The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-06-27
TWO YOUTHS DROWNED.
SAD EXCURSION OF ST. Andrews
SUNDAY sCHOOL.
Edmund HacLaurfn and Johnny Mur>
n Drowned while Bathing i'm Lake
Waccamaw Yesterday Afternoon.
How the Sad Accident Happened.
The Funerals TO Take Place Today

Waccamaw Yesterday Afternoon.
How the Sad Accident Happened.
The Funerals TO Take Place To-day
Yesterday the Sunday school of st.
Andrews Presbyterian church went on
it's annual excursion to Lake Wacca-
NAV, in Columbus county, forty-f1ve
miles from h city, on the Atlantic
Coast Line. The train left Front street
station at 8 a. m. with a happy crowd
Of about 300 children and their parents
and friends, n the AXE was reached
at 1910 a. m. It was az ideal day and
the party had a m enjoyable time.
AT II o'clock a basket dinner was
served, and afterwards the crowd
scattered in all directions, some stroll
ing through the woods and others
going to the lakeside.
The enjoyment was soon to be
marred, however, by a most distress
ing occurrence. A number Of boys went
in bathing off the pier, and W Of them
were drowned. The party in bathing
consisted of Edmund Lilly McLaurin,
aged Is years; John Archibald Murphy,
o5Cu u CdISg oSOAA" LIZ d5Cd
II years, and Emmett Crow, aged IL
years. The lake is not over waist deep
for quite a distance out and about a
hundred feet out from the pier the
boys were enjoying their bath, unsus-
pecting Of danger, when suddenly the
entire party stepped of a shelving place
on the bottom and found themselves in
water over their head All the boys
could swim some except young Muir
ply, but all four were Strangled in
their excitement and lost their heads.
They struggled hard to get back 20
shallow water, but Edmund McLaurin
and Johnny Murphy were drowned.
The former could swim, but it is sup
posed that he attempted to save his
young companion, who could not swim,
and thus lost his life too. Dewitt
Sconwald and Emmett Grow managed
to swim to shallow water, but they
also a a narrow escape, and doubt
less the latter would have drowned
had not the former assisted him.. Both
were very much excited and exhausted
when they got ashore, but as soon as
they could hurriedly put on their
clothes, they ran to their friends some
distance from the lak and give the
alarm.
Mr.. w. H. Sprunt, superintendent of
the Sunday school, hurried to the pier
and accompanying him was a large
umbe of excited men n youths,
some of whom volunteered to go in
and search for the missing boys. They
had been in the water about twenty
minutes when the rescuers got there
and in about ten minutes the bodies
were found n carried to the pier.
Mr.. Wink Strauss found the body of
Johnny Murphy n DR.. Halves that
Of Edmund McLaurin. During the
search for the bodies, MI. Sam Potts
went out with his naptha launch and
a. 4 H. al t. ~~o,,.~ H. - J..
The bodies were placed on the pier
and were rubbed and rolled for an hou
and everything possible was done to
resussitate the boys, but all in vain.
Superintendent Sprunt, the Rev. A. D.
Mcclure, h pastor Of st. Andrews,
and Mr.. w. C. VonGlahn, secretary Of
the Sunday school, were unremitting
in their efforts, along with a great
many others, to bring back the lives
that had zone out. There was no ply
stefan at IA Waccamaw, SO Mr..
Sprunt got permission from the rail-
roa authorities to send the locomotive
Of the excursion train to Whiteville
for a doctor. Captain Harry Macarthur,
condunctor Of the train, and Mr.. Tom
Lawther, the engineer, lost no time in
running to Whiteville, a distance Of
eleven miles. They reached Whiteville
and were back at the lake in % min
utes with DIR. Thompson. On the re-
luTu Trip hlSlueeE Law lu6T IIldue lle
run Of eleven miles in 9 minutes. When
DR.. Thompson arrived he made an ex-
animation of the bodies and announced
that life was extinct beyOund all hope
of resuSsitation.
Meanwhile Mr.. Sprunt sent kilograms
to the parents of the unfortunate boys,
breaking the shocking news to them.
Mr.. l.. w. McLaurin, father of Ed
mund, hurriedly got ready and left for
the lake on the regular passenger train
which left here at 3:45 p. m. He reached
the lake just Is the excursion train was
ready to leave there and came back
with his dea boy, from whom he had
parted in life in the morning. He was
overcome with grief, but if tender
sympathy could ave consoled him, it
was deeply manifested by his hundreds
of friends and acquaintance.
1t was a sad home coming for the
Sunday school. The train reached the
city at 6 p. M, but instead of joyous
smiles, sadness was depicted on every
face. Many persons in the city who
had heard of the distressing occur
renee were at the depot and there were
sad hearts in every bosom. The bodies
Of the drowned boys were met at the
train by Mr.. J. F. Woolvin, the under
taker, and were sent to their saddened
homes.
Our entire community has been
AAOShCu Wy Ills VoSLu IN
and universal sympathy is expressed
on all sides for the two bereaved fami-
lies. No blame is attached to any one
for the sad occurrence. The officers
of the Sunday school were deeply
grieved over the accident, and they did
all they could under the painful cir
cumstances.
Superintendent Sprunt informs US
that not only the people on the excur-
sion were distressed over the drowning
of the two youths, but that they could
not do enough towards bringing the
boys to life. The people at the lake
were also deeply grieved and were ex-
ceedingly kind. Mr.. Sprunt expresses
grateful appreciation Of the sympathy
and kindness of Miss Fannie Biers and
Miss Lizzie Carroll. After all that HUI
man efforts could avail was done to re-
sussitate the youths, their bodies were
removed to the home of Miss Biers,
and We're tenderly cared for till the
train left on the sorrowful trip home.
Mr.. Sprunt also mentions that Con-
dustor Macarthur and Engineer Law
%hnc Lea -1+l;-r ,,DJona -, 49, -