The times., 1898-08-06
RESCUED GIRLS OFFER THANKS
Modest Mayor Van Wyck VIII Get n
Gold Medal.

New York. Aug 5.--Mayor Van Wyck
is the hero of the hour. His recent dis
play of bravery in plunging into the wa
ter and rescuing two young ladies from
drowning and his coei-headed. work in
directing and assisting in means for their
resuscitation are the only topics of dis
cussion at the Woodcleft Inn at Freeport,
l. l.. where the Mayor Is spending his
vacation. The young ladies' Miss Clara
Miss Jennie Lowndes. who was with them
at the time of the accident. are all exceed
ingly pretty. Miss Pritz Is the daughter
of Samuel Pritz, millionaire tanner OF
Cincinnati. Miss Heinsheimer is the
daughter of ]. A. Heinshsimer, of Buffa-
10. who is summering with his wife and
family at Whitestone Landing l.. l. Miss
HeinSheimer is on brief visit at Free
port to Miss Pritz.
The Mayor was sitting on a corner of
the piazza of the inn yesterday smoking
his after-breakfastr cigar and reading the
newspaper. when he was interrupted by
the appearance of three young ladies'
Each of them stepped UP and shook him
warmly by the hand, while the Mayor
looked beseechingly at a group OF the
hotel guests who were standing a few
yards distant. watching the pretty little
tableau.
Miss Pritz was the first to speak. She
said falteringly:
Mr.. Van Wyck, but for you I might
not be living today Mere thanks for
the service you rendered me seem emntv
enough, but l offer them TO you from
my hea-t''
The mayor blushed. and said some
thing about having done nothing.
Miss Heinsheimer took Miss Pritz's
place in front of the mayor. and extend
ing her hand. which the mayor shyly
took. said:
Il was in the presence of death, Mr.
Van Nyck, when you came and brought
me 10 life again. | shall never FORGET
you If | live TO be thousand years. 1t
Is needless for me to thank you"
Then came Miss Lowndes. and she
said slowly. looking straight into the
eyes of the mayor:
If Clara and Elsie had been drowned
l would never have got over it, as 7
would have felt people nigh. blame me
Tnat fear was right before me all the
tlHe when you were getting the girls
out of the water. You can never know
what you have saved me from"
When a reporter visited the inn later
in the day, the mayor was sitting In the
west front of the veranda clad in a
suit Of gray knickerbockers. and looking
over wide eXpanse of marsh at the
ocean through pair of field-giasses.
Mr.. Mayor" said the reporter. II
have come down to see you about your
iife-saving work"
This is an elegant breeze, isn't it?"
replied Mr.. Van Wyck.
1T must have been very gratifying
| to you to save the lives of two Young
ladies" ventured the reporter.
That is 4 magnificent expanse of
marsh land" replied Mr.. Van Wvcl,
with a sweeping gesture
"All New York is talking about vour
bravery" said the reporter
This breeze comes all the way from
! Cape Hatteras. 1t has. clean sweep
! that is what makes it so cool and re-
! freshing," replied the mayor
Wont you talk about the Young
| ladies you saved from drowning?"
mot a word answered the mayor.
| in his City Hall tones, and nothing
| could induce him to change his mind.
although he willingly talked on every
other subject
One of the first honors to be paid to
| Mayor Van Wyck for his gallant act Of
rescue will be the presentation of a
| handsome gold medal by the New YORK
| Volunteer Life-saving Corps. The medal
is of new set recently designed. and
| the mayor will be the first recipient Of
| the corps tribute to heroism in its
present FORM