The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-24
LIFE BOATS ON THE BEACH.
STATE LAW PROVIDES PENALTY
ron FAILURE TO PROVIDE THEM.

lighthouses for Purposes of Surf
Bathing Are Maintained, Must
Keep Lifeboats or Rats, Fully
Equipped and in Plain Sight, in
Case of Emergencies Agoos'
browning Brings Up the Subject.
Theory of Suicide Given no Cred
ence-FuneraI of Unfortunate Man
Attended by HI. G. III. Society.
The drowning of Don Agoos, at Tybee
Sunday afternoon. was the subject Of
much talk yesterday. The opinion was
expressed that had lifeboat or raft been
in readiness on the beach, the accident
could have been prevented.
Fatal accidents of the character of that
occurring on Sunday happen nearly every
year Safe enough when the tide is flow
ing, the beach easily becomes dangerous
when the difficulties of the bather are in
creased by strong current, an ebb tide
and an undertow. With these present in
conjunction. 1t takes a strong and sknful
swimmer to extricate himself from the
dangers that impend when he has once got
beyond his depth.
me Legislature VI G6OTSld, impressed
with the danger, has provided for Iife-sav-
ing apparatus at each point where bath
ing suits are to let making 1t the duty of
every proprietor of a hotel or boarding
house and the keeper OF every bath house
20 keep such apparatus in readiness for
emergencies. Section 500 of the Criminal
Code says:
The proprietor or keeper of every no.
tel boarding house or other public house
or bath house on the sea coast where
abe public may resort for the purposes of
surf ba thing, shall at all times, during
the surf-bathing season, keep and main
tain at their respective establishments
in full view and accessible to bathers and
guests of such house. suitable and sea-
worthy lifeboat or liferaft, fully equipped
with oars, oarlocks, life preservers and
life buoys, and mounted upon a proper
wheeled carriage, which boat or raft
shall be kept at all times ready for IN
slant use, in case of emergencies to
bathers requiring the use thereof; and in
default of complying with the provisions
CT this section, such proprietor or keeper
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and in
addition 40 the penalty for such offense,
he shall not have the right to collect any
charge or debt from any guest of such
lodging or other service, rendered such
guest by the proprietor or keeper during
the surf bathing season"
So far as is known, there IS not
lifeboat or raft maintained along
the beach at Tybee, so that with each
day the proprietor ,of every public bath
ing house becomes liable 10 punishment
as for a misdemeanor the penalty for
which. upon conviction, is fine of $1,000
Imprisonment ON the changing for twelve
months and Imprisonment in the public
Jail of the county for six months, either
or all, in the discretion Of the court
Furthermore, the guests Of every one Of
the hotels or boarding houses,
where bathing houses are maintain
ed, and the provisions of the law pro
viding for the keeping of life boats or
RATS and appliances are violated owe
nothing to the proprietors of these hotels
or boarding houses that can be collected
by an action at law. The law says that
one of the penalties for failing TO keep life
saving appliances within easy reach in
case of emergencies shall be the inability
of the proprietor to collect the board bills
due him by his guests.
II was stated yesterday that an action
would be begun by the widow of the man
drowned on Sunday TO recover damages
for the death of her husband. Such an
action could. of course, be defeated by
showing that the death of AgOos was due
TO his own carelessness or negligence, but
such carelessness or negligence on the
part of the unfortunate man who lost his
life cannot effect the question of the guilt
of the misdemea nor, for failure 10 pro-
vide life-saving appliances and keep them
in plain view and ready for emergencies
on the beach
Upon the examination of the clothes Of
the dead man a slip of paper with some
writing in Hebrew characters was found
in the band of his hat. This paper was
turned over to Coroner Goette who got
Mr.. Jonathan Stern 20 translate il. II
reads as follows: You are triing wish
your life and health. Better die than
That sucn should happen. Take an ex-
ample from people who have become I'M
happy, and of them you should take warn
ing. He who goes through fire will be
consumed"
The writing was upon an uneven scrap
of yellow paper, which had been worn In
'he hat band long enough to be stained
with the die from the band
With this paper as a basis the story was
started that Agoos had committed suicide
and in short time it gained wide cur
rency among persons who were unaware
OF the facts of the mans death. Among
the dead mans friends the idea of such
an act on his part as suicide was pooh
who intends taking his life take his two
small children along with him, or after
realizing that he was in danger cry out
for help as did Agoos
The theory as to the paper, advanced
by one of his friends, and which found
general credence is that the writing is
merely copy from a poem or other ar
tlcle that may have been found in some
Hebrew paper of which II is said Agoos
subscribed TO quite number. Coroner
Goette's opinion of the matter is that the
man died of apoplexy and this opinion is
shared by the majority of the persons who
assisted in the efforts TO resuscitate Agoos
after he had been brought on the beach.
ne funeral took place yesterday after
noon at O'Clock from Bryan and Mont
gomery streets. The burial was made in
the Jewish burying ground at Laurel
Grove Cemetery.
The H G. H, Jewish benevolent socie-
~ to which the deceased belonged, turned
out in body, meeting at Metropolitan
Hall and going thence to the house eighty
SIX strong, under the direction of President
J. Weiser.
The pallbearers were Messrs. George
levin j. Stark. l. Levi, A. Rundbaken,
l. Gottleb and NJ. Blumenthal
GEORGIA CENTRAL INCOMES.