The evening times., 1898-08-04
MAYOR VAN WYcK's FEAT.
Plunges Into Deep Water and Res
cues Three Young Women.

cues Three Young Women.
Freeport- l.. l.. Aug. i.|MayOr Van
Wyck. of New York. yesterday shared
the honors of saving three young women
from drowning by, plunging into deep
water and swimming ashore with them.
Mr.. Van Wyck is staying at the Wood
cleft Inn. which is situated two miles
from the village. at the head of Wood
cleft canal. This canal extends about a
mile TO the bay The wafer Is about 30o
feet from the hotel. is eighty feet wide
and turns at right angles into rather
shallow creek twenty feet wide. By the
side of this creek Is bathing house for
patrons of the hotel. A life line crosses
the stream a few feet from the point
where it joins the canal. which in some
places is ten feet deep at low water. A
few feet from the life line is ''hole,
where the expert bathers dive.
Mss Jennie Lowndes. daughter Of the
Rev Arthur Lowndes. assistant rector
of St Thomas Episcopal Church. New
York. and Miss Clara Prtz and Miss Eliza
Hemsheimer, of Cincinnati. went bath
ing at $50 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
There were so other persons in the water
very little, while the others could not
swim at all. 1t was nearly low water.
though the tide was running out with
considerable force.
Instead of remaining in the creek inside
the life line the young women ventured
into the canal. Young Stephen Hunt.
who was in charge of the bathing pav.l-
ion warned them to keep out of the ca
nal. but they did not heed. In few min
utes they were in ten feet of water.
Then there was q, cry Of distress and
Hunt Immediately jumped TO the rescue
He is not very strong, though brave and
piucky but did the best he could with
Miss Lowndes, slight aid to help keep
the girls heads above water.
Frank Reynolds. of No. IA Keap
Street. Brooklyn. a strong swimmer.
jumped from a boat near by and gave
timely assistance to Miss Lowndes and
young Hunt, who were by that time much
exhausted. Mayor Van Wyck had come
in from his daily bicycle ride and was
sitting on the piazza of the hotel reading
a newspaper. He heard the cry for help.
and. throwing off his hat and coat as he
ran. dived into the canal and swan to
Miss Hemsheimer, who was at the time
under water.
Mayor Van Wyck brought her to the
surface and landed her on the bank. He
then swan for Miss Pritz, who was also
in bad position. and took her. almost
lifeless, to the shore. He then gave as
sistance to Reynolds and helped him to
bring Miss Lowndes and Hunt out Of
the water.
Guests from the hotel then appeared,
md theory for ba rrelS cauSad Charles u
Schenck of Brooklyn, Mrs. Taterow, the
wife of the proprietor of the hotel. and
others to bring several from the hotel.
Mayor Van Wyck and Mr.. Schenck i'm
mediately began the work of resuscita-
ton. Miss Pritz and Miss Hemsheimer
were placed on the barrels and rolled
about. and then the simple methods of
saving the drowned were used In the
meantime, DR.. Hammond. of Freeport,
was summoned by telephone.
Miss Lowndes and Miss Hemsheimer
were soon able to speak, but Miss Pritz
was taken to the hotel unconscious. The
young women were Immediately put to
bed, and it was nearly an hour before DR..
Hammond pronounced them out of dan
ger, Miss LowndeS became hysterical
and suffered greatly from nervous shock.
She had been told that the other girls
were dying, and she felt that she was in
some way responsible for the accident.
She was placed under opiates, and later
in the evening was reported to be i'm
proved.
Mayor Van wyck was the hero of the
occasion. When the hotel patrons from
the city came up on the evening trains
and learned of the rescue they went over
to the quiet man sitting in a corner of
the piazza and showered him with con-
gratula tons.