Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-10
DEATH IN THE SURF
Drowning of Charles Alfred Bliss at
Ocean City.
BODY RECOVERED WITHIN AN HOUR
Funeral viii Probably Be Tomorrow
at q O'clock Pm.
I RECOVERED WITHIN AN HOUR
PERIL OF OTHER BATHERS

Charles Alfred Bliss, cashier of the New
England Mutual Life Insurance Company
of this city, and son of Mr.. Alfred G.
Bliss, chief clerk of the bureau of inter
nal revenue, Treasury Department, was
drowned at Ocean City, Md, shortly after
noon yesterday. Mr.. Bliss had gone to
Ocean City last Saturday to stay two
weeks. He went in company with DR.. w.
NJ. Newell, and since going on their vaca-
ton the two have been together almost
constantly.
Yesterday Mr.. Bliss was out with a
number of bathers when he was caught in
eddy and carried out considerable dis
lance. The current was very strong, and
those who saw his danger and heard his
cries for hep were unable to render as
sistance While Mr. Bliss was in peril
several other bathers became exhausted
and called for help, among them being
Misses Alice and Bessie Hunting, Miss
Geetfng of Baltimore and DR.. VIM. NJ.
Newell of this city. The life-saving crew
seeing the danger of Mr.. Bliss made ready
to go to his relief, and while doing SO the
other bathers got beyond their depth
Bravery OF Sidney Wilson.
While this preparation was being made
Mr.. Sidney Wilson of Snow Hill, youth
VI IlItteH years, DOIuIy TuSncu INTO the
breakers, swan TO Miss Bessie Hunting
and succeeded in bringing her ashore
Young Wilson's efforts and cries attracted
the attention of the crowd to Miss Alice
Hunting, and Rev. Francis Y Nichols of
Princeton plunged TO her rescue. He caught
at her as she was going down the last time
but missed her. He then dived and held
her up until Mr.. Charles r. Gantz of Bal
timore and Mr.. Strauss went to his assist
ance. They all three managed to get ashore
to resuscitate Miss Alice Hunting. The
Misses Hunting were rescued in front of
Mount Pleasant Cottage.
In the meantime DR.. W. NJ. Newell had
become exhausted about 100 yards below
in front of the ffe-saving station, near
where young Bliss had gone down. Mr.
Shields of the Atlantic Hotel, swan to
DR.. Newell, and. though merely a boy, held
him uD till young Sid Wilson went to help
MN, and they both brought the doctor safe
boat, which had just been launched Mr.
Raleigh DeShields also pulled Miss Geet-
ing out of the surf almost exhausted.
The Hfeboat started to look for the body
of Mr.. Bliss but as the crew We're pass
ing the first breaker Bob Purnell of Ocean
CITY and Charles Gantz of Baltimore saw
the BODY, and, plugging from the boat
brought it to the surface The body had
been III the water about an hour and all
efforts at resuscitatiOn by four doctors
present proved in vain. 1t was taken to
one of the rooms of the ife-saving station
where it was eubalmed by Undertaken 7
E. Wise of Berlin.
Young Bliss Highly Esteemed.
Mr.. Bliss was twenty-seven years of age
a graduate of the Washington High School
and was highly esteemed in this city He
lived with his parents at 923 East Capitol
street Only a couple of days ago his
parents received letter from him. in
which he said he had that day sailed over
the spot where the Birney boys were
drowned recently. He was good SWIM
mer.
Mr.. a. G. Bliss, father of the drowned
man. today said it appeared strange that
the hIe-saVing service at Ocean City was
so long in rendering assistance. 1t did
not appear to him that the patrol of the
beach at Ocean City was satisfactory 9TH
erwise he did not think an hour would
have been consumed in the rescue of his
boy.
Funeral Tomorrow.
Mr.. Bliss was not able to reach Ocean
City until after the body of his son could
be started on the journey to this city, and
for that reason did not go there last even
ing, as he first intended to do. The re-
mains are expected to arrive here at 3:4j
this afternoon. The funeral will probably
take place at o'clock tomorrow afternoon
ana Will be private. The interment will be
made IN the Congressional cemetery.
Statement of Miss Fen.vick.
Miss Fenwick of 1904 K street who was
at Ocean City at the time and who has re-
turned to Washington, said today to a Star
reporter that the circumstances surround
ing the drowning of young Bliss were sad,
but at the same time the heroic qualities
of the young man were brought out 1t
seems he noticed the danger of a party.
which was farther from shore than he was.
and gave the alarm.
Two young men responded-Sid Wilson
and Roy de Shields. They were both strong
swimmers, and when they reached Bliss
he said to them, Il am all right; go and
help the others-they need you more than
l do
So his would-be rescuers went on to the
assistance of the others. Sid Wilson was
confident he saw young Bliss go out of the
water, but afterward found he was mis-
taken. The fact is Bliss was not seen
again until his lifeless booy was brought
from the ocean.
There was, of course, good deal of ex-
citement over the rescue of the others as
owing to the roughness of the breakers it
was difficult TO launch the lifeboat. 1t was
supposed for some time that Bliss was
somewhere on shore, and therefore a search
party was not sent out soon as would
have been the case under other circum-
stances.