Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-04
SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT.
Sad Fate OF Earl silver tienshaw in
the Potomac River at Falling Wa
ters Was Seized with Cramp
while Swimming About
q Boat

ing place. claimed its first victim from
among the rccreationists for many years
Wednesday afternoon, when Earl Silver
/ Hensnaw, the only son OF Mr. and Mrs.
William Hamilton Henshaw. OF near
Arden. met a sad and tragic fate under its
surface.
The ending Of the Young mans life is
one Of the saddest incidents that has ever
occurred in the county The camp at the
Wetumpka club house, a few minutes
before all merriment and giee, was in a
few moments turned into one OF mourn
! ing and sadness by the drowning of the
young man, who was one of the most pop
uar in the camp and the pride of his pa
rents. A gloom of sadness and grief was
not only cast over the camping party Of
VIII oh he was member, but also through
our the entire city and county Where he
is well known.
The party composed OF MIR. and Mrs,
f. c. Williams and children, Misses
Edith and Sallye and Master Levi, Miss
Vallie Henshaw and the deceased. went
to Falling Waters Wednesday and ex-
pected to spend the remainder of the
week at the Wetumpka club house.
In the afternoon between 2:3o and 5
o'clock the young man, accompanied BY
Misses Edith and Salye and Master Levi
Williams, started out in the boat from the
Wetumpka pier, Mr.. henshaw and Levi
wore bathing suits. Mr.. Henshaw be-
fore getting into the water, had signitied
his intention of diving. He placed an oar
into the water and saw how deep il was,
then climbed gently over the end OF the
boat into the Water. He had been row.
ing around The river in the hot sun and was
heated before he got into the water. As
soon as he struck the water he appeared
to be seized with cramp and .ost almost
entire control of his muscles. The girls
in the boat noticed this and when he APP.
peared on the surface the FIRST time after
going under, they cried to him TO catch
hold of the boat. The words Il can't,
fell from his lips in a choking tone and he
went under again.
Those were the last words uttered by
the drowned young man. He appeared
in sight again and then disappeared, never
to rise again alive.
The young girls and boy in the boat
were terribly frightened aud hardly knew
what TO do. Mrs. Williams was watch
ing the boat from the shore through a
field glass and she witnessed the horrible
scene. She was almost thrown into hys-
terics when she saw him disappear for the
last time and noticed the frantic condl-
ton of her children. Levi, who was also
attired in bathing suit, had thoughts OF
of saving his older comrade and was only
held back from Jumping into the water
and probably sharing the same fate, by
the girls, who almost frantic from
fright, sent up cries for help, but
Mrs. WILLIAMS was the only one nearby
= and nothing could be done 10 save him.
After the drowning of the young man
Miss Edith Williams with remarkable
in C oness. after going through such an or
deal, seized the oars and rowed back t
of the West Virginia shore.
h 1t was just ten minutes OF three oclocl
when the young man climbed over IN
t boat into water and before three o clocl
lg he was drowned The drowning occuret
nearly opposite the Wetumpka Clui
o. House, only a short distance from th
ie Maryland shore The water in that 10
cality ranges from about ten to lively
feet deep.
S A telephone message telling of III
% drowning reached Martinsburg at 3,3
ociock, also a message calling for ply
Re STEFAN in case any of the ladies in the cam
III who were in terrible state OF eXcitemen
became i'll. DR.. Virginia MuCune, &C
companied by Mrs. Williams sister, i'm
* mediately went down. All the member
al of the party passed through the excite
ment without succumblng 10 any lines;
n however.
S. A search was instituted for the recov
cry of the body by the people of Failing
Waters in the afternoon. The searching
> party was joined later in the evening b
"a Gray and Bayard Silver, cousins OF tn
deceased, who had with them rope AM
ill drag hooks. Others from Martnsburl
lg joined in the search, which was kept u
until after nine o'clock and then given up
!, The river was dragged all around tn
y place where the drowning occurred, bu
&c no trace of the body could be found las
night. Miss Vallie Henshaw offered re
Sc ward OF SIS for the recovery Of the body
IN THE YOUNG MAN.
Earl Silver HenshaW was a Young ma
OF high moral character and liked by a
a. his associates. He was the only son &
u of Mr.. and Mrs. William Hamilton Hen
shaw, living six miles northwest of towr
ID near Arden. His age was Twenty-Five
ne years. lie is survived by his mother an
father and four sisters. Misses Pauline
=, Jeanette Fannie and Leona. His moth
=, er was formerly Miss Silver
~ The grief of the parents when they wer
informed OF the sad fate of their only sor
was pitable to behold. 1t was 6 80 o'cloc
n when boys from town arrived at the Hen
$ shaw hone with The news. The father
d mother and sisters burst into tears. 1t wa
e, a sad scene; the parents could hardly real
ize the situation That their only son
- the pride of the Henshaw family had thu
A. been taken away, they could hardly be
e lieve. and when they did realize the stu
ss alton they were almost overcome by grief
MIR Henshaw started for Falling Waters
but on tie way there he was met by thos,
is returning from the river, who informed
* him that the body had. not been found anC