The times., 1898-01-09
SKATERS GO DOWN TODEATH
White and Colored Boy Break
Through Potomac Ice.
George Tasker Would Have Lost
His Life. Too, But for Prompt
Action of Spectators.

Bryant Clay a sixteen-year-old white
boy, whose parents live at No. 1921
street, and Charles Perry, colered, If
teen years old, of No 1712 E street
northwest, were drowned yesterday
afternoon while skating on the Potom-
ae near the bathing beach, south of the
Monument. In a heroic effort to save
the lives of the boys, George Tasker.
who rents skates at the beach, mar
Towiy escaped drowning and was only
rescued by the prompt action OF VIII
liam Talcott, James Ryan, Robert L.
Proctor and Policeman Curry, of the
Fourth precinct.
The ice was not very thick at the
bathing beach yesterday, but the boys,
nevertheless, ventured nearly half a
mile out. Here, owing TO the alton Of
the tide the water does not freeze very
thick except in extremely cold wealth
er, The Clay boy had got away from
the majority of the skaters and there
was no one near him when the ice
gave way. Charles Perry was several
yards distant and was the first TO STRAIT
to the rescue, when he, too. plunged
into the icy stream Both boys
screamed loudly for help and clung
tenaciously for time to the blocks OF
ice floating about them There were
number of people skating near by. but
all feared TO venture beyond the dan
ger line.
Tasker. however. quickly buckled on
his skates and, taking rope ana poat
hook. started out to the relief OF the
boys He succeeded in getting Wllhlh
a few feet of Clay when the Ice gave
way beneath him and he. too, became
submerged.
As soon as Tasker could recover him
nf a
ice and threw out his hook TO Clay,
telling the lad to hold on to it, Instead
of doing so Clay attempted to swim and
broke through the ice which separated
him from Tasker, but his strength
gave out and he sank to the bottom
Perry made a desperate effort to save
himself and the three men mentioned
above had procured an ice skin and
were making for the trio. With con-
siderable effort, Tasleer was got into
the boat. and a line had been thrown
out to Perry, but before he could be
reached he, too, had followed Clay to
the bottom.
The water was very clear, and the
four men succeeded in raising both
BOYS to the surface by the aid of the
boat hook They had, however, been
under water for several minutes, and
were unconscious when placed in the
slxiff 1t was impossible to reach the
shore with them, and with great diff
Guilty the rescuers managed to break
through the ice and finally reached
an old abandoned barge.
An effort made to reSuScitate the
boys failed, and they died short time
later before a physician could reach
them. In the meantime Policeman Cur
~ had reached the scene of the acci-
dent. and sent wcrd for the police boat
Vigiiant When it arrived the bodies
and the rescuing party were taken to
the harbor masters office. and the
corpses removed from there TO the
morgue.
Coroner Carr was notified. and after
issuing certificates of death from
drowning gave permission for the re-
moval of the bodies of the boys to the
homes of their parents.
The police are considering the propo-
sition of detailing an officer at the
beach during the skating season to pre-
vent skaters from venturing beyond
the danger limit. ~s s..,r