Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-26
SHE FELL INTO THE MILL-RACE.
Pretty Little baby Girl Has n
Miraculous Escape from Death.

Marie Therese SCHUYLER. a pretty little
girl Is months old, with rosy cheeks Big
bright eyes. and golden curls. had an
almost miraculous escape from drowning
Sunday afternoon.
She fell into mill-race ten feet deep.
was carried about forty yards by the
current. and rescued in an unconscious
state by a colored man, who swung nm
self down from some timbers ana caught
her body with his foot.
Marie's father, Herr Heinrich Schiller
formerly sang In grand opera in Ger
many and New York. but now lives at
the corner of Eleventh and Byrd streets
and besides being professor of voice cul-
ture conducts small grocery. He idol
ICES his little daughter, and. believing
in fresh air and plenty of exercise as CON
ducive TO good health, he sees that Marie
is permitted to indulge in both as fire.
quently as the weather viii permit.
After dinner Sunday the child, accom-
nanied by her nurse. most devoted at
tendant. went for stroll up Ninth street
becoming tired they rested on a stone
coping on that thoroughfare just opposite
the meat warehouses OF W. :. Forbes d
Co. Under this coping. which is In reality
the top-stone of an 3rch. flows swiftly
the race that supplies the mill OF the
Richmond Paper Manufacturing Company
with water. The race Is covered for a
distance of forty yards with earth. and
over IT runs the tracks of the Atlantic
Coast Line. Just behind the stone coping.
however, and between that and the rail-
road track. there is hole probably about
"A foot wide. and through this Marie.
while the nurses attention was directed
elsewhere. either crawled or fell. The
surface of the water is about seven feet
below the stone from which she fell. and
runs about ten miles an hour. As soon
as the child disappeared the nurse set mp
a wall. and the attention Of several by
ISLANDERS was attracted. Abram Brown
and another colored man heard her cries
and rushed to ascertain the cause.
The Mortified nurse had thrown her
self down beside the opening and
was eagerly peering down into the water
The men were 10th to believe her state
ment that the child had fallen through
the small aperture but they lost no time
in lending their aid. Knowing that the
stream emerged from its underground
course in rear Of the oil-storage house Of
the Coast-Line they ru.ned To this spot
As they stood upon the stone coping,
similar 10 that one behind which the child
had fallen. they espied the golden head
Of the helpless child bobbing up and down
like the CORK OF "A NShing-line.
Abram Brown started to undress and
jump in the water. but decided upon a
better and surer course for the rescue OF
the child. He swung himself down. cling
ing by his hands TO the stone wall until
his feet swept the water. AS the child
was swept past him he caught her be-
tween his pedal extremities. and, with "A
strength born only of despair. scooped
her out on the bank of the stream.
Professor SCHUYLER, who had been in
formed Of the accident TO his child, ar
rived at the spot just at this time. and.
gathering the unconscious little treasure
up in his arms. rushed rapidly TO his
home. three blocks distant. Neighbors
gathered quickly, and all the means
known TO them were resorted TO to re-
store the baby TO consciousness. In the
mean time a friend had summoned DIR.
w. T. Oppenhimer, and the physician re-
sponded promptly He soon got to work
on the more than half-drowned infant,
and after about half an hour succeeded
in resuscitating her.
A Dispatch reporter called at the resi-
dence yesterday. and found Marie as
laughing, as rosy. and as sweet" as
though she had been the heroine not OF
the mill-race. but of the song which has
been immortalized by being so frequently
sung.
Herr SCHUYLER is more than grateful
10 the two men who saved his child, and
instructed them to purchase entire new
outfits for themselvs. at his expense Said
he yesterday: THE service rendered by
them was too valuable 10 be compensated
with money. | could set no value on 1t.
feel that can never compensate them"