank
of the Mohawk, at COhOes. bis fortune
fGctuated with the price Of cotton prints.
Sometimes he was quite rich; at other
times, he had to be helped by the great dry
goods houses to meet his paper. When he
died no one knew how his affairs stood, and
there were at one time fears that there
would be little for the children in the estate
But it was judiciously handled, and an ad-
vance in cotton goods enabled the executors
to make it realize quite a sum Of money
three or four millions. OF this the present
Lady Gordon Cumming has her share.
William Garner did not lose his life while
cruising in bis yacht, as a contemporary
states. The Mohawk was at anchor off
Staten Island, between 4 and in the after
noon, on a summers day in 1876 Mr.. and
Mrs. Garner, with a party of guests, had
just gone on board for sail. Sail had been
hoisted, bet the sheets were not made fast,
and the crew was hoistinE the anchor. The
owners and their friends had taken refuge
ia the cabin while the sailors were clearing
the decks. Wine and tea were on the table
and the party were exceedingly merry. All
at once a sudden squall burst over the hills
Of Staten Island aud swept into the bay,
driving a wet mist before it, BY a most
lamentable accident the sheets Of the sails
had not been thoroughly loosed; thew
caught in the Delaying pins, the sails filed
and. the anchor still holding, the schooner
went over. as it were. in an instant. 1t
CHANGED that the Staten Island ferry-boat
was at that moment approaching her dock
at the quarantine landing. AS soon as she
made a landing a number Of passengers
jumped into boats and were rowed swiftly
to the spot where the Mohawk had disap-
peared. But they could DO nothing. The
Mohawk was at the bottom Not over If
teen or twenty feet of water separated the
people in the boats from the men and
women who were drowning on the yacht
under their keel. Bnt they were helpless.
To dive while the spars Of the schooner
were liable 10 flv round, as the cOrdage be-
came entangled or disentagled, was to court
a fTightful death. No bOatmau was willing
TO remain over minute or two in such dan
geTOus proximity to the wreck.
One lady, Miss May, was dragged through
q window in the SkyiEht and was saved.
When the yacht began to keel over Garner
ran up the cOmpaniUnway to see what had
happened. Realizing the danger he re-
turned to save his wife. But the list Of the
craft had already thrown the people in the
cabin to the lee side, and a number Of bars
of pig lead which were used as ballast and
were loose on the rabin floor had likewise
rolled over and pinned the women down by
their dresses. Before they could be freed
the water came rushing down the COM
panionway in a solid body with the force of
a Niagara and drowned every one of them
in their trap. Some little time elapsed be-
fore the bodies were recovered. Among
those who persisted was a sister Of the act
reSs Fanny Davenport.
Happily for them, the daughters of Mr..
Garner were at home with their goveTness
when the accident happened. But for that
Sir William Gordon Cummings bride might
have been an Englishwoman by birth as
well as by education.