Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-15
THREE LIVES LOST
Ice Breaks in the Tidal
Basin.
SIX TIERS IN w TER
MANY ARE RESCUED AND TAKEN
TO HOSPITAL.
Victims Were Miss Jessie Thomas, II.
c. Hamill and Arthur Wasser-
bach-Cause of Accident.
SKATERS IN WATER

| The unheeded warning of the police to
skaters resulted last night in three deaths
| and about fifteen cold baths in the river
| near the bathing beach. 1t was about u
O'clock when the affair occurred, and the
| police and others engaged in the rescue
! work encountered some difficulty because of
| the darkness. Policeman Bannigan, who
| was on duty at the river front at the time
| the people went through the ice. proved
| himself the hero of the evening. and mis-
| brave conduct was rewarded today by
| Major Sylvester. Those who lost their
| lives were: Miss Jessie E. Thomas twenty
| years old, 1119 Dartmouth street north
west. librarian at bureau of ethnoogy:
| Henry G. Hanill, thirty-six years old, los
1 street northwest. clerk in War Depart
| ment; Arthur Wasserbach, twenty-six
years old. 1900 r street northwest en-
| ployed in the bureau of engraving and
printing.
Miss Thomas was not dead when she was
taken from the water. She was removed to
the Emergency Hospital, where she dleG
shortly after her arrival The men were
under the water nearly two hours before
their bodies were recovered and sent to the
morgue. Coroner hewitt investigated the
affair soon after the bodies reached the
morgue and gave certificates of accidental
| death in order that the bodies might be
removed to their late homes. Seven of
those who had received a ducking were
| taken to the Emergency Hospital, while
the others hurried across the monument lot
and went to their homes.
A Thousand People on the Ice.
l. 1t is estimated that fully one thousand
people were on the ice in the vicinity of the
bathing beach yesterday. Major Sylvester
had an ample detail there all day to give
the skaters the necessary protection, put
a be witty
leaving Policeman Bannigan the only man
on guard. All during the afternoon TIE
police warned skaters Of the danger O..
going on the thin ice where the fatal acct
dent happened, but all the skaters did not
heed the warning. Those who went out
far from shore were advised not to return
over the route taken by those who were
victims of the disaster. About the plac.
where the fifteen more pleasure seekers
went down the ice was not thick as 1t
was in other places At most points the ice
was from three to four inches in thickness.
Where the accident occurred it was much
thinner. This was caused by the pumping
of the water from the river beneath the
ice, leaving only thin coating Of the ice.
! The advice Of the police was for the skat-
erS to avoid this place, but many of them,
in a hurry to get home after an evenings
sport. attempted to make a short cut, and
by doing so reached the place where they
had been advised not to go.
Cause Of the Accident
1t is stated that the trouble was really
started by a boy who had board or lad
der, which he pushed ahead and started
the breaking of the ice. Another account
gives 1t that a man and woman broke
through and started the fatal affair One
after another went down and the crowd
became panic stricken. There was scream
ing and calling for assistance, and Police
Man Bannigan was the first to reach the
victims from the shore. Close behind him
came w. w. Rosson, messenger boy en-
ployed in The Star office. The officer lost
no time in getting in the water, and in a
short time he had rescued seven Of the
victims of the accident. While he was so
engaged the messenger boy was not idle.
Rosson had heard the officers warning
about the condition of the ice where the
people We're walking over narrow boards
to get ashore, and had reached the shore
over the ice some distance above. Had he
paid no attention to the warning he would,
| in all probability, have received a ducking,
but as it was he was able to do some res
cue work. He managed with a little as
sistance, to get a boat in the water and
with a Mr.. Maynard started out to gave
some of the people who were overheard.
A lady cut the rope which fastened the
| boat and with but he started out
| with Mr.. Maynard. Mr.. John D. Torrey of
! 1913 North Carolina avenue southeast and
| his siXteen-year-od daughter We're in the
| water near where the boat was They had
| been rescued after they We're Utmost ex-
| hausted, and We're transferred the boat
| In charge of the messenger boy and Mr.
| Maynard
Rescue of Miss Thomas.
Hats and caps were floating about in the
water and the occupants of the boat
searched about for the wearers of them
1t was while this investigation was going
! on that Rcsson spied a dark object in the
| water. Reaching to ascertain what it was
| he was surprised to find that 1t was human
| hair. He held to the hair until he got
other assistance and then 1t was found that
the boy had rescued Miss Thomas. Mr.. II.
| was with Miss Thomas when the accident
| occurred. but the breaking of the ice had
separated them. and, besides being unable
! to rescue his companion, he had received
an injury to his head and had been rem
| dered helpless. He managed to cling to
reached him. Miss Thomas heart was still
! beating when she was rescued by Rosson,
| and physicians worked on her before she
| was taken to the hospital.
Telephoned for Assistance
| Mr.. Lee Ross, son of the late Commits
sioner Ross, was among the party Of skat-
| ers, and while those about the river front
! were engaged In the rescue work he went
and teiephoned for assistance. as he knew
| other help was needed. Major Sylvester
was among the first to respond, and he took
an active part In the work Lieut. Boyle of
| the third precinct was also soon upon the
| scene, having scorched there on his bicycle
| from the station. The patrol wagon. with
| the reserves, and the Emergency Hospital
| ambulance, with corps of physicians
Dr. Morhart remained at the river front to