The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-14
Two Iieutennnts Drowned.

Camp Wibotf, Montauk Point, Sept. 3.
Thomas H. Wheeler, son of General
Joseph Wheeler, and Second Lieut..
Newton kirkpatrick, 1st cavalry, were
probably drowned while bathing here
this afternoon.
Young Wheeler was a naval cadet in
his second year. He had been acting
on his fathers staff for some time past.
He was II years of age, was q fine
young fellow and had made host of
friends among the older officers. To-
to the beach this afternoon to enjoy
the surf bathing.
The surf ran high and the undertow
was very strong. Apparently no one
saw the young men drowned, and it
was not until about G o'clock that they
were missed. Their clothes were found
short. distance from Gen. Wheelers
tent, close to the water, and it is be-
lieved that the young officers were
swept away by the strong seas.
Tonight a detail of sixty men from
the 1st cavalry is stationed along the
coast to watch for tho bodies that may
be thrown upon shore.
While IN command at Camp WikOff
General Whecler's headquarters were
ioCaCcu oh HSh uiil lcut CHe StdtlOn,
| q considerable distance back from the
water. 1t was only to-day that his
headquarters were shifted down to the
beach. His tent and the tents of his
| staff officers are not more than twenty
yards from the waters edge. 1t was
this change of location that gave the
| young men an opportunity to indulge
themselves in the surf. They had often
spoken spoken of so doing, and every
one is convinced that they were drown
ed to-day. Of the accident General
| Wheeler has nothing 10 say. His three
daughters, two of whom have been
acting as nurses in the general hospital
and the other rs Il nurse in the detcn-
ton hospital, are with him, all grief
stricken.
Lieut.. kirkpatrick was from Virginia.
He WAS appointed second lieutenant
June 12, 1896.
THE BODIES FOUND.
Camp Wikoif, NIontauk Point. Sept.
8.-The bodies Of Naval Cadet Thomas
H. Wheeler, the son of Major General
Joseph Wheeler, and of Second Lieut..
! Newton ID. Kirk patrick, of the 1st
United states States cavalry, who were
terday, came in with the tide, and were
thrown Oh the Leach about 2 o'clock
this morning. The bodies were found
lying close together Just below the life
saving station, about quarter of q
mile from where the young men had
gone in bathing. A detail of sixty men
IIOiii Jig Ssi cuvuiry ilau Dcen puIrOiiing
the beach with lanterns. The life
savers, who knew the coast, had pre-
dicted that the bodies would drift in
where they. did. 1t was here that the
bodies of the twenty-five Shinnecock
Indians, who were lost in the wreck of
the Circassian, were found Two rude
blers were formed out of planks taken
from near the life saving station and
the bodies placed upon them. In the
! meantime the cavalrymen had gathered
from up and down the beach and fol-
lowed tho bodies to Gen. Wheeler's
were three of his daughters who were
in camp nursing the sick. General
Wheeler and his daughters will accom-
pany the remains of the Generals son
to the family home in Wheeler, Ga.
The party will probably go to New
York tonight or tomorrow morning
at the latest.
The body of Lieut.. Newton d. Kirk
patrick, who was drowned with young
Wheeler, will be taken to the home Of
ingtOn, Va. The war department has
been requested to detail an officer to
accompany Lieut.. Kirkpatrick's re-
mans to Virginia.
President Mckinley and large num-
Der of other officials in Washington
have sent messages to Gen. Wheeler
expressing "a greatest. sympathy ior
him. Gen. Shafter called upon the
hereaved officer before going to New
him half al hour.