The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-19
SEVEN WE'RE DROWNED.
Sad End of a Days Pleasuring in
Isle of Wight Bay.
PARENTS AND TWO CHILDREN

Among Those who Lost Their Lives by
Overcrowding q Small sailboat-The
Parents Dragged TO Their Deaths by
Their Frightened Little Ones.
OCEAN CITY, Md. Aug 19-Seven per-
sons. among them four Philadelphians,
were drowned yesterday by the upsetting 9
of boat on the Isle of Wight bay, seven
miles north of this place. The dead are:
William H. Storrs, Of Philadelphia; Mrs.
Laura Storrs, his wife; Ida May Storrs.
aged IA years, and Eva Storrs, aged IL,
their daughters; Myrtle Stevens, aged 10;
Lima Hail. aged 10; Lulu Hall. aged IA.
The unfortunate victims Of the accident
were members Of party Of nine bent on
pleasure trip to Grey's creek, branch
OF the bay, whore number Of farmers
had arranged what Ia known as q fresh
fry" with fishing. bathing and other
amusements. The party was under the
direction of William Hudson, who had
taken them out in a small pleasure boat
which scarcely afforded accommodation
for half their number.
When about two hundred yards from
shore in water about seven feet deep,
Hudson attempted to tack, probably for
the purpose of returning, Tho boat heeled
so that the women In the party became
frightened, and two of them sprang, with
screams of terror, to the windward side,
This caused the boat to lurch even worse,
and all hands becoming frightened the
craft was quickly overturned.
Mr.. Storrs, who, though ho had but one
hand and was blind in one eye, was an
expert swimmer and succeeded In getting
his two daughters on the bottom OF the
boat. He then SWAN to his wife, and was
d a. &txA h.a xulN hDR
when the two children became frightened
and again sprang into the water. Reach
ing their parents they again olasped them
about the neck and all four sank together.
Hudson placed the two Hall girls on
the overturned craft and swan to the as
sistance of Miss Stevens, but before he
could reach her she too disappeared be-
meath the waves. Lima and Lulu Hall,
In the meantime, had followed the exam
pie of the little Storrs girls, and either
fell OF jumped into the water. They were
also drowned before assistance could
reach them. -
Hudson and two young ladies who wore
also In the boat were rescued by fisher
man. The body of Mr. Storrs was found
soon after the disaster. and those of his
wife, his two daughters, and Miss Stevens
were found with the aid Of a seine. The
OuuoHb hhNo Hob gob bSoh AoSoNcicu"
Mr.. Storrs WINS married in this neigh
borhood, and yearly brought his family
down for two weeks outing. They were
very fond Of acquatic sports, and spent
most of their time boating and fishing.
Hudson, the skipper, protested to Mr..
Storrs against the party crowding into his
small boat, which could only comfortably
carry fourpersons. Storrs answered: "Oh,
there is no danger. The waterij shallow;
we are close to shore, and the wind Is
light"
The bodies, when recovered by the
searching parties, presented horrible
sight, particularly that of Mrs. Storrs.
Crabs had eaten the flesh from her face ex-
posing her teeth and even the roots of her
tongue The ends of the fingers of all had
been eaten away, and their eyes had dis
appeared.
Before entering the boat Mrs. Storrs
took her husbands gold watch, over q
hundred dollars In money and their rings
and other valuables, and tied them in her
apron. She was tightly olutching the
bundle in death.