The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-22
WARSAW'S TIDE
CLAIMED ONE
BATHER.
A. L. Tanks1eY, Nashville
P1asterer, Drowned in
Sight of Many, and Others
Nearly Lost Their Lives.

At Warsaw yesterday afternoon, in a
surf that was not unusually strong, A.
L. Tanksley, of Nashville, Tenn, was
drowned
Three other persons, a young woman
and two men narrowly escaped death
in the same manner. The accident oc-
Cured in the surf at about 3 o'clock
and while a large crowd of bathers and
others were in the water and on the
beach.
Mr.. Tanksley leaves a wife and two
small children, in Nashville, and his
death is the more sad on their account.
1t was said by his friends yesterday
that the wife was i'll and possibly
might not survive the shock that the
dread news would bring. This is the
first tragedy of the sea to be enacted
this season, and it cast a gloom over
the gaiety that had prevailed at War
saw from the arrival of the steamer
Louise during the morning.
From the narrative of many who
were either in the water or on the
beach when the affair happened it is
CLEANED that the bathers were many
and the surf high The Louise carried
to the island about one hundred and
seventy passengers, and while some
went into the surf at once, others wait
ed and the greatest number donned the
bathing suits after dinner.
ExcursiOpists in Surf.
At about 1 o'clock a party of three
men went into the water. The party
consisted of A L. Tanksley, William
Thomas and John Thomas. They seem
ed to enjoy the surf very much, and
remained while a large number of peo-
pie went in and came out. The tide
was running in and the waves were
very high and boisterous, but all three
of the men referred to were swimmers
and were in the best of spirits, and
apparently having fine time.
Shortly before o'clock attention
was directed towards a young woman
who was seemingly calling for assist
ance. The leader in the crowd at once
| undertook to swim towards her, and a
number of swimmers and others stood
about, or waded and swan in the d.
rection from which the cries for help
eminated. Some of the men seemed to
have overestimated their strength, and
it became evident that there might be
Others in trouble very soon.
Work of Rescue.
Mr.. Davis, who had gotten near to
| her reached and caught the young
woman and swan inshore with her. X.
A. Stoeber reached John H. Strouss
just as the latter was about to give up,
| and another man caught William
Thomas and helped him in. Tanksley,
who had gotten entirely out of his
depth, was seen to turn several times
and indicate in an unmistakable way
that he needed assistance. Thomas had
tried to reach him, but before any
one got to him he disappeared under
the water.
The lady was taken upon the beach
and it was found that she was not
suffering much from her experiences.
MIR. Strouss was exhausted, but will
not suffer any ill consequences there
from. Mr.. Thomas was also done up
for a time Tanksley was known to
have gone down, and for an hour the
search was kept up. Finally, at
about 4 o'clock, someone in the water,
saw dark form near the surface when
the tide began going out. 1t was the
body of Tanksley
AS quickly as possible the body was
brought out and Immediately the rules
drowning were applied. Two trained
nurses from the st. Joseph's Hospital
| happened to be in the party on the
beach and in a moment they had all
| their own way. They applied mustard
| plasters and worked the arms and
| limbs, up and down, but without effect.
| The man was dead, however, and the
work of an hour availed nothing. The
nurses were systematic and faithful,
| but after a time it seemed useless to
| continue.
When the young woman got on
| shore it is said that she cried Save
him, I'm all right" But the request
| "~9 NiANOASNOou " iiISdIl MF. SCrOuSS,
who had attempted to assist her
ashore. She was told that he was all
right, and was appeased. She after
wards explained that she meant for
the rescuers to save Tanksley, but her
request was incorrectly interpreted.
Tanksley was a plasterer by trade.
and had come to Savannah from Reids-
vile, where, with a large number of
men, he has been working on the new
Court House. He went to Reidsville
about four weeks ago, and the visit
to Savannah was merely as a diver
sion William Thomas and John
! THOMAS came with him, and were with
| him in the water.
Tanksley told his friends, while In
the water, that he was Al years OF age
lie came TO savannah Saturday night
and was seeing the sights. Ii was evil
| dent to the passengers on the Louise
that he had been drinking, and his
condition was noticeable on the island
| The body viii be sent 10 Nashville ms
/ morning by Undertaken Henderson
-s-s
JneKcsIled Train Service
TO the East via Atlantic Coast line
| The famous Florida and West.Indta
/ Limited. with Pullman's hiEhest stand-
/ ara sieepers and dining cars. leaye -.
Hannah AZ 90 ,. ga. (city tinel 49,