The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-28
CARRIED OUT BY THE TIDE.
W. A. Bowden of Columbus Drowned
Mt TNhPe.

Mr.. W. A. Bowden of Colum bus. was
drowned in the surf at Tybee Sunday
night. His body has not yet been found.
nor in the opinion of those familiar with
/ the tides, is il likely to be- as he was
| drowned shortly after the ebbing of the
/ tide began, and has probably been washed
OUT to sea. Nothing of the accident was
! known in the city until yesterday morn
| ing, when the early train from the island
arrived.
All that is known of the affair is the
story of Mr.. r. Z. Waller, the dead mans
brother-in-laU, who was with him wnea NJ
went inso the surf He says that he and
Mr.. Bowden arrived in the city early sun
| day morning on the CenUars excursion
from Columbus. and that they went i'm
meiiately to Tybee which they reached
about u O'Clock. They spent the day H.
knocking around the island the greater
part of the time on the beach. Mr.. Bow
den was not familiar with surf bathing
and expressed . great desire to try it. but
was dSsuaded from the experiment by his
brother-in-iaw both on account of has
lack Of familiarity with the ocean. and
the fact that the sun was extremely hot.
Later in the afternoon Mr. Bowden came
across body of water near tne railroad
track and again wanted to go in bathing
but was prevented by the fact that il
appeared 10 be quite deep, and he was
unable to swim. Mr. Waller also pointed
out as an argument against it. that it was
not patroniZed by the other visitors to
the island.
About 7:30 O'Clock Mr. Bowden deter
mined to try the surf anyway. ana went
TO the bath house for the purpose Of get
ting a bathing suit. When tod that he
would have only about half an hour in the
water. he decided not to take the suit. but
later on he made the statement that he
didn't intend coming 800 miles and then
not get a bath, and told his brother-in-
law that he wGs going down on the beach
and. as II was dark, go in without any
SUIT. Mr.. Waller refused to Join him in
the bath but at his solicitation accompa-
MED him to the beach They went he
said some little distance south from Hotel
Tybee, where they we're staying. and then
Mr. Bowden. stripping to his undershirt
and drawers, welded in the surf. leaving
the other man to take care of his other
clothes. Mr.. Waller says that Mr. Row-
den mad been in the water but
short time when he asked
him to come out, but that instead
OF complying with his request he only
Waded further out until at last after
wv VI At4i 10 iDtltTS BdO gone over MS
head he was lost sight of. Mr. Waller
shouted and walked some distance along
the beach trying to catch a sight of him,
but failing, at 10 o'clock went to the hotel
and notified Mr.. Graham of the affair.
Search was INN ediateIy instituted for thc
BODY but though the beach was patrollrd
all night and a watch kept for it all yes
terday. it has not yet come to light. Cor
oner Goette is of the opinion that the body
may come ashore off Warsaw. and sent a
man 70 that island to look for IL. Mr.
waller returned home last night
The dead man was SO years ola. He
leaves a wife and four young children. A
telegram apprising his family of his death
was sent in the afternoon by Mr.. Waller
Mr. Graham, proprietor of Hotel Tybee
SAID that bathing suits would not he
rented at the hour when Mr.. Bowden
went in the surf. 1t was after O'Clock
and there was a strong ebb tide running
Bowcen wore no hath suit and nobody
about the hotel knew that the men were
on the beach
After Mr.. Waller reported that he
reared his brother-n-law was drowned y,
SAID Mr. Graham, we got lights and boat
ana dld all we could to recover the BODY. -