The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-07
CAUGHT BY The TIDE
LAWRENCE s. MITCHELL OF At
LANTA DROWNED AT BEAULIEU.
SUCKED UNDER BY CURRENT.
CALLED FOR HELP BUT SANK BE-
FORE 1T COULD BE GIVEN HIM.

Was n Guest of A. A. DeLoach at a
House Party and Had Arrived Only
an Hour and a Half Before the
Drowning-Three other Bathers in
the Water Mt the Time-E. t..
Thornton Made Futile Effort to
Reach Drowning Man-MitcheE
Prominent in Business and Social
worId-Mr. DeLoach Recalls All
Invitations for the Season.
was drowned at Beaulieu yesterday
while bathing in the Vernon river. He
ventured out too far into the swiftly
running ebb tide, and when he realized
his danger and called for help he was
too exhausted to keep afloat until it
reached him.
Mr.. Mitchell was one of a number Of
young people who reached Beaulieu
yesterday, the guests of Mr., A. A. De-
Loach at house party. Among these
guests was also Mr.. T. w. Baxter of
Atlanta, who went to Beaulieu for the
afternoon. intending to leave early this
morning for New York. 1t was because
of this arrangement that he decided
to go in bathing in the afternoon,
though the tide was then about half
ebb and running strongly, and the wat
er, in addition, unusually rough. Mr..
Mitchell and two ladies went in also.
They had been in but a short time
when Mr.. Mitchell, finding himself
about a hundred feet from the shore,
Iod ar
help and repeated the call a number
of times.
Mr.. E. e. Thornton, another Allan
tan, who was watching the bathers
from the shore, so soon as he realized
that the swimmer was in need of as
sistance plunged in. all his clothes on.
and swan toward the struggling man,
but before he could be reached he had
sunk and did not come up again.
Mr.. DeLoach was at his home, and
did not know of the accident for some
minutes after it occurred, but he and
Mr.. d. b. Lester, a nearby resident,
so soon as they heard of it, went to
the river and without waiting for boats
went into the water and made search
for the body. Later boats were got and
a search begun, but it was not until g.
o'clock that the body was recovered. 1t
was found resting on the bottom of
the river and within ten feet of the
place where the doomed man had gone
down. Having been in the water nearly
three hours, it was, of course, useless
to attempt resuscitation. The body was
brought to the city, and is now at the
undertaking establishment of Mr.. w.
d Dixon. Mr.. 1. S. Mitchell, .Tr., the
ME
nah this morning from Atlanta and,
with Mr. A. A. DeLoach, will accom-
pany the remains back to Atlanta.
They will leave over the Central to-
night.
All the residents of the neighborhood
were most jealous in the search and
in their efforts to relieve Mr.. DeLoach
and the remainder of the party in every
way possible, and neither time nor
trouble was spared in this effort.
The theory of those who are familiar
with the place where the drowning oc-
CURED is that when Mr.. Mitchell real
lied that he was unable to make his
way shoreward against the current, he
became frightened and wasting his
strength in futile struggles sank be-
fore assistance could be rendered him.
Mr.. Mitchell was very well known in
Atlanta. He was the son of Mr.. I. S.
the Retail Grocers' Association, and at
one time a city councilman. Mr.. Law
renee Mitchell was also we'll known
socially, and was the secretary of the
Colonial Club.
Mr.. DeLoach came to Savannah aft
er every provision for a thorough
search had been made. and telegraph
ed the news of the unhappy affair to
the victims father in Atlanta. and to
a Brother. Frank Mitchell. at Tate's
Springs. Tenn. He left~for Beaulieu
again at o'clock Both Mr.. De-
Loach and Mr.. Lester are splendid
swimmers, and they are confident that
had either been on the scene when it
was first known that Mr.. Mitchell was
in need of assistance he could have
been saved.
Mr.. DeLoach reached Beaulieu only
yesterday morning, bringing with him
the Misses Sisson of Atlanta. and meet
ing in Savannah Miss Letitia johnson
of Rome, Mr.. Mitchell and Mr.. Baxter
all of whom, with the exception of Mr..
Baxter, were to be guests of a house
party, the third of the season. The sad
accident to Mr.. Mitchell will, of course,
prevent the party from being held, and
Mr.. DeLoach has already Withdrawn
the invitations, not only for this party,
but for the fourth one. which was to
be held later in the season.