The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-25
DROWAED IN THE COVE.
Alfred Manchester Of South Port
land Neets His Death
BY OVERTURNING A BOAT NEAR
WIELARD'S CASINO.

Unable to Swim He Sinks to the Bottom
His Companion, William Fielding, of
Willard, Rescued in the Nick of Time
by Messrs. Woodbury. and Skinner.
Who Heard His Cries of Distress by
Mere Chance.
Alfred Manchester of South Portland,
about IS years old was drowned about II
O'Clock last night at Simonton's Cove by
the overturnlng of boat. William
Fielding of Willard, who was with Man
chester. came near drowning. but was
rescued in the nick of time by A. N.
| Woodbury. of Willard and Andrew Skin
ner of South Portland, who heard his
cries for help.
| 1t was about II O'Clock last night, when
most Of thu cottagers had retired for the
night, and a few young men remained
in the Casino bowling alley, and were
about to start for home, when above the
sound Of the breaking waves on the
| beach, a few yards away, came the cries
! OF mans voice shouting Justify for help.
Mr.. A. N. Woodbury. of Willard and An
drew Skinner Of South Portland heard
the cry and tried to locate the place from
whence it came. At first they thought
that the cries were those of mischievous
boys, and were about to turn away.
when again the terrible sound of man
crying for help was borne to their ears
| by the gentle night wind.
| There was NO mistaking 1T this time,
| or the point from whence it came.
"Help Help Helpv' it shrieked. ga
boat has sunk and one oman has gone
down. Help help"
| And then the voice would die away for
a few minutes
The two young men rushed along the
beach in search of boat, while the cry
of distrsss, grew weaker and weaker.
At last nearly in font of DR.. Bray's cot
tage boat was found afioat and
equipped with oars. The two men
launched her and pulled with all their
might towards the place from which the
voice came.
About one hundred and fifty yards
from the beach and nearly in front Of
the Casino. building Woodbury. and his
companion saw "a man struggling in the
water, holding on to an overturned boat.
This man, who turned out to be Villa N
Fielding of Willard, was quickly pulled
on board. AS soon as he could get his
breath he cried: sect the other-Man-
chester-he's down there--sank as soon
as the boat tipped over. Get him. He'll
drown"
Eagerly the men scanned the water
about the boat, but only hat of the
missing man could be seen.
Rowing ashore with Fielding, who
was greatly exhausted from his terrific
battle for life, the rescuers found DR..
Bray, Marshal Triokey, Mr.. John Bar
bour of the Times and others waiting,
who had been awakened by the noise on
the shore. To them Fielding told the
story of the accident.
i Early in the evening. Alfred Manohes-
ter and himself had taken a small punt,
and had padded out to the moorings
where Fielding's boat was anchored.
Mooring the punt to the bouy the two
young men, neither of whom are over
eighteen years old, had rowed across to
Peaks Island in the larger boat and at
tended the theatre Returning home af-
ter the play they found the puntsswas half
full of water, which had leaked in dur
ing their absence but without stopping
, to ba it out they unfastened it from
. the bouy, and mooring the bigger boat
in its place, topped in to row ashore,
| only about 150 yards away Manchester
was at the oars of the punt and in some
manner lost ono of them overheard In
trying to get it the punt was overturned
and both boys thrown into the water.
Neither Of them could swim stroke,
and Alfred Manchester sank to the bot
tom at once, but Fielding managed to
catch hold of the overturned punt, when
he came to the surface. and clung there
until rescued.
Although the boat rolled over and over
in the water he managed to keep hold Of
it until his cries brought help from the
shore. A few minutes more would have
settled 1t with him, however, as he was
so exhausted that he could hardly talk
when he reached the beach.
Alfred Manchester was the son Of
Henry Manchester of South Portland,
who is now at work on dredge in
Portsmouth. The young man was en-
ployed as driver by William Spear the
coal dealers of South Portland. A search
for the body was continued until late,
but without avail.