The evening times., 1898-08-05
RESCUED GIRLS OFFER THANKS
Modest Mayor Van wyck win Get .
Gold Medal.

Modest Mayor Van Wyck win Get .
Gold Medal.
New York. Aug. 5.-Mayor Van Wyck
is the hero Of the hour. His recent dis
play of bravery in piunging into the wa
| ter and rescuing two young ladies from
drowning and his cooi-headed work in
directing and assisting in means for their
resuscitation are the only topics of DIS
cussion al the Woodcleft Inn at Freeport.
L. l.. where the Mayor is spending his
vacation. The young ladies. Miss Clara
Pritz and Miss Elsie Heinsheimer, and
Miss Jennie Lowndes. who was will them
at the time of the accident, are all exceed
ingly pretty. Miss Pritz is the daughter
, OF Samuel Pritz, a millionaire tanner of
Cincinnati. Miss Heinsheimer is the
/ daughter of ]. A. Heinsheimer. OF Buffa-
10. who is summering with his wife and
family at Whitestone Landing l.. /. Miss
Heinsheimer Is on a brief visit at Free
port to Miss Pritzs
The Mayor was sitting on a corner of
the piazza of the inn yesterday smoking
his af,er-breakfast cigar and reading the
newspaper. when he was Interrupted by
t"- "ppcaidtSc VI young t1EfeS.
Each of them step9ed up and shook him
warmly by the hand while the Mayor
looked beseech:ngly 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 faiteringiy:
MIR. Van wyck. but for you I might
not be living today Mere thanks for
the service you rendered me seem empty
enough. but l offer them 10 YOU from
my heat"
The mayor blushed. and said some
tning about having done nothing.
Miss Heinsheimer took Miss Pri,z.s
place in front of the mayor. and extend
ing her hand. which the mayor shyiy
took. said:
was In the presence Of DEATH Mr.
Van Wyck, when you came and brought
me to life again. shall never forget
you II live to be a 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 MAJOR:
III Clara and Elsie had been. drowned
l would never have got over II, as I
would have felt people NIGH blame me-
That fear was-rigilt before me all the
time when you were getting the girls
OUT OF the water, You can never know
what YOU hate saved me from"
When reporter visited the inn later
in the day. the mayor was sitting In The
west front of the veranda, clad in n
suit OF gray knickerbockers. and looking
over wide expanse of marsh at the
ocean through pair OF field-g asses.
MIR. Mayor said the reporter ..I
have come down to see you about Your
life-saving work.
This is an elegant breeze. isn't it?'
replied Mr.. Van wyck
at mus: have been very gratifying
to You to save the lives of two young
ladies' ventured the reporter.
That is magnificent expanse of
marsh land" replied Mr.. Van Wyck,
with sweeping gesture.
"All New York is talking about YOUR
bravery" said the reporter
This breeze comes all the way from
that is what makes 1t so cool and re-
freshing." replied the mayor.
Won't you talk about the young
ladies you saved from drowning?''
Not a word" answered the mayor.
in his City Hall tones and nothing
could induce him to change his mini,
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-sav.ng Corps. The medal
is Of a new set recently designed, and
the mayor will be the first recipient CT
the corps tribute to heroism in its
present form