The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-13
FROM WATER FRONT
.o,,N MCGEE, SAILOR, FAILED TO
SWIM SAVANNAH RIVER.
HALLS HELP FROM MIDSTREAM
.rscUED AND TAKEN TO SEA-
BOARD TERMINALS.

.ton of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Was
,,,s,ceu Minutes Late for an En-
n.cement to Dine, and Preferred
swimming to Waiting for Bateau
r.-rv-steambOatC Clayton Departs
Cor ChnrIestOn-Matter of Inter-
at 10 shippers and Seamen.
1obn MCGEE, a sailor on the British
steamship Anglo Gillian, furnished a
.hrilIing aquatic performance for the
80 number of visitors to the river
f-o,+ Yesterday by leaping into the
-t,,ar at the foot of Lincoln street and
o.tampting to make the Seaboard pier,
-.aere A steamer was locked which he
Wished to visit. The close call MCGEE
,od made his attempt the more excit-
,nz and one that Sunday sightseers on
.ho water front seldom witness. After
wing out in mid-stream Nand being
Tascued. he was taken to the Seaboard
nier and after considerable work re-
suscitated.
NcGee felt, on arriving at the wharf,
that he could get across without the
aid of a bateau, which runs between
lincoln street and the steamers dock
TO transport passengers. He became
impatient after waiting few moments
for the bateau, and the more so as he
had an engagement to dine on the
steamer he was bound for, and was
then fifteen minutes late. Throwing
of his coat he jumped overheard and
started with an over-handed stroke,
for the other side. His excellent swim
ming record which has won him six
gold medals was put to a severe test,
and he worked valiantly against
strong flood tide to make the steamer.
When in mid-stream he gave up swim
ming and, throwing himself upon his
back, hoated.
Capt. W. F. Bailey of the Seaboard
Air Line ferry, which was at her dock
foot of Bull street, saw MCGEE floating
upstream with the tide, and at first
thought him a drowned man. He next
heard him crying for help, and at once
put the Eclipse under full steam for
the drowning man. By the time the
ferry got there, Sam Smith, colored,
had also reached MCGEE with bateau,
and had extended him an oar, to which
he was clinging. Capt. Bailey told Nc
Gee to hold on, and got the ferry along
was hauled aboard
The Eclipse then headed for the Sea-
boards island dock. DIR. st. ]. B. Gra-
ham was called. MCGEE was in a crit
ical state, but the physician soon
brought him around. Towards dusk
the man had sufficiently recovered to
walk about deck.
McGees experience was no more ex-
citing than some of the other daring
swimming feats by foreigners along
the river front. In attempts to escape
from outward bound vessels on which
they were forcibly shipped, sailors have
been known to take desperate risks to
escape About a year ago a sailor
jumped from an outgoing steamer op:
posite the City Exchange dock, vault
ing from the stern, and swan around
until rescued. Some years ago asailor
Jumped from a steamer in Tybee Roads
and is said to have been in the water
some time before finally making shore,
~here ne was taken in charge by SOL
dlers at Fort Screven.
The steamboat Clayton departed last
night with a colored excursion party
Tor Beaufort and Charleston. The stop
VIII be made at Beaufort to take on
eXcurslonists, and the Clayton will then
proceed to her destination.
Urged by a requisition signed by the
Kothschilds, j. S. Morgan & Co., the
Atlahuc transport Company, the Bar
Illss ana others of similar standing,
Lord Mayor Dimsdale of London has
summoned a conference to take place
81 the Mansion House Oct. q, with the
ooJect OF laying before the government
Soiile practicable measure for the i'm
pTovement of the port.
among the proposals which are at
Nidctlng attention is the abandonment
Vi all the present dock and wharf sys-
ZEN, on which the recent dock COM
a'riSS! IC proposed to expend SAC, 900 900
@Hu the conversion of six or seven miles
OF the river into vast tidal dock
craft. -- A4'iu0 VI
MEMBERS of the River and Harbor
Cohlnlttees of the Chamber of Com
nIeIce' Board of Trade and Merchants
ana manufacturers Association have
,,r a permanent committee to
ttse congress to make an appropria-
IN cion Ior widening and deepening the
Cnr1IIlta TO Baltimore harbor. The
toNIIllttee does not expect to be able
10 get an appropriation from the pres
ode Cohgress, as New York and Phil
iIueIphla nave already secured big al
IL onces Tor harbor improvement. It
intended, however, to impress the
o , OF Baltimore upon the next Con-
S etess, and the Maryland senator's and
0o,omeressmen will be appealed to for CO.
o W and assistance. A member
W. ~ the committee said that the widen>
gr ana deepening of the channel will
S SatTIaIy benefit steamship lines, the
ttSS a importers and exporters and |
'IT people of Baltimore generally.
ta-s plan is to have the depth ex- |
frnna eq Ell from 80 to 35 feet, and the width |
from 600 to 1000 feet.