Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-08-24
SEVEN DROWNED !
The sad Fate of Il BishOpyille
Sailing Party.
THEIR BOAT cAPSIZED !
And Seven Out of Party of
Twelve Sank to the Bottom.

Twelve Sank to the Bottom.
On Sunday the news was received
here OF the drowning in Isle of Wight
Bay on Saturday OF number of peo-
pie Of Bishopville. None OF the par
ticulars could he learned. however,
until Monday, when the following nc
count OF the terrible accident appeared
in the daily papers:
BY the capsizing OF sailboat in Isle
oI Wight bay. seven miles north of
Ocean City, Md, seven persons Of a
pleasure party oflwelve lost their lives
saturday morning. Two men. two
young ladies and a little girl were
saved. OF the drowned four were
members Of Il Philadelphia family-
father. mother and two young daugh.
tiers Just emerging into womanhood.
! Tire others who lost their lives were
Young girls from fourteen 10 sixteen
years Of age Six ont of the seven
were ladies. The names Of the drown
ed were rs follows:
Miss Stella Hall, fourteen years.
Miss Lena Hall, sixteen years, and
Miss Myrtle Stevens, fifteen years, all
Of Bishopville.
Mr.. William Siorrs and wife and
two daughters. Misses Ida and Minnie
fourteen and sixteen ears of age
Five persons who were in the boat
were saved as follows:
William Hudson, the owner, Walter
Hudson, who was sailing, Annie Hud.
son, n little girl
Two Young ladies whose names were
not reported.
The Misses Hall were daughters of
Elijah Hall, and Miss Myrtle Stevens
was the daughter OF Mr. Joshua Stev-
ems, aud they were all resident, of the
Bishopville neighborhood in Worces-
Ter county.
Mr.. William Storrs and his wife,
Mrs. Laura Storrs, and their two
daughters, Ida VI. and Minnie, were
from Phladelphia The father Of this
entire family who thus persisted was
sign painter and resided at 1919 Ian
cashire avenue, Philadelphia. They
were down in the country on pleas
ure trip. The father had lost the sight
Of one eye and he had only one hand.
But he was IN expert swimmer. and
exhibited great coolnc>s and courage
in the disaster which overlook the par
ty.
Isle Of Wight bay, where the acct
dent occurred, is continuation of Sin
epuxent bay The precise locality was
that par, OF Isle Of Wight hay known
as Gray's creek, Just opposite the place
owned by Major Brady.
The sailing party numbered eleven
persons besides William Hudson, who
carried them out. and the boat was
small craft hardly capable Of safely
carrying five persons As the boat
WAS going about the ladies all scream
ed and jumped 10 the high side of the
boat, causing the capsize They were
all thrown into the water and brighten.
ed 80 ii was difficult to control them. |
Mr.. StorrS, manned As he was. sue
ceeded in placing his two daughters on
the bottom Of the capsized craft and
was aiding his wife to similar posi-.
;ion Of safety when the two daughters
LEI 90 their hold, either in fright or
being unable to hold on They drop
ped Oft just where the father was strug-
Cling with their mother, and all four
persisted together.
Walter Hudson, Young man aged
twenty years. who was sailing the boat
when she capsized assisted the two
Misses Hall to the bottom OF the up
turned craft, and was irving 10 save
Miss Stevens. when the Misses Hall. |
unable 10 hold ON longer, slipped off
and were drowned with Miss Stevens
before Hudson could MD either Of them. |
Two other young ladies who were
in the boat were rescued hv a fisher.
man, who put oii from the shore when
he saw the capsize. One little girl
Annie Hudson, who was in the cap>iz.
ed boat. seized on centreboard and was
rescued by her uncle, who also SAW the /
accident from the shore Walter Hud. |
son and William Hudson managed to
reach the shore by swimming, and fell
exhausted on the beach.
FIVE BODIES RECOVERED.
The frantic cries of the distressed
people on shore, as we'll rs those drown
ing, attracted Il large crowd to the oppo /
site shore. Scores began searching for
the bodies, bat only that OF Mr.. Slorrs
was found during the day. The search
was renewed Sunday morning. and the
bodies Of Mrs. Storrs. her two daughters /
and Miss Stevens were found. They
presented a horrible sight particularly /
tina; Of Mrs. Storrs having been eaten
BY crabs.
Before entering the boat Mrs. Siorrs
took her husbands gold watch, over
500 in money and their rings and
other valuables and tied them in her
apron. When the boat capsized she
was tightly clutching the bundle. 1t
was recovered Sunday afternoon.
The >earchers gave up from sheer
exhaustion ut } o'clock for the dav.
Captain Dunton, OF the liie.saying
station Ocean City, SAYS that this ter
rible accident proves the need of an
other station between this city and Fen
wick Island Had there been station
midway, the victims of this catastrophe
would have been easily rescued. Capt.
punton and some of the members of
his crew were of the party in search for
the bodies Of the untortunates.