The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-12

Escape of All Tn
Party-Heroic Efforts to save the
Stranger
Another of those dreadful tragedies
incident to surf bathing occurred yss
terday morning between $50 and Z
o'clock at Wrightsville Beach. Mr.. VIII
liam Harvey Wade, formerly of Rich
mond. lately of Brooklyn, N. Y, was
drowned while taking a before break
fast bath with his friends, Captain Don
MacRae and Mr.. Hugh MacRae.
Mr.. Wade arrived in Wilmington last
evening at. $50 p. M, from Brooklyn,
n he and Mr.. Hugh MacRae went to
the beach on the 7:15 p. m. train, ac-
companied by Captain Don MacRae,
who occupies the Solomon cottage and
with whom the first named gentlemen
were to spend the night. On the train
Messrs. r. B. Mason and H. NJ. Chase
were introduced to Mr.. Wade, and the
party agreed to take a bath together
before breakfast yesterday morning.
Yesterday morning at $50 o'clock
Captain Don MacRae, Mr.. Hugh Mac
Rae and MI. Wade went into the surf
while Messrs Mason and Chase We're at
the Kitty Cottage, about seventy-fve
yards up the beach, getting ready to
join them. All three of the gentlemen
first named were good swimmers, Mr..
Wade being b best swimmer in the
lot and when they got in the surf they
SWAN I'VE the slough and struck out
Tor the reef with Captain MacRae in
the lead. Captain MacRae had been
over on the reef the evening before
when the tide was about the same
height, and he found that the water
was then not over waist deep and the
bathing splendid. He expected, of
course, to find the depth of the water
the same as the evening before. When
the three got ON the reef they found the
water much deeper than they expected.
MIR. Wade was a little more than six
feet high, and upon trial he found that
he could touch bottom, with the water
nearly up to his arms. The Messrs.
MacRae, being not so tall, could barely
get bottom.
Captain MacRae states that when he
got on the reef he realized that there
was a heavy set out to sea, but at the
time he did not say anything for fear
OF alarming his companions. In a calm
manner a mounen later he said there
seemed to be am undertoW where they
We're and suggested that they go back
towards the shore. They then began
to swim back to shore.
Captain MacRae SWAMI overland and
made better progress in than his broth
er and MIR. Wade. He was near the
Inner edge of the reef and about fifteen
feet ahead of h other two. Mr.. Hugh
MacRae was a few feet a head of Mr..
Wade, and all then were having a hard
battle with the heavy surf and strong
current that was setting outward, pre-
venting them from making much pro-
gress towards getting in. Captain Mac
Rae noticed. that Mr.. Wade was not
making much Roadway, and he con-
to swim on i'm and send out a
boat, as from his own experience he
felt that it would be necessary. When
he got to the slough Mr.. Chase, who
had come up from the Kitty Cottage,
plunged into the surf and started out |
the other gentlemen, not knowing |
they We're in trouble. Captain MacRae
waved TO him to go back and shouted
to him that there was a heavy under
tow ON the reef. Mr.. Chase replied
hat he could touch bottoms all the way
across the reef, and when he noticed
Messrs. Wade and MacRae were having
hard time, he SWAIN out to give them
Encouragement. Mr.. MacRae told him
10 go to Mr.. Wade and Mr.. Chase Gid
He assisted Mr.. Wade by giving
him a rest. Mr.. Wade was ~self-posses-
;ed and did not grab hold of him, so
Mr.. Chase staid by to encourage him.
Mr.. Mason had also come from the
Kitty Cottage and went to Captain
assistance. When Captain
got ashore he sent a boy to
L. M: T~urrentine, at the Kitty Cot
and requested him to go to the
carolina Yacht Club house for a boat.
The other three gentlemen were still
a struggle of it, and Captain
would have gone back to the | :
'escue but he was so thoroughly ex-
himself that he knew it would
,e impossible to save himself, SO he
hought the best thing to do was to
end for the boat.
Mr.. Turrentine hurried off for the
'oat and while he was gone, Mr.. Mason
cached MIR. Hugh MacRae and assisted
lin. Mr.. MacRae found that between
wells he could reach bottom. and when
ne swell would go down he would take !
advantage of it to get his feet on the
'ortom and swim when the swell made
{ too deep for him. In this way he
managed to get out with the final as
istance OF MIR. Mason. He was Very
nuch exhausted when he got ashore, {
- Ao ~SNoPC was vel AdllOW. /,
MIR. Chase was still, struggling hero
cally TO save Mr.. Wade, but the sea
Tas very rough and finding that it
fculd be all he could do to save him
elf, he could only swim and speak
lords OF encouragement. The w !
rifted apart, however, and while he !
Tas struggling to get in himself he saw I,
hat Mr.. Wade had given out and was .
rowning. In a few minutes the unfor- !
mate man disappeared, helpless in :
ne breakers. Mr.. Chase swami on in !
after Mr.. Mason had assisted Mr.. =
[acRae he then went to the assistance :
MI. Chase, rendering him what aid Z
q could to rest him. Mr.. Chase had .
hard struggle of it and narrowly esN. '
lped drowning in his efforts to save
T. Wade. When he got ashore he was Y
mp and vomited a large amour of +
hit water. Some ladies at Mr.. I. l.. q
reenwald's cottage had been aroused i
Y the excitement, and they thought /
lily hurried down to the beach with F
andy and aromatic spirits of ammo E
"a, which greatly revived Captain c
acRae and Messrs. MacRae and Chase. t
Mr. Tlrrrorfipk~ haI ~ ~ &J,1 a1,h | -