The age-herald., 1898-07-14
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF MIAMI ACCIDENT Letter From Sergeant J. Cary
 Thompson OF JEFFERSON VOLUNTEERS Giving Full Details of the Thrilling Experience of the Birmingham Boys Who Were
 Overturned in Bscayne Bayon
 Saturday, July 2.
OF JEFFERSON VOLUNTEERS

The following letter has been received by J. Bain Thompson, brother of J. Cary Thompson, who is with the Jefferson Vol unteers at Miami Fla, giving a graphic account of the thrilling accident which hap pened to a squad of Birmingham boys on Saturday, July 2:
 "Your letter to hand this morning and I hasten to write you. I noticed in The Age-Herald of Sunday last an account of our accident in the Bay of Biscayne on Saturday, the 2d inst, and as I was one of the party, I would like to give you com plete story of what nked-to-have-been our Hast cruise on the mighty deep"
 You see on Saturdays we are exempt from all duties between reveille, 5;2o a. m. and retreat 6;90 p. m., giving us practically the whole day. which to be sure, is us- ually spent away from camp. Lieutenant Going, Sergeants King, Luckie and Vaughn, Corporals George and Dick Brown, Fletcher Summers, Fred Bowron and myself, and Privates Greasy, Swanson and Perkins, all of the J. V.'s, decided to visit Cape Florida and the old light house, some nine miles south of Miami, just at the mouth of the bay, and from where the great At lantio can be seen majestically heayng and tossing, as 1t certainly was on this OSNoSiOil we udNlIS StIuch lulS punt Just little ahead of quite heavy squall.
 The sail was made in the face of a stiff wind and against heavy tide, which pre- vented us from landing, although We tackled to and fro for fully four hours this was rather tiresome however and as our time would not permit of further delay we turned and started on the return trip.
 Struck by Souan
 This lime ,ve Slxi ad tlo roI1ipe, like a sea-brd, as the tide and wind were both in our favor, and I'll tell you the feeling was simply grand. The wind and spray completely enveloped us, and at times cut our faces like whipcord. The full strength of the squall struck us about four miles out of Miami, and every mo- ment it seemed as though our little craft would upset, but fortune favored us here, and we managed to reach the mouth of Miami river in safety but just as we rounded point in the rear of the big ho- tel our boat took a sudden header, and before anyone on board could realize the danger, turned completely over, bottom upwards. It was indeed an act of provi- dence that all escaped, for ten of the boys were cooped up underneath like rats in a trap. When she capsized Lieutenant Go ing came up under the sail but was pulled out in time to save his life The others, with the exception of George Brown, Frank King and myself, who pulled out for the shore, stuck to the upturned boat Frank and myself, however reaching the shore in safety.
 Frank, being the first, quickly unloosed skiff, and started out for those on the upturned boat. As soon as I could touch bottom I glanced out to see how the oth- CTS were farng when I saw George Brown struggling in the water. Although completely exhausted dor I had on my clothes and rubber coat, too-and I tell you these army brogans which we wear are like bags of shot when filled with wa ter), l knew that George Brown would never reach the bank, struggling as he was.
 A Brave Act
 T could not bear to see him in such dis tress, and probably drown before my eyes, without making an effort to save him. so l pitched out for all I was worth to reach him; when I did so he was going down the second time, but I grabbed him before he could sink, he closing on with vice. like grip, which rendered me almost help less in my then exhausted condition. How ever, I managed to hold his head above water and keep his hands and arms pinned to his side, and barely landed him safe on shore
 There is no pen that can describe the horror of drowning, as I certainly thought we both would be, and God only knows how I summed up strength to swim that