The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-01
DROWNED IN THE SURF.
SAD OCCURRENCE YESTERDAY
AT WRIcHTSWLLE BEACH.
Miss Mary j. Foster, of Roscoe, ".
n, Drowned While i'm Bathing
With Mr.. VI. C.. q. Cherry, of Mt.
O.fve-She was Seventeen Years
Old and was to Have Been Mar
ried Next September-The Body was
Recovered I'm Twenty Minutes At
ter the Drowning, but all Efforts
to Restore Life were i'm Vain.

There was a distressing occurrence
yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock at
Wrightsvilie Beach, while a number OF
Mary J. Foster, Of Roscoe. N. Y, who
came here three wee ago with Mime.
Leila Elrado, the palmist, was drown
ed while in the surf with Mr.. M. C.sS.
Cherry, an excursionist from Mt. Olive.
The sad affair occurred in front of Mr..
John A. Arringdale's cottage, near the
Atlantic Yacht Club.
Mr.. Cherry came Town yesterday on
Hatch Bros. excursion, and while at
the beach went in the surf with Miss
Foster. Quite a number of other peo-
lple were in bathing, but none were
very near them. Madame Elrado, who
is the young lady's aunt, was in bath
them down the beach
There was a pretty heavy surf and
Mr.. Cherry and Miss Foster were some
distance out, bordering on the slue.
The first intimation that those near
had of their trouble was to hear cries.
for help, and when they locke the
couple were struggling desperately in
the surf. Mr.. Cherry states that when
in water nearly to their shoulders a
heavy breaker rolled over them and
broke them apart. He regained his
footing and got to her just about the
time another big breaker came over.
them. She seized hold of him, and
they found themselves in the slue
where the water was over her head.
Mr.. Cherry is a good swimmer, but
Miss Foster held on to him S 10 tight
that he could make no Roadway with
her. He was nearly exhausted and had
to get loose from her to go for help.
His cried brought several people,
among them Mr.. w. G. T. Keen, JAM
tor at the Atlantic Yacht Club and
Charlie Walker, colored. They went
out and could see the body rising n
falling with the surf. Mr.. Keen finally
reached her n with assistance
brought the bodv ashore.
The body vas recovered in twenty
minutes after the drowning, and by the
time it was gotten out of the water a
large crowd was at the scene. DR.. r.
E. Zachary was soon there, and al
though every effort was made to re-
sussitate the unfortunate young lady,
it was all in vain.
When it was known that Miss Fos-
ter vas drowning, somebody ran down
the beach and told her aunt Nine.
Elrado was so overcome with the
news that she had to be assisted
from the water, and she tainted on
the beach. 1t was thought by many
that she was also drowned, and many
worked with her to bring her to life,
~.,o TO- ---:--
THAT she had tainted. She tainted a
second time when contemplating the
lawful occurrence.
A telephone message to the city reach
ed Dr.. w. j. H. Bellamy and DR.. C. D.
Bell, the cornor, n they went to the
beach on the Sis train. When they
got there efforts were still being made
to resuscitate Miss Foster, but all hope
of restoring her to life was gone. The
coroner learned the circumstances and
did not deem an inquest as necessary.
The body vas brought to the city
last night on the train which left the
beach at 10 o'clock, and reached here
at 10:40 D. m. Mr.. w. w. King, the
undertaken, took charge of the remains
and the funeral will take place this
morning at 10 o'clock. The remains
will probably be inferred in Bellevue
cemetery.
The parents of Miss Foster are Mr..
and Mrs. John Foster, who reside in
Roscoe, N. Y. and she is their seventh
child. h was just seventeen years
Iold On the 2Sth of last May and was
engaged to be married at Roscoe next
September. Her aunt, Madame Elrado,
who travels extensively as a palmist,
has been taking care of her for the
past year. She brought her here last
fall, and returned here with her three
weeks ago.
Nine. Elrado says she foretold her
niece several days ago that an accident
by water would befall her. and yester-
day two hours before she went in the
surf h again warned her and told her
not to go in. The young lady was in
very bright spirits n when she per-
sisted in going in bathing, her aunt
then told her not to go very far out
and even tried to dissuade her from
going in at all.
Miss Fosters parents are not able to
have the remains of their daughter
sent to them, and therefore she will be
buried here. The drowning of this
young lady is extremely sad, and it re-
minds us to ask how long it is going
to be before the prope safeguards are
going to be established at the beach
for the protection of bathers. The
crowds who come here grow larger
there are no life lines and no boat with
which to reach bathers when they get
in trouble. Are the proper authorities
going to wait till the end Of the season
before they provide some safeguards