The sun., 1897-05-17
DROWNED IN THE BRoN1.
Two YeunE Men Fall from Boat NEAR Ha
Island.

Island.
Just before o'clock yesterday afternoon when
BENJAMIN Hibbard, the keeper Of q boathouse at
the West Farms road bridge across the Bronx
River, was getting ready to go to dinner two
young mon walked out on the float to which his
boats are tied and said they wanted to take n
row. They selected a small, fatbottomed skiff
and clambered In, acting as though they were
not accustomed to boats. Hibbard pushed them
off and they started up the Bronx at o leisurcly
gait.
Tho Bronx was covered with boats, and tho
two young men rowed up tho river nearly a
quarter of a mile without attracting attention.
They reached largo rock which sticks out OF
the water, and Is known Hat Island. Tho
river is broad above tho rock. forming kind Of
lake, which ends in channel about thirty feet
wide Just above Hat Island. Tho water 10 about
fifteen feet deep, and runs clear and more
swiftly in the channel than 1t does above or
below.
The young man who was rowing rested on his
oars when tho boat was near the island. Tho
occupants Of the other skiffs in the vicinity
thought that the men wanted to listen to the
sounds Of q hurdy-gurdy In picnic grove on the
west bank. The oarsman seemed to be talking
to his companion, but little attention was paid
to their actions until both stood up at the same
time.
Tho boat rocked from side to side, its gun
wales going dangerously near the water line as
they moved. Tho motion Of the boat seemed to
frighten its occupants. Instead of sitting down
they moved toward each other, again rocking
the boat. They stretched out their arms and
clasped hands, and they did 80 the boat rocked
toward the west bank of tho river.
The two men leaned toward the east and in
their endeavor to right the boat they bent SO far
over that they lost their balance and fell into tho
water. AS they struck the surface Of the stream
they unclasped hands. The boat righted itself
and drifted down stream.
There were half dozen boats whose occu
pants saw the men fall into the water. Some
one shouted, and all the boats were started for
the spot where the men tipped over; Both OF
them had sunk, and, 80 far as could be learned,
they did not rise to the surface.
The cries of the men and women In the boats
brought q crowd OF children. who were picnick.
ing, to the bank Of the river. and people who
were walking through the woods at the sides OF
the stream hurried to the spot. Park Policemen
Mooney and Cronin were among them, and
some one on the river told them what had hap.
pened.
The policemen sent Thomas Ward and Peter
Morris after grapples and got q boat. When
and In short time recovered the bodies Of the
men. An attempt was made to resuscitate them
when they were got to the bank. but it was un-
man to establish his identity positively. They
were Hebrews. Ono was about twenty-five
years old, with black hair and dark skin. He
wore light-colored suit Of clothes, and in his
pocket was a card of ono OF the Cooper Institute
classes, made out to "A. Roth" He wore
large ring in which the letter '' II :" was cut. He
He had S3.O5 and watch in his pocket.
The other man was about two years younger,
and had letter addressed to Emma Morris OF
313 Fifth street in his pocket, asking that some
songs might be submitted to the writer. 1t was
signed Louis Werner.
Besides this address there was slip OF paper
with the names and addresses of several music
publishers on 1t. Miss Morris said last night
that her cards had been widely distributed. and
that she did not remember Werner.
The bodies were taken to the Harlem morgue.
It is expected that they will be identified to-day.
Oscar Barth, 10 years old, Of 1895 Viro ave
nue. fell off, the railing OF the Westchester
avenue bridge over the Bronx River at $50
o'clock last evening. striking on his head in
shallow water. His skull was fractured. He
was taken to the Fordham Hospital.
The boys father was a policeman, who in
1894 was struck by lightning while sending a
message over the police signal wires He never
recovered from the stroke and died a year ago.