New-York tribune., 1895-07-11
SWEPT AWAY BY THE TIDE.
FOUR PERSONS DROWNED IN THE EAST
RIVER
FROILCKING on THE END OF FER no. 81 ENDS
IN THE DEATH or THREE UNKNOWN PEo-
PIE AND pIIcKY MICHAEL. o'NEILI-
WHO TRIED TO RESCUE THEM
TWO YOUNG LADS NARROWLY
ESCAPE DEATH.

ESCAPE DEATH
The jollity which is usual on summer evenings
on Pier No 81. East River at Market-st was
marred last night by an accident in which four
and perhaps five lives were lost in the waters oi
the river. Last night beautiful moonlight
one. and notwithstanding the cooness. scores ot
couples gathered. is the custom. on the end
Of the pier, to do their counting and frolicking
The pier ia long and broad and can holl large
number of people; on one side Is batnhous'
and on the other boathouse and on pleasant
evenings both are literally patronizei. But last
night too cool for boating or bathing. and
the people contcnted themselves with promenad-
ing the pier sitting upon It's edges
In the crowd were n man and two women. VINO
sat on the strngpiece at the extreme end OF the
pier their backs being toward the water. Thc
man was in his shirt-sleeves and the women. one
on either side OF him. were dressed. one in reh
dress and the other in blue polka-dot sui''
and according To witnesses they were each about
thirty-fve years old. The three were enjoying
themselves in quiet way when suddenly about
9:l5 o'clock. man and woman were seen 10
approach them
Every one at the moment was interested in the
music OF young Tim" Plane local musician
when 1t was noticed that there was SQUIRE
going on and the two newcomers were seen 70
grasp the two women at the end OF the pier IN"
try either I'm fun or earnest. to pull them from
the sringpiece away from the man. The man
grasped the two women around their "aiS'S
and as the three pulled with combined lof'e
against the newcomers there heard
couple of feminine shricks and the three sitting
on the strngpicce were seen to go overheard.
As the ana two women struck the water
Michael O'Neill. twenty-five years old. steel
fh.rrN rushed
the end # the pier and jumped after them. in
brave attempt t. save theiF lives. The TIDE was
running in with terrific force and almost as
quickly as II takes to tell II the four were swept
M ana Oh, into the river. The four came 10 the
surface once or twice and the women cried out
for some one TO save them. Two young lads
Michael Lane II 80 10 Ollvcr-st.. and Richard
Earnet II 80 62 Monroe-s. both typical whaIi
rats. then sprang into the water, bui were soon
busy irving 90 save themselves. by TINS '''i''
Michael Cronin. who runs the boat ana pain
houses. had jumped into boat ana WIN JONI, JONI,
Welsh a ma chiusf of ". PA Ndt"r-Sl i""'u
ont ID the sccn. Thos" struggling IN IN" wafer
had been swept SOME distance up IN" river, anu
as the boat reached the two lads VINO lh7i Ju'''p
cd In the other four were seen 10 dl-Apl'ai ~"
pier 40 20 The two boys we're pulled INTO 'he
boat. ana then search was made ior the o'h''S'
policcman priscou of the Madison-st. sta
tion had appeared upon the scene. ana 'he
..orch Was renewed. but With no better sue
cess 'rn. tide had swept the unforiunatcs i"r
out into midsircam. VIII re thcy wcre drowned:
and their bodies perhaps. VIII not be r.eoVerf'
uInl they drifi ashore somew mere"
No one appeared To- know IN" names "i '"'
man or women. they Were only tire" ~ many
who com. t. the pier and names ana miro
ductions are not customary on fi"r 40. 81.
Policeman priscon took the Witnesses 10 the
Madis0n-sf station. and there thrt i"ld ihrlr
story as has already been detailed All OF
these said fou- had bean drowncd-two men
and two women
Bernard Friedman of ~. i3l Madison-si,
said five were drowned. and hc maintained IT,
lcspitc the others He said that as tn" Two
women and thc man went over they 'lutch"l
the man who had accompanied IN" woman ihn
carried him over with them. However thht may
b.. both the man and the woman disappeared
Immediately after tn &C 'dert ana n" tAc" ~
them could be- found. ~ one on cherry iliH
could br found who knew any one concerned III
the tragedy except N"ili
one OF tho witnesses thus described Ml'ha"l
Neill's h, rOism. II" was walking mp ana
down the picf smoking a cigar when tn" tnre"
went over and without 4 moments hesitation
ne threw aside hi hat and cigar and plunged
after them. The fwo women wrr" rlinging 10
the man. and no one of H." three appeared 10 u"
able t. swim ONeill swan straight for the
ulacs where they were struggling. ana ds NJ
reached them he seized ht al thrc" ann
made pONcrcsS. HE VOC" cDuid be heird
hnarsely shouting to the raddencd three that ne
would save ,hcn il "yc,'li let mo Co.. bu- MS
struecies ana cries were useless and the man
and women and their brdV" wOud-bc rescucr
went down In a struggling mass