The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-03
VAIN DEATH FOR HERCHILD
MRS. WHEATLEY DROWNED IN TRY
ING TO SAVE HER DAUGHTER.

The Little Girl Fell in the Hudson River at
FORT washington Point-A Man in n Nearby
Boat said ne wss .'Busy" when Persons
ON the hank shouted to Him to save Them.
Mrs. Nellie whcatlcy was drowned in the
River, off Fort Washington Point, yes.
terday afternoon in an unsuccessful attempt to
save her 8-yoar-old daughter, Helen, from
drowning. The body Of Mrs. Wheatley was
recovered. That of her child has not yet been
found.
Mrs. wheatley and her husband, james, went
on Memorial Day from their home in 167th
street, near Amsterdam avenue, with their chill
dren, Helen and Barr, who is 1 years old, to Fort
Washington Park. OF which tho Point is n part.
The park Is ono Of tho widest In the city. 1truns
along the river front, west of the Hudson River
Railroad tracks, for a number of blocks. There
are no roads through 1t. and the pathways are
narrow and tortuous. The park Is heavily wood.
ed. and the ground is covered with undorbrush.
1t Is as wild as though II were a thousand miles
from the city. and the vegetation is so thick
that visitors arc cut off from each others sight
when only n few feet away.
Fort Washington Point, which Is also known as
Jeftrey's Hook. projects forty feet into the river.
The Hook is the end of u long curve OF the west
ern river bank. which begins half a mile below.
SO that the extreme end Of the Point is 300 feet
in the stream. The south side OF the Hook Is
lined with little coves, in which the water Is
quiet and shallow. From the end of tho Point
areef stretches out further into the stream. and
the water of the river. In passing over this,
forms q whirlpool through which the strongest
swimmers have been unable to make their way.
The current runs around tho Point very rapidly.
and the water in the stream beyond, is said by
the boatmen familiar with it. to be more than a
hundred feet deep.
All OF this was unknown to the Wheatleys. as
they had not visited the park before, and when.
on their Memorial Day excursion, little Barr
fell into one OF the shallow pools on the south
side of the Point. and was fished out, drenched
to the skin. by his father, both the children con.
sidered it the best kind of a joke. The family
went through the entire park, and ended their
excursion on the Hook.
The Hook ends in a large boulder, the top OF
which Is twenty feet above the water. The
front of this boulder is perpendicular to the
water line, and so dangerous is 1t considered
that the United States Government has erected
q flagstaff in the centre Of the rock. on which q
danger flag is displayed in the day and two red
lanterns at night.
So pleased were the wheatleys with the spot
that they stayed there until late in the after
noon, and the children talked about it all the
ley had gone to his business down town yester-
day morning the children suggested that they
M Siss. james HnS pS Wils Sssi am Old NrS friend ie who lives "ssi IN
16Sth street, near Amsterdam avenue, to ac-
s sSoas ) d sRf%i and Th sns p Mshy nor -four 10 'f bspot
Lane, which crosses the railroad track and
leads to the park. There Il connects aH with a
t that si Forms Snd the cue end u of Jefrey's Hook. It took
S Wss af fuTc 3 ' o'clocf when Mrs. Wheatiey and
Mrs; Wilson sat down on the turf which covers
the land end OF the big boulder.
surface Of the rock, which is about thirty feet
% Sresa sn and dT tSe iid tss %a .o thinning iae aSt IVA" For '' so%s
s shlsh t,E Pssssa :, 9v ts.m the . Esst The, gipSs saSsn t b ms ss:
d them no Closely Ig am and so did Mrs. Wilson. Each told
the children that they must not go near the outer
edge Of the boulder, as they might slip into the
water. The children decided these injunctions
for some time, but finally Helen. becoming more
venturesome than her brother. went TO the outer
Her mother called to her and the child came
back; but a few minutes later she went again
to the edge Of the boulder, and, this time, in
leaning over to watch the water as 1t eddyed
the river with a scream. Mrs. " heatiey,s eyes
had not been following the child and Helen's
cry was the first intimatiOn she had that the
little girl was in danger. She looked up quickly
and saw her daughter dress disappearing down
Mrs. Wheatley was an expert swimmer.
Although she wore heavy clothing and had on
Ser hang s sh9e sn SasdfaI Of sfiG%RP MP! & Il ssn0 erie sse af
alarm and remonstrance, she ran 10 the edge OF the
r rSiIS h Locked sd. 9vs arr Long !, enough se% 9sat do aoS sse ,b sea 1i RsT
by the current, and then diyed In. Mrs. Wilson
and Barr saw her rise to the surface and strike
out for her daughter, and saw Helen clasp her
foated OF down the stream. Mrs; Wheatley APP
The current which is detected by the Hook
and flows toward the centre Of the stream car
the tiSa r Mef, AND Md'G aiso drew EsSS"hh her fnf away Wa!f'f from 0t the
shore. the curved form OF which rapidly in
S %e%sS s shS sistsHes S Sssw' %ils s6e s stleahsd
Half a dozen men and some women who were ir
the park near the bank Of the river heard hel
cries and ran out into the clearing. They coulC
Two hundred yards beyond her. and rowing
saw a man in a white yawl. They shouted /!
him. Every man on shore called and followed
looked at the men who were shouting and wav
ing their hands to him on shore. They pointco
S Be seen uhe T fireH mani 10 looked %asrS IN the ' direetiSn '1 fhey
indicated and apparently saw her. I'm busy,
he shouted. Then he turned around again In hi
Two or three blocks above the Hook. Georg'
: but he dragged 1t in and rowed toward the middl,
|. that he might see what the trouble was, Al
I this time Mrs. Wheatley had been drifting dow
. with w the current he to ara by cSSm fn9 adm q t ylsw D OF tS
ANA
; stream she had disappeared under the surface o
B the water. The men were pointing down tn
j. stream, however, and he guessed at what ha,
happened. He rowed down TO whore she ha
disappeared. but was unable to find any trac
> Of her.
Ten blocks below. Policeman Lewis of tn
West l52d street station was standing near tn
river. SO loud did the men on shore shout at tn
3 boatman who refused TO help Mrs. Wheatle
/ that he heard their voices. although he was
! what had happened. He went to Martin
dock at. the foot of 10th street an
. got a boat. He rowed out into tn
FLYER and waited. In a few moments Mrs
Wheatley's body came TO the surface. He rowe
0 out and put a rope around IL. The men VIII
stood on the shore and saw the body rise "A
: that Helen's body was then lying on the breas
y OF that of her mother, with the child's arm
around the mothers neck. The policemen sa
that this Is not so.
However that may be, the policemen towe
the body OF Mrs. Wheatley to Martins docl
and tied II to one of the piles. The rope wit
i which II was secured was old and worn. TIL
water. eddying around the dock. caugt
, the body and carried it down the streaI
II .ft Yntrb fnrpn fhaf thu ron