Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-23
THE SEARCH For THE BODIES |

THE SEARCH Fob THE BODIES
OF the Two Young Men Postponed
Last Night Until This Forenoon
The Sad Drowning of the Young
Men Holcomb and Holt OF the
West observation-disclosures Webb,s
Rescue by the Light Keeper.
One Of the saddest drowning accidents
of recent years occurred off the west break
water Sunday afternoon about 4 O'Clock, |
when Harry w. Holcomb, the adopted son
of Vice Commodore II. 8. Holcomb of the |
New Haven Yacht club, and Albert Holt,
son of Albert 8. Holt, of the firm of |
English & Holt, were both drowned and
Clarence W. Webb, a son Of Charles d.
Webb, narrowly escaped with his life. The
news of the accident did not reach the
city until early yesterday morning, when
young Mr.. Webb reached tho city and
communicated the sad news to the parents
of the drowned lads.
Sunday morning about II O'Clock Webb
and Holcomb started out in Charles Hol-
combs jib and mainssil boat Also for a
days sail. The wind was fresh, bat not
heavy enough to neceasitste the sail being
reefsd. After getting under way, the boys
stood down the harbor, ran into the cove,
and then sailed down to Savin Rock, where
they picked up Holt at the Ansantawas
club where he had agreed to meet them.
After leaving Savin Rock the party bruised
about the mouth of the barber, and, as 1t
was q delightful day for sailing, they
made no haste to return to the city.
Several times the boat stood out well into
the sound, and then came about and ran
back toward the breakvater.
About o'clock, just as the craft, which
was about 800 yards southwest of the
new lightship at the end of the west break
water, sudden puff of wind struck her,
and before Holt, who was tending sheet,
could ease off the sail the boat cspsized.
The three young men found themselves
splashipg in the water In an instant, but
being accustomed to sailing and perfectly
at home on the water they were not
alarmed or excited. They chung to the
clambered on top of 1t and perched astride
of it. The anchor, which was forward at
the time the boat eapsizsd, fell into the
water and held the boat bottomside up, SO
that 1t was not as difficult for the boys to
hold on as 1t would have been otherwise.
After being on the boat some little time
and having been washed off several times
Holcomb and Holt suggested to Webb that
they swim to the lightship, which was only
about 800 yards away. Holt and Holcomb
were both expert swimmers, and as they
were getting very chilly perehed upon the
boat, which was being washed by every
wave, they thought that the best thing
| they could do was to swim to the light
i Dh On far iunI
Webb, who was the coolest man in the
| party, begged them not to attempt to do
| such thing, telling them that as they
| were already numb with cold and their
| clothes water soaked and heavy 1t would
| be hard swim to the lightship. Holcomb
and Holt, confident of their ability to swim
the distance without any trouble, tried to
| urge Webb to join with them and swim to
the lghtship, but Webb only begged them
more earnestly not to. He told them that
they could hold onto the boat all right and
as it would keep afoat with them they
! would surely be picked up before many
hours.
Notwithstanding Webb's wise counsel,
the boys jumped off from their floating
perch and bidding Webb good Eye struck
out for the lightship. Webb watched
them, but it was not long before he real
lied that they would never reach the light
ship. He yelled with all his might in the
| vain hope of attracting the attention Of
| some of the lightship crew who would
come to the rescue of his two companions
who were struggling in the water and fas
becoming exhausted. The boat gave .
sudden lureh and Webb turned his heai
j from toward the lightship in at
tempting to better his hold on hi
perch. When he looked backed to tn
spot where his companion had been mo
ment before he saw nothing of them, a
I both of them had disappeared beneath tn
| water. Webb redoubled his efforts to cal
some one to his aid, but in vain. and real
was in keeping himself from being washe'
off the boat, he ceased to use up hi
= strength in useless calling and chung tight
i or to the boat. The waves washed owe
him and the boat, making his position sti
9 more perilous every moment, but he clun
g l on with . determination born of despair
A few minutes after O'Clock, after hav
ing been in the water for nearly fou
3 hours, Webb was rescued from the boa
= | by the nghtkeeper, who discovered him a
j.. he was going out to light the lamps on tn
end of the breskwater. The lightkeepe
: took Webb aboard the lightship and CAV
? him some dry clothes, and did everythin
! possible to make him comfortable Web
told bim about the fate of his companions
and the lightkeeper, while anxious to d
= anything he could to find the bodies, toll
t Webb that it would be useless to make an
t search for the bodies until this morning
seen If they should rise. Early this morn
g ing Webb was rowed over to the cove
/ where he took the first car for this city
S Upon arriving here he Immediately ir
t. formed Commodore Holcomb and Mr.. Ho
!. what had happened.
. During the day searching parties wer
:. on the harbor in boats, but up to an earl
> hour last evening no traces of tho bodie
q had been discovered. Commodore Ho
+ and Harry G. Holcomb went out on th
: tug Hogan, Arthur 81. Day and his crew o
. the catboat Gossip, and Charles Water
: house, jr., B. Hart Mann, W. R. Clark an
! James 81. Parish on the steam launch O.
j res. The latter party took along grapplin
5 | irons and drag nets to employ in attempt
ing to find the bodies.
The tug E. P. Avery, which took out
: searching party, returned about noon wit
+ / tho boat, but no traces of the bodies wer
j found.
During the daytime the keepers at til
! Hghtship are usually asleep below deck
. and no watch is kept. Captain Luthe
Oskins, the head keeper, is not on dut
Sunday until evening.
Il Young Holoomb's father died in Chi
several years ago. The young man was
| finely formed, athletic young fellow, boil
. | and fearless. He was graduate of Hill
houee high school, class of '92. His ag
J, was twenty one. He came back to thi
| city from New York only a short time age
having been in the New York Office of tn
new carriage company. Before that h
; had been salesman for the company. b
formerly lived here with his uncle. bu
, went to New York last fall. A sister liv
ing in Philadelphia and little brothe
| who lives with ex-Msyor Holcomb are tn
} only members of the boys family now nv
ing.
Young Holt was the youngest of tw
sons of Albert 8. Holt and had just be
come twenty years of age last week. Sine
last fall he has been employed In the ofic
. of the firm Mr.. Hollis remaining son
Sidney 8. Holt, is of the graduating elias
! at Sheffield Scientific school.
Young Webb was last evening feelin,
severely the strain and excitement of tn,
last twenty-four hours, and was mucl
Frustrated, though eager to join In tn.
search for his comrades.
THE SEARCH POSTPONED LAST NIGHT UNTIL
IL TO DAY.
The search for the bodies was continued
until 8 O'Clock last evening when it Wal
/ discontinued for kLo y,i,bk It'll - -