The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-26
OVERWHELMED BY BIG WAVES
FOUR FATHERS AT TYBEE RES
CUED JUST IN THE NICK OF
TINE.

Mrs. e. +. StuIts, Her SON clifford,
Miss LueIIa stuIts and J. ". Mich
OILS, While iR Bathfng at Tybee,
Carried Beyond Their Deptb-A
Long Struggle for Life-Rescued
by Two PIucky AtIantians and
Father MeCarthy-Mr. Nichols Dis
plays Much Heroism.
Three bathers al Tybee had a narrow
escape from drowning yesterday forenoon.
being caught In a sand whirlpool. as
they called il. and swept from their feet.
They fought for life strenuously, but
in vain. and but for the speedy assist
ance Of two or three gentlemen near by.
coupled with the presence Of mind OF the
ladies and the steady nerves Of the gentle
man in the party. they would not have
gained the shore.
Airs. c. Z. stults. Clifford Suits. a son,
aged T. Miss Lueila Stults of "a Han
street. and J. W. Nichols OF 81 Jones
street, this city, were at Tybee yester-
day, and in the forenoon on the morning
tide at about go. went in bathing. They
were in front Of the Cottage Club. a
short distance below Tybee hotel. They
| went out some fifty feet, to where the
water was about breast high. A few
moments later Clifford felt the sand give
way under his feet; a sand whirlpool"
as he called it. and in moment he was
thrown into water over his head. He
reached forward and caught hold Of his
mothers bathing dress. At this time MIR.
! Nichols and Miss Suits were near By. As
the lad caught at his mothers bathing
suit she involuntarily stepped forward
to aid him, and she went down into the
hole. Mr.. Nichols was pulled in likewise.
/ and Miss Stults followed. All four were
/ swept out by the severe cross current
and the heavy swell buneted them as they
/ came UP.
The ladies called loudly for aid. but,
! with rare presence Of mind, did not catch
4 at Mr. Nichols. He tried to swim toward
/ shoal water, but the current was too much
/ Tor him, and after a severe but fruitless
effort they all went under again The
| boy had scrambled to shallow water by
TINS time, ana he called for help and tried
TO aid his mother. By this time Mr. Mich
OILS was pretty well exhausted as were
also the two ladies' the heavy swells beat
ing on them as they came up and keep
ing them in deep water and under the
waves. BY some means Mr. Nichols man.
toward
snOre. Just at this moment Father Nc
Carthy, who was bathing about 80 feet
on, heard the call for aid and ne dashed
ups he caught the boy and pushed him
onto the shore. Miss Suits was near by
barely seen in the water, and as Father
mccarthy came up she caught him by
the shoulder He pushed of her clasp and
seizing her by the shoulder, turned her
around so that she could not impede his
movements, and bore her TO the shore
All this time Mr. Nichols and Mrs.
Stults were struggling in the deep wa
ter trying to escape from the heavy
swells and to get a foothold a Mr.. Vick-
cry and Col. Arrowood, both OF Atlanta,
were In bathing near by, and had seen
Father Mccarthy run to the aid of those
who were in peril. They soon saw the trou-
bic and rushed up, Mr.. Vickey plung-
ing in and Selling Mrs. Suits, carried
her to the Shore while Col. Arrowood
aided Mr.. Nichols. All of the three per-
sons were in imminent peril at this time.
and when brought to the shore they had
hardly strength to get to the bathing
houses, Mrs and Miss Suits having to
be carried there. All had swallowed more
or less water and were in a thoroughly
exhausted condition. After a long rest
they recovered their strength and came up
on the 7:3O train last night. Mrs. Stults
was still very weak and much worn out
from the effects of her long struggle in
the water. Miss Stults said that she felt
none the worse for her experience, but
she shuddered as she told the story Of
their struggles in the water. Mr.. Nichols
very quietly narrated the events, taking
little credit for his share in it.
But he is the hero, all the same" IN
terrupted Mrs. Suits, while Mr.. Nichols
was telling the story. If he had not
caught hold of us and fought for US in
that terrible surf, we could not have
-
and we owe him our lives" The work of
Father Mccarthy, Messrs, Vickery AMI
Arrowood, were earnestly commended by
the ladies, and they thanked the gentle
men for their heroic endeavors in their
behalf, with warm hearts.
In speaking of the matter Mr. Nichols
stated that it seemed as if sand whirl-
pool began at his feet. The cross cur
rents there are very strong. As he was
dragged forward, when Mrs. Suits tried
to aid her son, he was carried down
out of his depth, and into a raging cur
rent. In a moment a heavy swell came,
causing them 10 swallow a lot of water
and weakening them. As he struggled to
aid the ladies with him, the current al
most carried him off. while the comb
ing swells beat on them rapidly. His
strength was going and he hardly knew
what to do. He tried to shout for aid,
but the water half strangled him. as ne
opened his mouth to shout BY some
means he managed TO get Miss Suits of
out of the hole, and then he had more
chance to aid Mrs. Suits. She had great
presence of mind, and did not struggle
very much. BY a strenuous effort he
rose up, after going down three times.
and as they came up. Mr.. Vickery ana
his friend seized them and helped them
TO the shore.
Mrs. Stults had to be seen to last night
coming up, a lounge being improvised Ia
one of the last cars on the train. She
was very weak. her system being shocked
by the strain upon her The Others had
all recovered, but they spoke of their ex.
periences with inward shudders. Mrs. |
Suits will, 1t is said, be all right after
a good rest.
Another Pole Falls.